LeBron James dismisses any notion that guarding Kevin Durant wears him down.
When a reporter suggested that LeBron James looked worn out in the second half because he was tired of guarding Kevin Durant, James was quick to remind her of his numbers.
"Do I look tired? I’m averaging a triple-double in the Finals. I’m pretty good, I would think.”"
Indeed, James has averaged a triple double thus far in these Finals. He has put up 28.5 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists per game. Although, the Cavaliers are still down in the series two games to none.
The problem has been that the majority of LeBron’s production has come in the first half, and then in the second half he appears to play less aggressive.
https://twitter.com/sinow/status/872478485603897347
In the first half in the Finals, LeBron is averaging a ridiculous 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7 assists on 65% shooting. Then his offensive production drops sharply. In the second half, he averages just 10 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 44.4% shooting.
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Is the pace slowing LeBron down?
According to ESPN, this series is being played with a quicker pace than LeBron has ever played at in his career. During LeBron’s career, he has played at an average pace of 90.6 possessions per game. The Cavs are currently playing at 105.5 possessions a game.
The combination of such a quick pace, the offensive responsibility, and guarding Kevin Durant has undoubtedly been a factor in James lower production in the second half. It’s a lot to ask a 14-year veteran to shoulder the responsibility that James does and play over 40 minutes a game.
We didn’t see this sort of drop-off in production in the second half from James a year ago, where he averaged 16.3 points and 51.2% from the field in the 2016 Finals. On the defensive end, James was responsible for Harrison Barnes, who struggled throughout the whole series. LeBron didn’t have to defend a three-point shooting, seven-foot player with guard skills like Durant.
Perhaps giving defensive specialist Iman Shumpert more time on the floor to split duties with LeBron at guarding Kevin Durant would be a wise move. It would allow James to reserve his energy for the fourth quarter and it would mix up the looks that Durant gets on offense.
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A win-win scenario for the Cavaliers.