LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are now out of the running in the 2024 NBA Playoffs after a first-round exit courtesy of the Denver Nuggets.
Despite notable performances from Anthony Davis and James himself, the Lakers succumbed in five games, setting the stage for a busy offseason.
Despite being in top form physically, James couldn’t propel the Lakers past the defending champions. He had earlier shared his thoughts on the defeat to the Nuggets, expressing the challenge they pose in playoff matchups during his podcast “Mind the Game” with JJ Redick.
“I think obviously it starts with Joker. But I don’t think Jamal Murray gets enough credit. He’s not a part of the All-NBA conversation, discourse. He’s not a part of the, ‘I’m an All-Star every year’ discourse, all that shit. I think people get caught up in just thinking it’s Joker. Joker, Joker, how do you stop Joker? Man, when it comes to nut-crunching time, yes, Joker going to make a lot of plays, but it’s that motherf—– Jamal Murray that will send you home and I’m a victim of it. He just makes plays. It’s a sense of calmness when the ball is in his hands and they’re working either that clear side 1-5 pick-and-roll or that mid pick-and-roll or that angle pick-and-roll where he’s either handling and Joker is setting it or he’s playing touch game to Joker where he can come off full speed with the ability to go backdoor. He’s so shifty, the stepbacks going right…. And then to add on to those two guys, Michael Porter Jr. is a f—— laser. I don’t know if it’s just cause he sees the Lakers or the gold or whatever, but I feel like versus us that motherf—– don’t miss. He does not miss… And then those other two guys. You got KCP out there, a guy who’s just a winner who makes winning plays. He could have zero points, he could have 15 points, and he’s going to make an impact on the game. And the same with Aaron Gordon. Aaron Gordon if he has two points or if he has 20 points, his impact doesn’t change. He’s gonna rebound, he knows his role, he’s gonna be in the dunker, he’s gonna slash from the baseline, he’s gonna guard. I just think they’re super well-organized as a group and then obviously their coaching staff is pretty damn good on knowing what their strengths are and they go to their strengths. They avoid their weakness.”
James observes that the Denver Nuggets’ starting lineup operates smoothly, knowing precisely how to secure victories.
Alongside a skilled coaching team, the Nuggets have the potential to defend their title if their key players remain injury-free.
LeBron James speaks highly of Michael Porter Jr.
Michael Porter Jr. played a pivotal role in causing several defeats for the Los Angeles team, prompting LeBron James to commend him highly once their postseason series concluded.
