The Los Angeles Lakers have to be pleased with LeBron James’ production in Year 23, though the team remains in a bit of a funk.
The Lakers have struggled this past week, with their most recent loss coming against the Charlotte Hornets. James scored 29 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists, but it wasn’t enough as the team’s defense was non-existent again.
Now, James and company head back on the road where they’ll kick their back-to-back set on Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers are firmly in the Play-In Tournament mix, largely in part to Deni Avdija is enjoying a career year.
Ahead of the matchup against Portland, James credited Avdija for his physicality and improvement as a shooter, via the “Mind the Game” podcast:
“He’s a physical, physical driver to the rim. And if you don’t have a body in front of him…if you’re on the side of him then he’s gonna get that foul call. He’s super physical especially going downhill to his right hand. He’s worked a lot on his outside shooting, too. When he was in Washington, that’s what he did have. He’s always had this speed with the ball. Very fast with the ball, downhill to his right hand. Big body, big wing. But this year, in particular, I’ve seen him extend his range and make some shots from the perimeter at a more consistent rate. And it’s resulted in him having a breakout, career year so far.”
Avdija has blossomed since being traded to the Trail Blazers, turning into a legitimate three-level scorer with a knack for drawing fouls. At 25 years old, there’s still room for Avdija to continue developing which could make him a true building block for the Blazers.
Avdija isn’t the only young wing James has taken notice of as he also recently compared Atlanta Hawks star Jalen Johnson to NBA legend Scottie Pippen. James has had no problem giving the next generation their flowers, and it’ll be fun to see him go toe to toe with Avdija.
JJ Redick calls it unfortunate how some people criticize LeBron James
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has enjoyed getting to coach James the past two seasons, though he’s also been subject to hearing complaints and rumors about the star. Following a vintage James performance, Redick called out his detractors and called it unfortunate how he is criticized for various reasons.
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