When LeBron James Is Making Three-Pointers, It’s ‘Pick Your Poison’ For Defenders


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LOS ANGELES – Terry Stotts laughed when asked if he anticipated the Los Angeles Lakers taking a step forward this quickly after signing LeBron James. His Portland Trail Blazers, firmly in the No. 2 spot in the West through the first month of the NBA season, just got blitzed by L.A., including a spellbinding display from James as he moved into fifth on the league’s all-time scoring list.

“I think everybody anticipated that one, yeah,” Stotts said. “Sorry, but yeah, he’s that good. I think everybody anticipated he’d have an impact pretty quickly.”

Even that matter-of-fact phrasing from Stotts doesn’t do it justice. James — who put forth a 44-point (on 19 shots, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc), 10-rebound, nine-assist performance in a win against Portland on Wednesday — is still capable of these spectacles on a nightly basis, even if he hadn’t had a game this complete in Los Angeles. Instead, his greatness has come in spurts, as he’s continued to feel out his new situation and conserve energy in a way that’s allowed him to dominate in his 16th season.

James has often spoken about flipping the switch, vacillating between killer instinct and his self-proclaimed “chill mode” that can infuriate fans who, in a stark contrast to his big-picture approach, see trees rather than the forest. LeBron is a walking embodiment of Sun Tzu’s Art Of War, and on any given night, a quote from the text could serve as a haiku-length recap of his approach. Lakers fans angered by LeBron’s slow start likely weren’t closely following the Cavs in November or December these past few seasons, instead scrolling Instagram or Twitter and having their breath taken away whenever LeBron put forth a moment of brilliance.

Those moments appeared commonplace, and as he’s hinted at on more than one occasion, there’s a tendency to be spoiled by his greatness. There’s no humility in that sort of proclamation, but being humble was never going to get The Kid From Akron™ far, both as a player and as a businessman.

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And yet, fans still demand more. A pair of missed free throws here or a defensive lapse there caused questions to linger. But then again, how can LeBron stay so sharp while playing so many games — he’s riding a streak of eight straight NBA Finals, mind you — if he’s always turned up to 11? It’s inconceivable. Of course he needs to pick his spots, choosing to bust them out on certain occasions like they’re a prized bottle of wine. It’s who he is, and it’s what drew him to L.A. … and, for that matter, L.A. to him in the first place.

“He’s already great in driving to the basket,” Blazers forward Evan Turner said after the game. “He’s already great distributing the ball amongst his teammates. So when he’s hitting 25-foot threes and stuff it makes him even more dangerous. The approach is still try to play him tough and try and make him uncomfortable and try to keep him from getting to his spot. Tonight he did a hell of a job having a hell of a game.”

Wednesday’s tour de force was an encapsulation of the type of game that willed the Cavs to the Finals last season despite a roster that was broken, ill-fitting, and seemingly tired of the weight of expectations that can crush anyone. As the Warriors have shown this week, success can be absolutely exhausting. James gave Herculean effort after Herculean effort, putting forth yeoman’s work to get the Cavs past the Pacers, Raptors, and Celtics, only to be dashed against the rocks by the sirens of Golden State yet again.

It was only fitting that James reminded everyone of this with Wilt Chamberlain in his sights. Chamberlain entered Los Angeles for his final act long before James, bringing Philly a title and shouldering enormous expectations with the Lakers following a trade. James frequently cast aside questions about his legacy earlier in his career, but seems to embrace them now, realizing his place in lore after living up to comparisons and settling into the understanding that he is who he is, that he’s moved beyond the metaphysical Championships discussion into something more.

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There are always moments in which you can sit back and take stock of the fact that you’re watching LeBron James. When you’re in it, you realize. James realizes. The opponents realize. Everyone realizes. More often than not, these moments come about because James is hitting three-pointers. LeBron is still able to get to the rim at will, but he’s added that devastating jumper in recent years to take pressure off the need to get foul calls that won’t come, or flash the consistent power needed to be a freight train that’s been on the tracks for thousands of miles.

“Those two threes he hit at the end of the first half really gave them a lot of momentum,” Stotts said. “It gave them a lot of confidence. Yeah, you’ve got to pick your poison. Him going downhill and involving his teammates, that’s not necessarily a good alternative.”

James gave the Staples crowd a little bit of everything against Portland. The jumpers, the unparalleled vision in finding the open man (including one incredible look to a cutting Kyle Kuzma under the hoop), the thunderous block leading to an avalanche-like score, the flexing, the preening, the posturing, the theatrics following tough fouls (capped off by leaning against the stanchion with his head in his hands). James always has a sense of drama about him and relies on the moment to dictate his energy level. Lakers fans — and by and large some of his own teammates — are merely along for the ride as they get familiar.

“You’ve gotta be up,” Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu said on defending James when he’s hitting those devastating three-pointers. “It gives them a little bit more of an advantage. Then he starts going towards the basket. It just adds that complexity.”

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Complexity is what James has in droves. He’s known for it, and those in Los Angeles are getting to know it, too. After a 2-5 start, the team has won six of its last seven games, find itself in seventh place in the West. Now, it embarks on a road trip with stops in Orlando, Miami, and Cleveland that could build even more confidence.

Confidence is the last thing Western Conference foes want to see when dealing with a LeBron-led team, because while he has it in droves, his sides are at their most dangerous when everyone matches his belief in what can be accomplished. When you’re dealing with a LeBron-led squad, you pick your poison, but you drink from that cup willingly, with each sip bringing him closer to immortality.

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