During a recent interview, via Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire, Alex Caruso stated that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is still very capable of being the best player on the court on any given night. “He’s always ready for the moment,” Caruso said. “Everybody wants to talk about his age but he’s still LeBron James. He’s still capable of being the best player on the court any given night.”
James is still an absolute superstar, despite being 41 years old. And the mere fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder are taking him seriously is the exact reason why they will be able to do what the Houston Rockets couldn’t — take down the injury-plagued Lakers.
The Thunder aren’t looking past anybody.
The Thunder aren't overlooking LeBron James
James played great during the first round against the Rockets. It was one of the biggest reasons why the Lakers were able to pull off the series without Luka Doncic (and without Austin Reaves for most of the series).
In the first round, James averaged 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists while shooting 43.2% from the field and 30.0% from beyond the three-point arc.
Though James didn’t necessarily shoot the ball super well, he controlled everything on the basketball court, and he got some serious help from role players like Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart.
Fast forward to now, and the Thunder have a commanding 2-0 lead over the Lakers. They look primed to cruise to a second straight series victory over a team that’s just not on their level.
But part of the reason they have the opportunity to do so is that they don’t think about things that way. They have a bunch of players who respect their opponents, much like Caruso respects James.
OKC isn’t looking past anybody. They know how to put their heads down, get to work, and win basketball games. And part of that is understanding the challenge in front of them.
Clearly, based on the result of the series, the Rockets were unable to do that effectively enough, throwing away a season that should have seen them contend for a Finals appearance.
Now, after leading an injured Lakers team to a first-round win, James is the Thunder’s problem. But based on everything Caruso said, they are ready to attack that problem head-on.
James is still one of the best players in the world, and the Thunder are more than ready for anything he could possibly bring to the table.
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