Kobe Bryant says the first thing he would do in trying to slow down LeBron James, is stop King James from going to his left.
Bryant has marveled at LeBron’s postseason dominance, and thinks forcing him away from the left hand might give defenses a chance.
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James is averaging 34.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the playoffs and has the Cleveland Cavaliers one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals.
Per Fox Sports Radio:
Kobe Bryant: “I think the tempo that he is playing at. He is able to control the tempo of the game. The game, especially in the playoffs, is all built on momentum shifts. What he has been able to do in these playoffs is control the momentum. When it shifts, how it shifts. When teams go on big runs, he’s been able to stop momentums. It’s a very difficult thing to do, and he’s been able to dominate that this postseason.”
On how LeBron has evolved in recent years
KB: “The way he is being used right now is a little different than how he has been used in the past. I think he is understanding the importance of conserving energy. In the past they ran a lot of screen and rolls for him, a lot of angles, he’s out 35-40 feet from the hoop, penetrating into the paint. You don’t really see that too much now. You see him operate at the elbows, you see him operating below the free throw line, deep corner. From those positions, he can take one or two dribbles, raise up and shoot. He can get to his spots, he can get to that right shoulder very comfortably. He’s certainly evolved that in his game; he didn’t have that when he first came into the league.”
On how he would try to slow down LeBron
KB: “For one thing, you have to stop letting him go left. Every big shot that he makes is going left. He’s remarkable about getting to that left hand, raise up and shoot. That’s the first thing I would do—disrupt his ability to go left. It’s amazing, all those shots are either coming right shoulder from the post or off the dribble with his left hand. That’s the first thing I would do, make him do something different besides going to that left.”
