"Obviously, I haven’t thought about Memphis one minute"- LeBron James hilariously plays down genius IQ after listing out scouting report of Grizzlies
LeBron James was in his element after sealing his return to the playoffs with the LA Lakers this year. James' high IQ in the postseason has always been his biggest strength. From memorizing other teams' plays, rotations, and substitution patterns to scouting reports, LeBron's focus remains unparalleled when it comes to winning time.
With the Lakers set to face the Grizzlies in the first round, James laid out the scouting report on almost the entire team in one go during Tuesday's post-game interview. After doing so, he hilariously said he hadn't thought about the Grizzlies one minute. Here's what James said (via The Athletic's Jovan Buha):
"Really good team, very well coached and very well balanced. Obviously, the head of the snake is Ja Morant. They have an All-Star in Jaren Jackson, who is up there one of the defensive players of the year who can block shots. Offensively he's very dynamic as well.
"Tyus Jones, point guard off the bench, who has led the league in assists to turnover ratio in the last six years... Desmond Bane... Plays like a veteran. His ability to shoot from the 3-point line and also his ability attack in early transition.
"Dillon Brooks... Can't disrespect him because he makes shots. Xavier Tillman... Well coached all the way from his college days, with coach Izzo, to now. They got Luke Kennard, who broke my scoring record in high school... Obviously I haven't thought about Memphis one minute."
I asked LeBron for his early thoughts on the Memphis matchup. After listing out his scouting report for most of their rotation, he deadpanned, “Obviously, I haven’t thought about Memphis one minute.” https://t.co/PeUJ4sXJYs
LeBron James casually displaying his high IQ around April is nothing new. It just proves that all the anecdotes from his teammates, rivals and coaches were always true, as James studies the game better than anyone else. That's what has helped him make 10 NBA Finals and eight in a row between 2011 and 2018.
LA Lakers will have a legitimate shot at causing an upset against Memphis due to LeBron James
The No. 2 seed enters the first-round series as a heavy favorite, but that won't be the case in the Western Conference this season. That's because the Memphis Grizzlies will face the LeBron James-led LA Lakers. James' experience and high IQ have been his biggest strengths in the playoffs.
The Grizzlies have intelligent players and are well-coached, but they get beaten in the experience department. They don't have veterans on their roster, which plays to their disadvantage, especially against a team like the Lakers.
LA has a wealth of experienced players on their roster, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis as their superstars, followed by players like Dennis Schroder, D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley, who have been in the league for quite some time now.
The LA Lakers are also playing well. They enter the playoffs with nine wins in 11 games, including their play-in tournament win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. LeBron James has been on fire during this stretch, especially in his past five games.
He is averaging 30.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.2 rebounds on 52/49/82 splits during that stretch.