Bron Notice

LeBron James makes the case he remains the most important (and most valuable?) player in the NBA.

Mar 09, 2020

Good morning. The NBA playoffs are about one month away. Then the WNBA season tips off, and we get the NBA Draft and free agency. Then the Olympics (maybe) and the WNBA playoffs.

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Let’s basketball.

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The Lakers’ big weekend with games against the Bucks and Clippers could have gone any number of ways. It could not have gone better than it actually did.

L.A. swept both games to at minimum justify inclusion in the for discussion for the best team in the NBA and frontrunners for the NBA championship. There was Lakers’ doubt in some corners after L.A. had lost three games combined to the Bucks and Clippers coming in, and with the other L.A. team on a rampage of late with the full roster healthy. But all that doubt was quashed this weekend. The Lakers can beat the Bucks and Clippers, and maybe they will.

Rob Perez @WorldWideWob

Kuzma crowns LeBron

Each game had its own unique takeaways. The Bucks learned they have a real problem trying to guard both Anthony Davis and LeBron James because of size issues, and that Davis is by far the third best player on the court despite Milwaukee’s superior depth. The Bucks also saw as both Lakers stars checked Giannis Antetokounmpo somewhat successfully for stretches, a luxury most opponents don’t have. Giannis also may have gotten winded down the stretch (though a knee injury could be the culprit there too).

The Clippers learned that Lou Williams is a defensive liability against the Lakers late and that defending LeBron without fouling him is near possible when he puts his mind to getting to the lane. Even Kawhi Leonard couldn’t keep James in front of him most of the night. The Clippers also learned you have to pretend to guard Avery Bradley (who was on fire) and that Marcus Morris Sr. is not a defender you can rely on to slow LeBron.

What both teams learned, and maybe the most important of this weekend overall, is that LeBron and A.D. are really big. Having two players that good who are that big is an enormous advantage that really attacks the Bucks and Clippers where they are weakest.

Milwaukee has tall plus defenders like Brook Lopez. But Lopez is nowhere near mobile enough to guard Davis in pick-and-roll action — A.D. will pop out all day. If you put another Buck on Davis, he’ll go to work in the post and dominate. If you respond by putting Giannis on A.D., LeBron will shred you.

The Clippers have Kawhi and Paul George. A.D. has length and bounce over both of them. He’s playing defense as well as either of them (or Giannis, for that matter). Any suggestion that Kawhi and PG-13 can lock down both A.D. and LeBron has been destroyed. These guys are too good and too big to be stopped.

Surely, the Bucks and Clippers can figure out some stuff to slow them down, to give LeBron different looks at the point of attack. (The Clips need to do something to fix the switch hunting for Lou if they want Lou to play in fourth quarters.) But this weekend was a big argument that the Lakers have the advantage here thanks to size.

Can’t wait for the playoffs. Woo.

Weekend Scores

Here’s a selection of scores and highlight from non-Lakers games this weekend.

Friday

Spurs 120, Nets 139 — Notable for three reasons. First, what a bad Spurs loss — perhaps fatal to their playoff chase. Second, a triple-double for Caris LeVert. Third, this was shockingly Kenny Atkinson’s final game as Nets head coach! He got fired Saturday morning.

Jazz 99, Celtics 94 — A defensive grinder that also featured Mike Conley popping off. Good scene for Utah. One of two bad home losses of the weekend for Boston, who is watching the No. 2 seed slip away.

Heat 104, Pelicans 110 — Very strong win for New Orleans as they are still favored by the math models to get the No. 8 seed.

Grizzlies 96, Mavericks 121 — Kristaps Porzingis is very good. All the teams chasing Memphis needed this loss.

Blazers 117, Suns 127 — B-R-U-T-A-L loss for Portland in the playoff chase. Aron Baynes put 37 points with nine thress on ‘em.

Saturday

Rockets 99, Hornets 108 — The first of two bad Houston losses this weekend despite James Harden’s 30-point triple-double. And here we thought the mini-ball revolution was imminent!

Nuggets 102, Cavaliers 104 — Uhh … Nuggets? Hello? Ugly final possession for Jamal Murray, too.

Kings 123, Blazers 111 — This was an enormous game for both teams, the biggest this season to date. And Sacramento came out and beat the everloving hell out of Portland from the tip. Bogdan Bogdanovic was unstoppable. Damian Lillard doesn’t have his legs back under him yet.

Sunday

Pelicans 120, Wolves 107 — New Orleans did its job this time against Minnesota. After the weekend’s action, 538 has the Pels at 62% to make the playoffs. They’d fallen below 50% last week. Jrue Holiday went bonkers with 37 points.

Thunder 105, Celtics 104 — What a play to get the late lead by Dennis Schroder and Chris Paul.

SportsCenter @SportsCenter

SCHRODER STRIPPED KEMBA AND LAYED IT IN FOR THE WIN 😱h

Just a casual game-winning steal and lay-up.

Magic 126, Rockets 106 — Houston, noooooooooo ….

Spurs 129, Cavaliers 132 (OT) — Spurs?!

Raptors 118, Kings 113 — The Kangz almost got this one. Norm Powell is freaking on one of late, though. This loss and the Pels’ two-win weekend dropped Sacramento to 8% (below even the Blazers, somehow) in 538’s model. Also, Buddy Hield wasn’t on the floor when the Kings needs a three to tie and Nemanja Bjelica airballed his shot, which led to …