After Making Zion Williamson “Look Like A Small Child”, LeBron James’ Chances vs Nikola Jokic Excites Vet Analyst

The 2-day gap between a Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans rematch brings up several narratives. While some revolve around the coming game, others hint at the Lakers’ possible approach for the playoffs. Some experts suggest that the Lakers, who will face the Denver Nuggets if they win Tuesday’s game, should take on the beast [Nuggets] early. On the other hand, few suggest taking the long route: LeBron James and Co. should consider losing to the Pelicans and playing the winner of the Kings vs Warriors faceoff to skip Nikola Jokic.

So, when Colin Cowherd attempted a unique take, Nick Wright couldn’t help but point at LeBron James‘ solid run. Cowherd claimed the Lakers should skip playing Nuggets, while citing, “I think they can win without LeBron on the floor tonight. They went to Boston without AD [Anthony Davis] and LeBron and beat the Celtics.” To that, Wright couldn’t help but exclaim at James’ unique form.

About Sunday night’s game, Wright immediately reminded Cowherd, “Zion Williamson is drafted 15 years after him and the idea is he’s the greatest athlete coming in the league since LeBron. LeBron made him look like a small child. LeBron is rolling. Let’s just keep it rolling.”

Wright’s confidence in LeBron James comes from, possibly, the 39-year-old’s spectacular stretches. In the last 10 games, James has averaged 27.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. He averages a near-double-double in the Lakers’ quest to revive their season, shooting 59.3% from the field and 45.9% from the three-point line.

However, it is important to consider that the Lakers only faced 3 teams with better records than them in their last 10 encounters. James’ splendid 10-game run loses some of its charm when expecting the same against the team that has consistently dominated his Lakers.

LeBron James’ record vs the Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers last season in the Western Conference Finals. While LeBron James garnered 4 double-doubles in the losses, he could not find his sweet spot almost throughout the series. James was constantly weighed on by the prospects of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic to begin the games and then by the pesky defense in Denver’s second unit.

Apart from the elimination heavy Game 4, James only attempted 18 shots from the field in the initial 3 contents (22 attempts per game in the regular season). One of the key factors in his reduced shot attempts was his 3-ball efficiency, which only found the net on less 23% of attempts.

Just like the playoffs, Denver swept the Lakers in their 2023-24 season series as well. James, however, dabbled more on the scoring end this time around. His shots connected on at least 54% clip, as James put up nearly 19 shots per game against Denver; an increase from his timely 17.9 FGA all season long.

With that, and the struggles of the Lakers’ squad, James’ most integral job for the Denver series is translating his elevated 3-point shooting into the playoff series. Currently, he harbors a less than 35% efficiency from three against Denver and needs his surging hot hand handy if he aims to get past them this year.