In March 2000, played what was to that point the biggest game of his life: the state championship game at Ohio State.
The lanky freshman made 10 of 12 shots, had nine rebounds and scored 25 points, more than hinting that he might be headed for some big things. However, the defining player of the game was a fellow freshman named Dru Joyce, who made seven 3-pointers. His shooting display broke the opposition’s zone defense, the first of many ideas in trying to stop James.
was 3 years old then. Fifteen years later, he broke James’ Ohio high school career scoring mark. Kennard nailing five 3-pointers and in the Lakers’ Game 1 victory over the on Saturday was a reminder that 26 years later, the story hasn’t changed much.
Over the decades, the faces have changed, but the devastating strategy still can work wonders. When the stakes are high, give James the ball, spread the floor and win with James directing the offense and sharpshooters cutting around him.
It’s a playoff lesson that has spanned nearly two decades of James’ illustrious career.
The list of players who changed playoff games with barrages of 3-pointers playing off James is lengthy: Damon Jones, Daniel Gibson, Wally Szczerbiak, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Matthew Dellavedova, JR Smith, Kyle Korver, Danny Green, . Look at the box scores and highlights — even that 2000 game is on YouTube. Most of these shots were generated by James’ assists, or his hockey assists, or screens or the mere attention of drawing multiple defenders.
It’s similar to what happened in Game 1 on Saturday, when James once again became the ultimate facilitator, handing out eight of his 13 assists in the first quarter.
“He displayed great leadership throughout,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of James. “We talked all week about being connected offensively and trusting the pass. He led us.”
One of the biggest lessons of the NBA’s opening playoff weekend is a quarter of a century old. Give James a shooter (or three) and the ball, and his team can still win big games the old-fashioned way.
Here’s a look at a few other lessons we learned as the eight playoff series began:
The Cleveland Cavaliers struggled on defense for much of the second half of the season. In addition to their injuries, which prevented them from building rhythm — coach Kenny Atkinson used 24 different players and 41 starting lineups — their 15th-ranked defense was a concern as they entered the playoffs.
In their Game 1 victory against the , though, the Cavs unveiled a disciplined and sound game plan that targeted the Raptors’ leading scorer, .
During the regular season, Ingram averaged 20 shots per game against the Cavs, his third most against any East team, as he was clearly the Raptors’ preferred option when they played Cleveland.
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Game Highlights
On Saturday, the Cavs, starting with his primary defender , shadowed Ingram from the start of possessions. He finished with just nine shots and one in the second half. He got to the free throw line 10 times, but the Cavaliers not only prevented him from scoring, but they made it tough for him to even get it.
It didn’t help Toronto that starting point guard was out because of a right hamstring injury, and the Cavs lightly covered replacement , who made five 3s. But the Cavs were delighted that he took two more shots than Ingram.
“They tried to deny me the ball every time that I went down the floor,” Ingram said. “Obviously, they knew most of the stuff that we’ve been running all year. … We got to figure out how to make the adjustment next game, and let that not be too effective.”
The Cavs also slowed the tempo, something that will be part of their game plan throughout their playoff run. Cleveland is already one of the slowest teams in the league — is a big factor — and Toronto managed just three fast-break points.
The Thunder had to win two Game 7s last year on their way to the title, but that obscures just how dominant they were at home last spring.
Their average home margin of victory during the Western Conference playoffs last year was 29 points. Including the playoffs and NBA Cup, they are 149-40 over the past two seasons, despite significant injuries.
And after beating the Suns by 35 points in Sunday’s Game 1, the Thunder’s average margin of victory in first-round home games over the past two years is … 35 points.
Oklahoma City was scary Sunday. The Suns were fatigued after playing a third game in three cities in six days against the rested Thunder, but the efficiency of their performance illustrated what it will take to beat them four times in a series.
The most important under-the-radar stat of the weekend might’ve been the Thunder outscoring the Suns 34-2 in points off turnovers. That might seem like a byproduct of a routine blowout, but it is a measuring stick of the Thunder’s level of play.
They’re built around and his half-court dominance. But their philosophy is packaged in those points off turnovers. The Thunder are constructed and programmed to win the possession game. That is why they jump passing lanes, obsessively try to take care of the ball and recruit athletes with long arms.
Get the ball. Whether it’s a rebound, a steal, a loose ball, or a deflection, it does not matter.
Watching the Thunder cycle through 11 players in the first half, all of them falling into mostly perfect defensive rotations, generating eight steals and a handful more deflections, and scoring 21 points off turnovers in just 24 minutes was sobering — for the Suns and for anyone who dared to check out the competition.
Throughout the regular season, the Pistons kept hearing qualified praise.
They are so tough, both physically and mentally, but they are limited in their ability to generate offense. and should be all over the NBA Awards ballot after their spectacular two-way play throughout the season, but it’s hard to win big with lackluster 3-point shooting.
Detroit was the only one of the eight home teams in Game 1s over the weekend to lose, with the Magic carrying over momentum from their impressive play-in victory into Sunday’s win. Cunningham looked every bit the first-team All-NBA player he’s likely to be named as he put up 39 points and valiantly tried to carry his team to a win.
Cunningham took 27 shots and only one of his teammates even got into double-digit attempts — , who was an underwhelming 5-of-15. Duren, who had been an offensive force down the stretch of the season, managed just four shots and was outplayed by Magic center .
The Pistons shot just 4-of-16 off Cunningham passes, and their bench also shot a combined 4-of-16. The Pistons were just 10-of-32 on 3-pointers, which was even one below their season average of 11 per game, which ranked 28th in the league.
A 60-win team, the Pistons are good enough to adjust for Game 2, but on a day when the Thunder, Spurs and Celtics all looked their seeds, the traits that made the Pistons look vulnerable for months were glaring.
The 22-year-old blasted out of the gates with 12 points in the first quarter of his first playoff game and had 21 of his 35 points in the first half of the Spurs’ Game 1 win over the Blazers. His overall stat line was more pedestrian than his ridiculous standard; he had just five rebounds, one assist and two blocks.
How does this compare with some of the recent greats’ first playoff games? In short: quite well.
James’ first playoff game was very impressive, too, with a 32-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in an 11-point win. But that type of output, and leading his team to a victory, is not the norm.
Victor Wembanyama drops 35 points as the Spurs win Game 1 over the Trail Blazers.
scored 24 points in his debut, but shot just 7-of-24 in a loss. scored 19 with nine assists also in a loss. was exceptional in his first playoff game in Dallas, scoring 42 points with seven rebounds and nine assists, but the Mavs lost too. Kobe Bryant played only 46 seconds in his first playoff game as a lightly used rookie. In Bryant’s first playoff start, in his third season like Wembanyama, he had 17 points and made the game-winning free throws.
Shaquille O’Neal, to whom some have compared Wembanyama for his early dominance at the center position, had 24 points and 19 rebounds in his first playoff game — also in a loss.
