'he Knows The Most': How Lebron James Sets The Tone For Lakers Entering Playoffs

Bright lights, large stage, aforesaid LeBron.

Unmoved by postseason pressure, superstar LeBron James said he doesn’t scheme to alteration his mentation up of the Lakers’ playoff opener against nan Houston Rockets connected Saturday. Approaching his record-tying 19th postseason appearance, James has logic to judge successful his well-established routine.

“Nothing changes for maine from nan regular play to nan postseason,” James said, “besides conscionable making moreover much heightened focus.”

The accordant attack that guided him done 23 regular seasons puts James successful position to prima successful different high-stakes crippled arsenic nan Lakers (53-29) pursuit nan franchise’s 18th NBA championship. James will bid almost nan full spotlight pinch guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves still sidelined.

The 41-year-old, 22-time All-Star has ne'er had a problem pinch being a starring man.

“I deliberation a batch of nan awesome players, nan champion players, what they’re addicted to is being nan showman,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, referencing Stephen Curry’s fourth-quarter heroics that pushed nan Golden State Warriors complete nan Clippers successful a thrilling play-in crippled Wednesday night. “And being connected nan shape and giving a performance. …

“One of nan reasons they’re awesome and they’re capable to beryllium nan showman truthful consistently is because they admit [that] to beryllium nan showman, I person to do each nan things basal to past spell connected shape and execute astatine my best. And that’s nan committedness pinch LeBron that I’ve talked astir truthful often.”

The shape is group for a star-studded first-round bid pinch James and Houston’s Kevin Durant. The Rockets’ superstar roseate to 5th connected nan NBA’s all-time scoring database this season. He and James, nan league’s all-time starring scorer, person 76,037 mixed regular-season points, much than nan remainder of nan Lakers’ roster mixed (57,341).

“He’s nan caput of nan snake,” James said of Durant. “But it’s nan Houston Rockets and they person immoderate damned bully players connected that team.”

Durant has nan support of two-time NBA All-Star halfway Alperen Sengun, who is averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. James leads nan Lakers alone. They’re without Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique) indefinitely.

Since Doncic and Reaves were injured, James assumed nan superior domiciled successful nan Lakers’ discourtesy and has delivered 25.5 points, 11 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game. Battling nan affectional toll of Doncic’s and Reaves’ injuries, James group nan reside for nan Lakers’ beardown decorativeness to nan regular play pinch his vocal activity and beardown play, Redick said. His teammates are falling successful line.

“He’s been successful nan playoffs I don’t cognize really galore times,” Lakers defender Bronny James said. “So he’s won series, won Finals, I deliberation we conscionable request to person our mind unfastened and ears unfastened and perceive to immoderate he says because he knows nan most.”

Lakers prima LeBron James and coach JJ Redick talk strategy during a crippled against nan Clippers this season.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After years of competing against each different successful nan NBA and pinch each different connected nan world stage, Durant said earlier this play that nan Miami Heat type of James was nan hardest subordinate he’s ever had to guard. James said each type of Durant feels for illustration an intolerable matchup.

The 37-year-old scores successful bunches and does it efficiently, Redick said. Durant hasn’t changeable worse than 50% from nan section successful a play since 2011-12. Now successful his 18th season, Durant played nan second-most full minutes of immoderate subordinate this season, trailing only 23-year-old teammate Amen Thompson.

“He’s a defender successful a large man’s body,” Lakers defender Marcus Smart said. “I’m 6-3 and he’s 7-foot truthful he has that advantage and that’s what makes it tough, because he’ll sprout correct complete apical of you it seems. But playing him nan years that I person played him — and past period — it decidedly gives you penetration of what to expect.”

Durant averaged 18 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3 assists successful 2 losses to nan Lakers successful March. He changeable 55.6% from nan section but had 11 full turnovers. The Lakers, who often double-teamed Durant to return nan shot retired of his hands, forced 36 turnovers successful nan 2 wins.

The Lakers expect nan aforesaid protect unit from nan Rockets, who are classed sixth defensively. Guards Reed Sheppard and Thompson some rank successful nan apical 10 successful nan convention successful full steals pinch 122 and 119, respectively.

Smart and defender Luke Kennard person taken larger ball-handling responsibilities on pinch James to offset nan nonaccomplishment of Doncic and Reaves. Bronny James is successful statement for rotation minutes successful nan Lakers’ shorthanded backcourt. The 21-year-old defender has played successful 10 consecutive games, nan longest agelong of his young NBA career, averaging 6.6 points, 2 assists and a bargain pinch seven-for-17 shooting from three-point scope successful nan 5 games since Doncic and Reaves were injured.

Getting to stock nan tribunal pinch his son, whether successful regular-season games, believe aliases now nan postseason, is “the champion point that’s ever happened to maine successful my career,” nan elder James said.

With his early chartless beyond this season, James pledged each play to enactment successful nan moment. The Lakers dream to make this postseason 1 last.

“The infinitesimal is each we have,” James said. “At nan extremity of nan day, that’s each that matters.”