Luke Kennard Just Reminded Us What's Actually Unstoppable About LeBron James in the Playoffs
Here's something that hasn't changed in 26 years: when the stakes are highest, give LeBron James the ball, surround him with shooters, and watch the other team collapse.
Luke Kennard's Game 1 performance against the Rockets on Saturday was the latest proof. Kennard nailed five 3-pointers and scored 27 points as the Lakers rolled to victory, but the real story wasn't about Kennard at all. It was about what James was doing on the court to make that performance possible.
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James handed out eight of his 13 assists in the first quarter alone. That's not a coincidence. For nearly two decades, the formula has stayed the same: James becomes the ultimate facilitator, spreading the floor with shooters who can cut around him while he dictates the offense and breaks down defenses. Most of those shots Kennard made weren't created in isolation. They came from James' assists, his hockey assists, his screens, and the simple gravity of defenders having to collapse on him.
The list of players who have gone off in the playoffs off James' playmaking is ridiculous: Damon Jones, Daniel Gibson, Wally Szczerbiak, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Matthew Dellavedova, JR Smith, Kyle Korver, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The faces change every few years, but the offensive blueprint doesn't. It's devastatingly simple, and it still works.
James' Leadership Sets the Tone
Lakers coach JJ Redick nailed what made Saturday's win different. "He displayed great leadership throughout," Redick said after the game. "We talked all week about being connected offensively and trusting the pass. He led us."
That's the real lesson from the opening playoff weekend: James doesn't need to do everything himself. Give him shooters, trust the system, and watch the old-fashioned way win the biggest games.
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