He's 37 years old, can you still ask him to do better?
A 37-point fiasco has put the Lakers under tremendous pressure of public opinion, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James have not escaped, and even the Lakers celebrity Magic Johnson has also expressed his personal opinion. There is no doubt that the Lakers' locker room is already in a relatively tense state, and the next game against the Jazz rudy Gobert return, the Lakers are probably still fierce.
Westbrook's form is hardly satisfactory, even if he has 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists with 46.7% shooting in the game against the Nuggets, after all, Westbrook's performance on the offensive end can only be described as bad throughout the season. In contrast, James' overall performance is much better, and even in the past long time, James has been able to score 30+, which is really not easy for a 37-year-old player.
However, James' defense is difficult to satisfy, and in the game against the Nuggets, James has had multiple eye-to-eye defenses, and there have been similar situations in previous games. Understandably, from the beginning of the 14-15 season, James began to be out of touch with the best defensive team, and he did have the problem of distributing physical fitness in the game, that is, he performed well on the offensive end and was lazy on the defensive end.
There is nothing wrong with saying that this situation, first, James's physical reserves began to be insufficient, which made him unable to exhaust everything at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, and second, James's team is generally equipped with a certain number of 3D players, whose presence can not only release James's sudden points, but also reduce The pressure on James on the defensive end. Therefore, players who do not like James will surely find his eyes defensive GIFs to use as a mockery, while James's loyal fans will fight back on the grounds of organizing the offense. Of course, the most inseparable thing is the problem of age.
So, the comments section often sees "He's 37 years old, can you still ask him to do better?" Such words. Yeah, for a player who entered the league in 2003 and turned 37, we really can't seem to be too demanding. But is it really harsh to get 37-year-old James to do a good job of defense?
First of all, let's talk about the current situation of the Lakers, after losing to the Nuggets, the Lakers suffered three consecutive losses, ranking eighth in the West with 21 wins and 22 losses, and the future schedule is not low. Therefore, the Lakers' goal this season may be to change from a championship to a playoff, or even a playoff. Obviously, that's not what the Lakers want to see. Isn't it a joke that the Lakers, who make up the Big Three, have to work hard for a playoff ticket in the offseason?
Admittedly, the Lakers have the problem of lineup run-in, especially the run-in of Westbrook and James, which has always been unsatisfactory. However, the real problem with the Lakers at the moment is that the military is scattered, and the Nuggets shot 23 three-pointers with a 57.5% shooting rate, which is actually a manifestation of the Lakers' defensive problems. The most critical thing is that what the Lakers lack at present is a defensive attitude, and James has not done a good job in this regard.
Some fans may say that James needs to score, need to organize, and defend, which is really too harsh! But, don't forget, James is the Lakers' star, what will his teammates think when a team core player shows negative and sluggish body language on the court? Oh, the stars have given up, why should I fight? Moreover, the Lakers' role players are basically on one-year contracts, and where they will be next season is still unknown.
Therefore, requiring the 37-year-old James to do a good job of defense is definitely not a harsh requirement, the Lakers' current situation requires James to lead by example, and he has also made an attitude today, which may be the beginning of change. Of course, James' all-out attack and defense will definitely have physical problems, which requires Vogel to reasonably allocate James' playing time, or directly reduce James' playing time. From the beginning of the star to correct the attitude of the game, the Lakers' spirit will gradually recover, so that they can achieve better results in the next game, and this is the only way the Lakers can currently work.
Text/Duncan's laugh