The Los Angeles Lakers are having a dream run in the Playoffs so far. They managed to dispatch the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in six games, and now face the Golden State Warriors. They’ve managed to steal homecourt advantage, but not everyone is convinced.
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NBA analyst Tim Legler believes there is a flaw in the Lakers’ offense and that is LeBron James. The King is 6-of-41 from three-point range over the last five games, and Legler believes he has to improve for the Purple and Gold to have a chance.
LeBron and the Lakers fought laboriously for a win over the Warriors in Game 1. With a final score of 112-117, the team mainly relied on Anthony Davis. The Brow had a stellar night scoring 30 points and grabbing 23 boards. A nice compliment to King James.
However, things may not go as planned come Game 2. First off, AD has been rather inconsistent of late, so there is no guarantee he will have a similar performance. Secondly, the Lakers got lucky with Jordan Poole’s bad shot. And, finally, while he has been great, LBJ’s shooting has been horrendous.
Tim Legler believes LeBron James needs to improve his shooting if the Lakers are to win the series
They may have won Game 1, but the Los Angeles Lakers have a tough series ahead of them. If there is one thing Golden State has shown this post-season, it is that they’re a resilient bunch. And, with pieces like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, you can never count them out.
Nevertheless, the Lakers will be hoping for Anthony Davis to continue his fine form from Game 1. But, that may not be enough to seal the deal. So, what could give LA the edge? The answer is LeBron James’ shooting.
When asked about The King’s shooting woes on JJ Redick’s podcast The Old Man and The Three, NBA analyst Tim Legler explained. He firmly stated that if the Lakers are to win the series, then LeBron needs to start shooting better from three. Legler added that if he doesn’t, it could also affect his performance from the free-throw line as well. Then, no amount of stellar AD performances can help them.
“Anthony Davis, as great as he was last night, and when he plays that well, it’s very difficult for Golden State. He just differentiates the teams.”
“He’s not making up for all that stuff if LeBron hits that point where he doubts if this is going in from the perimeter. And, he’s not quite there yet but he’s trending in that direction.”
“And, at the line too, because I think the jump-shooting will affect his free-throw shooting. So, no I don’t think they can win if he does not have a couple of games in this series at least where he shoots the ball well from the perimeter.”
Legler makes a fair point. While they may not be able to outscore Golden State from three-point range, it is essential that they improve. And, for that, King James needs to lead the charge.
The Lakers made fewer three-pointers than Curry, Poole, and Thompson in Game 1
The shooting of LeBron James aside, the entire Lakers team isn’t doing well from three. Look at Game 1, where the trio of Poole, Steph, and Klay had six three-pointers each. When comparing to the Lakers, who as a team only had six, it is concerning.
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Safe to say, shooting is something the Lakers need to address before Game 2. Hopefully, they can make the necessary adjustments and steal Game 2 as well.
