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LEBRON JAMES WATCHED more like old James LeBron in recent weeks. Well, except Tuesday night.
His score is up and his impact on Los Angeles Lakers games has also increased. It's no coincidence that they earn more. They have won seven out of ten victories, even after losing 32 points to the Denver Nuggets.
Is it because he became more comfortable in his new environment? Of course, that probably plays a role.
Is it because his teammates learn to play alongside him and vice versa? Without a doubt.
But that does not seem to be the real basis. What seems to have brought James back into the abyss, is that he's back in his comfort zone by playing a lot of leader. This was not formulated in this way, but it is what he does more and more with the aging of the season, especially after the fall of Rajon Rondo because of a broken hand.
Since Rondo had to leave a game in Portland and have surgery, James manages the ball almost a minute more than before, according to Second Spectrum's tracking data. This is an important peak because the Lakers have so many possessions where they push the ball in transition that ball handling statistics can be a little skewed. During this period, James increased his average score by five points per game.
In fact, his statistics have improved from one end to the other of the system, especially his shots, which have skyrocketed since the fall of Rondo. The Lakers benefit. Even the "official goalkeeper", Lonzo Ball, fills the aisles during quick breaks and comes out of his shell at James' request.
Scouts who followed the Lakers reported that Ball often went off guard when James played with him. Just wonder if this arrangement is really their destiny to play together in the future, especially if Ball is able to improve his outside shot and show a willingness to drive the ball as he l & # 39; 39, has made in recent games. Ball suffered a sprained ankle on Tuesday, which could temporarily slow him down and further increase the ball's handling of the ball for James in the near term.
It's probably because having the ball and controlling the offense is the way James has been conditioned to play in the last 15 seasons. He won the title of player par excellence and title running as the de facto leader. That's what it is, even though it sometimes tends to exhaust him mentally and physically.
James has grumbled Cavs management on the need to have more gaming leaders on the list to ease that burden in recent years. It's not that the Cavs' coaches and vanguard ignored it – it's just that all their data indicated that they were better when James was the main playmaker. They were sorry / not sorry for not taking the ball from him.
When James came to the Lakers, he loved being able to play faster, using his post-up skills and generally spending less energy. That was the idea behind the signing of Rondo and Lance Stephenson … that would relieve the need for James to create as much.
But as you will see those who have rubbed shoulders with James over the years, there is James' July version when he sits on a couch with a glbad of wine and a talking basketball philosophy. And there's the mid-season version of James who wants to win above all else and relies on himself to succeed. As usual, the latter is shown as the games pile up.
When Rondo was active, and he and Ball had division guard duties, that partly happened. When he played alongside Rondo, James had on average less ball possession time than players such as Zach LaVine and Jamal Murray. When Rondo is out, James' ball handling time is good with John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul. Basically, where he's been for years.
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And these post-ups? James has on average half the points per game he has done with the Cavs. He can not post because most of the time, the Lakers are fast or rely on James to be the leader of the game in attack.
The scouts also noticed that when James scored the goal, he rarely turned to the bench to receive calls from coach Luke Walton. Even when he has seen them, say the scouts, he ignores them and directs the room he prefers. Walton is adjusted and now that James is running the show, Walton usually lets him just call the match. This should probably not be considered a slight one – it's just James being James.
In fact, Walton did a good job limiting James' number of minutes and using the depth that he has in the backyard to try to ease the burden so James can be a little cooler. There is on average a career minimum of 35 minutes.
Even though it took a little while for Walton to determine how comfortable James was in the rotation. There was a game in Minnesota early in the season when Walton eliminated James just five minutes into the match to set the rotation so James could finish each quarter. James was, to say the least, mystified.
In the end, the trends are more positive for the Lakers. James goes back into his comfort zone, whether in the original game plan or not, help.
THE LEAGUE LEADERS ARE IN LOOK DERRICK ROSE with a mixture of wonder and skepticism as he continues to have his best season since 2011-12, when he was last star player and before his first knee injury.
After seeing Rose's game erode and have had several times the impression of being about to come out of the league, he has suddenly become a modern style leader.
Rose is shooting 46% this season on 3 points and 54% in the last nine games. He is a guy who has only shot 27% on three points in the last four years and who has been so bad that he has stopped trying. At present, he has the highest percentage of actual shooting and the effective percentage of field goals in his career. Not to mention that he has explosive air on the floor.
It is rare but not impossible for a player to have a sudden awakening. Some executives wondered if Rose was beginning a transformation in his career over the past ten years, like Jason Kidd, who had gone from a poor 3-point shooter to a good player in thirties. Others say that they will wait to see it for a prolonged period.
It's just right. So, note that Rose has her best PER and strongest plus / minus since her knee injury.
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau doubled his push against Rose. He has experienced several closing games with Rose and starting goaltender Jeff Teague.
Rose is a confusing gambler, it's the least that one can say, and her off-road issues make it even more challenging. He is not the defensive player he was. But it has unquestionably become one of the most fascinating stories in the league right now.
By the way, wolves too. Since exchanging Jimmy Butler, they are 5-2 and the league's third best defense.
CAVS COULD GO BACK to their version of the "process" in the coming months. When James left for the first time in 2010, his owner, Dan Gilbert, continued to spend for his list, but in a different way. He was willing to accept a salary in exchange for drafts while the Cavs filled their chests of badets in addition to their own lottery choices. When James returned, they were able to convert these badets into large transactions.
During conversations that the Cavs had in the league, they began to express their willingness to receive a long-term salary as the trading deadline approached, league sources said. The Cavs have a couple of veterans who they will be willing to exchange.
Kyle Korver is expected to get 46% of the points, but George Hill's attractive contract is worth $ 19 million this season and has only $ 1 million guaranteed for next season. Hill, absent due to a shoulder injury, got off to a good start, recording an average of 12.6 points and 48% success on 3 points in 10 games.
There is a lot of room for salary ceilings this summer, and the books of other teams are in better health now than a year or two ago. The money transfer market is unclear, especially if it includes a willingness to choose in the 2019 project. That said, the CACs are willing to monitor a few years and a willingness to serve as a dump to a contract could become relevant both in February at the deadline of exchanges and in June around the project.
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