The Los Angeles Lakers are in trouble after the storied franchise dropped a second consecutive game in the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets, with superstar forward LeBron James looking like Father Time is finally catching up to him.
Although James is still widely regarded as one of the best players in the NBA, the four-time NBA champion had a forgettable performance in Game 2 on the road against the Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver.
James finished the game one rebound shy of a triple-double, but his mistakes and poor shooting from beyond the arc dominated the headlines after Nikola Jokic and company came out on top on Thursday night.
The Lakers superstar went 0-for-6 from deep in Game 2, which brings his shooting numbers from the three-point line to 0-for-10 for the series, sparking this reaction from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on Friday.
A message to LeBron James.https://t.co/TsbIlEySU6 pic.twitter.com/EDiz2Lfzg1
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 19, 2023
First of all, James is not a three-point shooter and really shouldn’t be jacking up shots from beyond the arc, especially in the playoffs against what seems to be a superior opponent in the Nuggets.
James is one of the best in the league’s history in driving to the basket and finishing at the rim while potentially heading to the line, as teams can’t deal with his physicality in the paint.
That said, driving to the basket rather than settling for three-point attempts is the smart way to go for James, but he insists on continuing to act as if he’s an efficient shooter from outside.
It’ll be interesting to see if that changes in this series, which could ultimately tilt the scales in the Lakers’ favor.
NEXT: LeBron Claims Starting Lineup Doesn’t Matter For Lakers Vs. Nuggets