LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs, leading James to praise the play of forward Michael Porter Jr. with a comical approach.
“Michael Porter Jr. is a [expletive] laser. I don’t know if it’s just because he sees the Lakers or the gold or whatever. I feel like versus us, that mother[expletive] don’t miss,” James said on a recent episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast with JJ Redick. “He doesn’t even see you.”
Porter averaged 22.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 55.3% shooting from the field and 48.8% from 3-point range. These shooting splits are astonishing for a five-game stretch, so James was understandably impressed.
Unfortunately for Denver, Porter has been unable to sustain this level of play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, recording 9 points on 4-of-12 shooting in Game 2.
James had an impressive first-round series of his own, averaging 27.8 points, 8.8 assists, and 6.8 rebounds on 56.6% shooting in more than 40 minutes a night.
The efforts of James and big man Anthony Davis are no longer enough to make a championship push alone, leaving general manager Rob Pelinka with a stressful offseason ahead.
