NBA Scout Says LeBron James 'Could Be Exposed on Defense' by Lakers Playoff Opponents

Even though JJ Redick has made a point of praising LeBron James' defense throughout the regular season, at least one NBA scout thinks opposing teams might be able to take advantage of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar in the playoffs.

Speaking to ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, the scout explained why James "could be exposed" defensively in the postseason:

"Luka (Dončić) has to guard somebody, and you can wear him down. 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."

There are some key qualifiers in that analysis, not the least of which is finding a team with the "right personnel" to go after James.

James could have a difficult test right out of the gate with the Lakers matched up with the Golden State Warriors in the first round based on the current standings. Dorian Finney-Smith could draw the primary assignment guarding Stephen Curry, but James would also be keeping an eye on his longtime rival.

The Warriors also have Jimmy Butler, who has a well-documented history of leveling up in the playoffs. He figures to command a lot of attention from James in a potential matchup.

One problem for Golden State is its lack of size, with Draymond Green playing a lot of center down the stretch. The average height of a starting five with Curry, Butler, Green, Brandon Podziemski and Moses Moody is 6'5".

Even though the Lakers also lack a traditional starting big man, their main five-man unit with James, Dončić, Finney-Smith, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura all measures between 6'5" and 6'9".

The Denver Nuggets have given the Lakers fits in the playoffs each of the past two years, but it's hard to know if that would continue this year if they met because things are so different. The Lakers didn't have Dončić before; the Nuggets seem to be in a state of disarray after firing head coach Michael Malone on Tuesday.

It also doesn't help Denver's case that Lakers' playoff nemesis Jamal Murray's status for the postseason is unclear due to a hamstring injury.

Other potential playoff opponents for the Lakers, like the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, have to prove they are a viable threat to make a deep run before they get talked about as a title contender.

The Grizzlies lost as the No. 2 seed to Los Angeles in the first round two years ago. They aren't a better team right now than they were at that point.

By process of elimination, the teams that could give James the most problems on defense are the Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder and, if Kawhi Leonard stays healthy, Los Angeles Clippers.

The Lakers could end up playing at least two of those teams in the playoffs based on the current standings if they were to make a run to the Western Conference Finals.