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An NBA scout thinks Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James “could be exposed on defense in the playoffs.”
James, 40, is the oldest player in the NBA.
“Luka Doncic has to guard somebody, and you can wear him down,” the NBA scout told ESPN. “When LeBron is on the weak side, he switches so he doesn’t have to move as much. I’ve seen him do it several times in one possession. In the playoffs you will see teams target LeBron and Luka, put them in the pick-and-roll.
“The thing with LeBron is he’s not going to foul; you can score on him with the right matchup. With the right personnel he could be exposed on defense in the playoffs. He’s amazing, taking nothing from him, but it’s a worry.”
The Lakers are 11th in the NBA in points per game allowed and 16th in defensive rating under first-year head coach JJ Redick.
James has made six All-Defensive teams during his Hall of Fame career. He has shown this season that he can still defend at a high level when he’s engaged and motivated.
Only time will tell how James plays defense for the Lakers in the 2025 playoffs.
A 21-time All-Star, James is averaging 24.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists this season while shooting 51.2% from the field, 37.8% from beyond the arc and 78.2% from the free-throw line.
James is a four-time champion. He hasn’t won a title, though, since 2020.
The Lakers have two games left in the regular season against the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. They need to win one of those games to clinch the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
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LA Lakers have inside track to sign 2x All-Star in new buyout deal, it would complete their roster
The Los Angeles Lakers could make yet another addition to their roster this offseason. After a poor postseason run, the Los Angeles Lakers have been active this summer in hopes of bolstering their roster. In fact, general manager Rob Pelinka has already made some key additions to the roster, including Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart. Signing an elite center was arguably the most important task for Pelinka this offseason, and he fulfilled it with the arrival of Ayton. However, one could argue that the Lakers still need a quality backup center. Luka Doncic could recruit Nikola Vucevic to the Los Angeles Lakers While the Lakers re-signed Jaxson Hayes, a player of Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic’s caliber would undoubtedly be a major upgrade. Moreover, with Vucevic being on the Lakers’ radar for years, it means that the organization rates him highly. Previously, the Bulls didn’t indulge in a trade with the Purple and Gold around Vucevic. It has led to Vucevic’s trade value diminishing so much that he is expected to complete a contract buyout with the Bulls. The Laker Nation would love to sign the 34-year-old, and Luka Doncic can help in this quest. How? Well, Doncic and Vucevic share the same agent in Bill Duffy. This means that if Vucevic completes a buyout, the Lakers could have the upper hand in negotiations. The 2x NBA All-Star has given the last five and a half seasons of his career to the Bulls, but it’s obvious that their time together is about to end sooner rather than later. Adding fuel to the fire were former Orlando Magic star Evan Fournier’s comments. Fournier ridiculed the Bulls while taking a shot at Vucevic after the latter called out his move overseas. Luka Doncic has already proven he can recruit stars Ahead of his first full season with the Lakers, Doncic is doing everything in his power to bring back the glory days for the Lakers. He has already undergone a massive transformation to silence his critics. Additionally, Doncic has been actively involved in recruiting players for the Lakers. Smart admitted Doncic was a huge reason behind his decision to sign with the Lakers. Ayton also acknowledged Luka’s role in his decision to join the Purple and Gold. Let’s not forget Ayton also has the same agent as the Slovenian superstar. So, Doncic has already given the inside track for one star; there’s no reason to doubt he would do the same in Vucevic’s case.
Steelers reporter shares big claim about how Aaron Rodgers has looked in training camp
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent the bulk of the spring as an unsigned free agent and, thus, only began officially practicing with Pittsburgh Steelers teammates during the team's three-day mandatory minicamp in June. During a Monday appearance on Pittsburgh radio station 102.5 WDVE, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed how Rodgers looked during his first few training camp practices with the club. "His release is just astonishing to watch," Dulac said about Rodgers, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "Everybody knows about it, and when you see it in person, you see it every day in practice, you just marvel at it. To me, he's the greatest thrower of the football I have ever seen, even at 41 (years old). That flick of that wrist and that ball comes out, it's moving and it is something to see." Rodgers was with the New York Jets when he suffered a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into the 2023 regular-season opener. He was then slowed by a nagging hip issue, injuries to both his knees, a low ankle sprain and a serious hamstring problem as the 2024 Jets went 5-12. According to Pro Football Reference, Rodgers finished last season ranked 28th in the NFL among qualified players with a 48.0 adjusted QBR and 26th with a 43.9 percent passing success rate. That said, he was also eighth with 3,897 passing yards and tied for seventh with 28 passing touchdowns. Rodgers and Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson endured some struggles during training camp sessions last summer before the two allegedly "never saw eye-to-eye" during the season. It sounds like Pittsburgh fans should be encouraged by how Rodgers performed in recent practices. "That guy can get rid of the ball as quick as anybody," Dulac added. "He made three throws in seven-on-seven (drills) the other day that the cumulative total I bet couldn't have exceeded 2.1 seconds. And two of those were for touchdowns." Rodgers wants to finish his career "the right way" and help the Steelers notch at least their first playoff win since January 2017. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Pittsburgh at -150 betting odds to miss the playoffs for the upcoming season.
Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg dies after battle with cancer
Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg lost his battle with cancer on Monday. He was 65. A 20th-round selection by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1978 MLB Draft, Sandberg quickly moved through the Phillies system despite his humble beginnings. He made his major league debut at the end of the 1981 season, getting six plate appearances in 13 games, his only hit coming off of a bat he borrowed from shortstop Larry Bowa. Drafted as a shortstop, the Phillies hoped that Sandberg would be the heir apparent for Bowa. However, that 13-game stint convinced the Phillies that he was not the answer. Although Sandberg had played at second and third as well in the minors, he was blocked at those positions by Manny Trillo and Mike Schmidt respectively. Bowa and Sandberg were traded to the Cubs during the 1981-82 offseason, with shortstop Ivan DeJesus heading to Philadelphia. Sandberg, now a second baseman, had a solid first two seasons in Chicago before exploding into stardom in 1984. He posted a .314/.367/.520 batting line in his 700 plate appearances, hitting 19 homers and 36 doubles while stealing 32 bases as he led the Cubs to their first postseason berth since 1945. Sandberg made his first All-Star Game, was named the NL MVP, won a Silver Slugger and his second Gold Glove award. A perennial All-Star, Sandberg possessed a combination of power and speed at second base that was rare for his era. He was a 10-time All-Star, winning nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers. Sandberg posted a lifetime .285/.344/.452 batting line in his 9282 plate appearances, hitting 282 homers and 403 doubles while stealing 344 bases. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame 2005 in his third year on the ballot. After a decade away from the game, Sandberg returned as a minor league manager in the Cubs system in 2007, moving up the ladder to Triple-A in 2009. After Cubs manager Mike Quade was fired, and Sandberg was passed over for the opening, he joined the Phillies organization in 2011. After three years in the Phillies organization, he became the interim manager in 2013, and was eventually hired full-time at the end of the season. Sandberg lasted just over two years in total as the Phillies manager, resigning after 74 games in 2015 as the losses piled up. He remained in the game as a goodwill ambassador for the Cubs before announcing that he had prostate cancer in 2024. Although his cancer had gone into remission, it returned in December, spreading to other organs before Sandberg ultimately lost his battle. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Sandberg during this difficult time.
Top Islanders Star Tells Asst. GM, 'You Better Not Trade Me'
The New York Islanders are entering a new era under a revamped front office, and signs point to a potential retool—or even a rebuild. The most telling move came at the NHL Draft in June, when the team traded star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for two first-round picks. It’s a rare move in today’s NHL to deal your top blueliner, and it raised eyebrows across the league. Analysts and fans have wondered if more moves are coming. Since there are several teams looking for quality assets at a reasonable salary cap, it’s a logical question. Is Bo Horvat A Potential Trade Candidate? During an appearance on the Cam and Strick Podcast, newly appointed assistant to the general manager Matt Martin—an Islanders fan favorite and longtime forward—revealed a humorous but telling moment from inside the locker room. Martin, now working closely with the Isles’ new GM, said that Bo Horvat texted him immediately after the front office changes were announced. “You better not trade me,” Horvat reportedly wrote. The comments from Martin suggest that Horvat has no desire to leave the team, even if the Islanders aren’t set to be competitive this coming season. If the team is dumping some of their best talents, he does not want to be among those the organization chooses to sell. Horvat likely didn’t have to worry. He has a full no-trade clause as part of his contract, and even if management were open to asking him to waive it, he could have blocked any deal. It sounds like that would be his intention, so he was getting ahead of things by making sure they knew not to even ask.
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