If there’s a player any franchise would like to have in the playoffs, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a name near the top of that list. James’ accolades are eye-popping — four championships, three MVPs and 19 All-Star nominations.
But, what’s arguably the most impressive is LeBron’s run of eight straight NBA Finals appearances. No player in the modern era has more consecutive appearances and only members of the early dynasty Boston Celtics have more.
James is in the midst of another potential run to the Finals, his first time since 2020, with the Lakers nearing a second-round trip. LeBron’s had a quiet first round, averaging 22 points per game. He had a tough night in Game 5, scoring just 15 points on 29% shooting.
But LeBron vowed to be better in a Game 6 close-out game on Friday, and history says he will. His point total jumps to 28 per game in closeout games with a 39-12 record. It’s a testament to how locked in he is behind the scenes, which Darvin Ham offered some insight about recently.
“Just constant communication. Discussing the film, discussing different things we’d like to get into at different moments of the game, when we start the game, finishing out quarters and halves, trying to establish a rhythm in the second half on both sides of the ball,” Ham said when asked what James is like behind the scenes this time of year.
“Just talking strategy, talking rotations, talking matchups. All of that. And just doing it with a lot of positive, fun energy as well, but yet not making light of the situation. We all enjoy the game, we’re all passionate about the game and we all want to be successful, especially representing this franchise.”
Ham references just about everything someone could do during a series. The playoffs are all about strategy and preparation, and there seems to be no better player at exactly that than James.
Even with the Lakers in a prime position to advance, LeBron has yet to score 30 points in this postseason. He’s also shot over 50% from the field once, an oddly inefficient stretch. How much of that is dependent on his health is unclear, but if the Lakers get a locked-in James on Friday night, the second round will likely be next.
Anthony Davis believes LeBron will be fine after ‘disappointing’ Game 5
After LeBron’s poor Game 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony Davis expressed confidence that his co-star will be better in Game 6. Davis relayed positivity to LeBron after the game, telling him to keep his head up, similar to what the latter told the former after he had a bad Game 2.
The Lakers will need their stars in top shape to close out the series on Friday.
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