Something that has become a pretty standard part of basketball over the years has been the 2-for-1 shot in which a player takes a shot with a certain amount of time left in the quarter in order to ensure they will then get the final shot of the period. Overall, the idea is logical and makes sense, but there is a part of it that doesn’t sit well with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
LeBron is one of the most intelligent players the NBA has ever seen, so the idea of the 2-for-1 makes complete sense to him. But he believes there are some factors that should be in play before going for it.
In the first episode of his new Mind the Game podcast with JJ Redick, James outlined the things he believes should be thought about before going for that 2-for-1 and the Lakers star made some good points:
“You know one thing that kills me JJ in our league. I’ma tell you what kills me. The 2-for-1 shot at the end of quarters […] I understand why the 2-for-1 is important. Obviously it’s numbers, you get two possessions, the other team gets one possession, in theory it’s a free shot. But what people don’t sometimes account for, the four or five possessions before that.
“Are we on a run? Are we on a heater? Have we gotten a good shot over the last two-and-a-half minutes? What is the other team doing? Are they in a great rhythm? If we haven’t gotten a great shot in two-and-a-half or three minutes and we’ve been turning the ball over, why am I just gonna dribble down and shoot a 40-footer with 33 on the clock. Why not get a great look? Cuz that great look at the end of the third, even if we get one shot, may give us momentum going into the fourth quarter.”
That momentum question is a real one. As LeBron noted, if the team is struggling offensively and the opposition is on a run, it can be more important to get a good look and see the ball go in as opposed to throwing up a shot just to get the final one of the quarter. If the other team is on a run, jacking up a shot can allow for them to get another easy bucket and put the team further behind.
James is one of the most cerebral players the NBA has ever seen and it’s a big part to why the Lakers star is one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. Perhaps more players will take into account these factors in the 2-for-1 situations, and LeBron has almost definitely already laid them out to his Lakers teammates.
Lakers’ LeBron James names Allen Iverson, Stephen Curry as two most influential players he’s seen
The idea of this new podcast with LeBron James and JJ Redick is to really talk and analyze the game of basketball in a positive way and one subject that came up is the most influential players of all-time.
In giving his opinion, the Lakers superstar named Hall of Famer Allen Iverson and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry as the two most influential players since he’s been watching basketball. LeBron noted the cultural impact Iverson had while Curry’s shooting ability fundamentally changed the way basketball is played today.
James also noted that the size of the two stars helps them be more relatable to the public and basketball fans in general.
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