LeBron James 2024 NBA Playoffs Scouting Report: Dissecting LA Lakers guard's role, impact and minutes
LeBron James is one of the best playoff performers of all time. In his 21st season in the league, James is still an all-time clutch performer. He leads the league in fourth-quarter points this season. Can he bring that same elite level to the playoffs this year?
The Los Angeles Lakers will need the 4-time NBA champion's heroics to make the playoffs. The Lakers have been stuck in ninth place in the West for weeks. They seem destined for the Play-In Tournament and may have to play two games to make the postseason.
As things stand, James and the Lakers will host the Golden State Warriors. With a win, they can play the loser of the other Play-In game for the eighth seed in the playoffs.
LA is 1.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings in eighth, two games behind the Phoenix Suns in seventh and 3.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks in sixth.
LeBron James is the primary playmaker and ball handler down the stretch of close games. His recent 40-point performance showed that he is the main scorer on most nights. All of those roles will likely increase if the Lakers make the playoffs.
Let's take a look at James' role with the Lake Show.
LeBron James Regular Season Stats
Even with resting some games, LeBron James has put together another outstanding season. He is in the top 15 in the league in scoring and top 10 in assists. He led the Lakers in scoring in 28 games this season. Here are his season averages with seven games remaining.
James has the most career games in the playoffs, with 282 games. He has plenty of years to back up his postseason resume. James most recently led the Lakers to the Western Conference finals last season.
Here are his playoff stats from last season. The Lakers were swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the conference finals after dispatching the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors.
'The King' has made the playoffs in 16 of his 21 seasons. Here are his playoff career stats.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The strengths are endless for James. He is one of the greatest players of all time. He is an incredible passer. He can score from anywhere on the floor.
Although he does not play much from the post anymore, he can still back down smaller matchups and make the right pass out of the post.
James has stepped up his 3-point shooting as well. He is hitting a career-high 41.6 percent from downtown this season. He can still explode past defenders to get to the rim when he has the energy.
James is still a tough defender; however, there are matchups he can no longer guard. He does not often take the assignment of the opponent's best player. He also still picks his moments and his main weakness is stamina. His legs seemed tired during the Western Conference finals last season after logging so many minutes.
Impact, role and playoff minutes
Despite the concerns about his age and energy, LeBron James will still be the most impactful player on the Lakers roster. The team goes as he does. He will be the main ball handler and playmaker at the end of playoff games.
Even when Anthony Davis is the leading scorer, James is still the primary player feeding Davis. He will likely lead the team in assists and points in nearly every playoff game if the Lakers advance.
LeBron James averaged 38.7 minutes per game during last season's playoff run. He averages 41.3 playoff minutes per game during his long postseason career. He will likely log those heavy numbers again if the Lakers advance out of the Play-In tournament.