Draymond Green: 'Very Shocked' to See Lakers' LeBron James Look 'Gassed' vs. T-Wolves
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said he was surprised by Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James not necessarily being at his best in L.A.'s play-in tournament win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Speaking on the Draymond Green Show on The Volume (starting at the 21:30 mark), Green gave his thoughts on LeBron's performance in the Lakers' 108-102 overtime victory:
Green said he was "very shocked" by James looking "gassed" and making some "uncharacteristic passes" during the game.
LeBron led all players in the play-in game with 30 points on 12-of-21 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. He also turned the ball over five times and committed five fouls, however.
James played 45 minutes in the contest, marking his first game with 40 or more minutes played since Feb. 4.
LeBron missed one month of action with a foot injury before returning in late March, and the Lakers attempted to manage his minutes by having him play 33 or fewer minutes in six of the eight regular-season games he played in upon his return.
The strategy worked well for L.A., as the Lakers went 6-2 and clinched a spot in the play-in tournament. With the win over Minnesota, they also clinched the No. 7 seed and will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
While Green questioned James' showing against the T-Wolves, he predicted that the Lakers will upset the second-seeded Grizzlies in the playoffs.
The Lakers have been a different and far better team since acquiring D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura at the trade deadline, and they have only continued to improve as James and Anthony Davis have gotten healthier.
Despite their low seeding, the Lakers are a legitimate threat to go the distance in the Western Conference if LeBron is at his best.
As for Green and the defending NBA champion Warriors, they are the No. 6 seed in the West. They have a first-round date with the Sacramento Kings, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
James and Green have had their fair share of playoff battles dating back to LeBron's time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They would meet again this postseason if they win their respective first-round series.
