SUMMARY
- LeBron James and JJ Reddick believe that Chet Holmgren has helped elevate the Thunder's offense this season.
- James claims OKC uses flaring to get open looks for Holmgren or other players.
LeBron James has had quite an impressive season despite being 39 years old. But besides playing basketball, the legend also focuses on business and staying engaged with his fans through social media. He recently started a podcast called Mind the Game, featuring JJ Reddick. Both individuals are pioneers of the sport who had multiple run-ins against each other and other legends.
Episode 3 of Mind the Game is now live.
Watch on YouTube: https://t.co/HMbZeOqFlW pic.twitter.com/bW9rTRfGj1
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) April 3, 2024
James and Reddick released a third episode of the podcast. It featured a segment that gave a breakdown of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have had an outstanding season bouncing from the 10th seed to the top in the Western Conference. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to potentially be crowned the MVP while Chet Holmgren continues to be a positive influence on their offense. Holmgren has been a frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year Award.
LeBron James has a secret that could stop OKC’s offensive strategies
JJ Reddick briefly mentioned how Holmgren compliments the Thunder’s offensive strategies. He recalled how OKC ran the same routines on the floor last season and made a Play-In Tournament exit. But with Holmgren, everything falls into place bringing them to the top of the West. LeBron James added, “No question about it. He changes the dynamic of everything. They have one set that they run off of all free throws.”
He continued, “Chet takes the ball out, they send two guys to the other end. Both of them sit in the corner, and Chet takes the ball out. And Shai has it in the right-wing or the left-wing, whatever the case may be… at the same time that the big is trying to load on Shai, there’s a guard that’s flaring to the opposite slot. You know how hard that is? They’re flaring a seven-footer to the opposite slot.”
Chet Holmgren unlocked the Thunder’s ability to maximize their offense.
Watch Episode 3 with @KingJames and @jj_redick: https://t.co/HMbZeOqFlW pic.twitter.com/KWvlX1WMuL
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) April 3, 2024
After explaining how OKC works their offense now, James nearly slipped out a secret. “I mean, there’s a way to guard it. I’m not gonna say it right now because we may see them in the playoffs,” he concluded. OKC has used Holmgren’s to its fullest. He averages 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He shoots 53.2% from the field, 37.6% from deep, and 80.1% from the free throw line.
LeBron James and the Lakers have a 3-1 lead against OKC this season
LeBron James should be glad he didn’t reveal his secret against Holmgren and the Thunder. This season, the Los Angeles Lakers have played against OKC four times. LA has a 3-1 lead in the series. During their second meeting this season, James scored 40 points to lead LA to a victory. Impressively, the Lakers have held Chet only to 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game this season.
Maybe James’ tactic might be a major threat to the Thunder in case they meet the Lakers in the playoffs. But LA should get past the Play-In Tournament to begin with. They rank 9th in the West with a 43-33 record at the moment. LA is projected to play against the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the tournament. Even after they win, the Lakers have to face either the Sacramento Kings or Phoenix Suns in the second round. Both teams are considerably better than the Lakers.