Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James has had one of the most impressive postseasons of his career, and he has opened up a lot of eyes and made a lot of new fans during this playoff run.
One of those guys who has been impressed by his play is Los Angeles Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant, who joined the Chris and Caron show on Fox Sports Radio.
“I think the tempo that he is playing at. He is able to control the tempo of the game. The game, especially in the playoffs, is all built on momentum shifts. What he has been able to do in these playoffs is control the momentum. When it shifts, how it shifts. When teams go on big runs, he’s been able to stop momentums. It’s a very difficult thing to do, and he’s been able to dominate that this postseason.”
He also said one of the biggest changes for LeBron that has helped him improve the most has been his ability to better conserve energy.
“The way he is being used right now is a little different than how he has been used in the past. I think he is understanding the importance of conserving energy. In the past they ran a lot of screen and rolls for him, a lot of angles, he’s out 35-40 feet from the hoop, penetrating into the paint. You don’t really see that too much now. You see him operate at the elbows, you see him operating below the free throw line, deep corner. From those positions, he can take one or two dribbles, raise up and shoot. He can get to his spots, he can get to that right shoulder very comfortably. He’s certainly evolved that in his game; he didn’t have that when he first came into the league.”
A lot of the things that LeBron has done as he has aged during his NBA career is similar to what Kobe did as he got older during his time with the Lakers.
For James now though, it’s crucial the teammates that surround him are there to help take a little of the pressure off him.
