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Thunder’s preferred matchup: Clippers or Nuggets?<\/p>\n
For The Hoops crew discuss whether the Thunder would prefer to face the Clippers or Nuggets in the second round of the NBA playoffs<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES \u2013 LeBron James soaked his 40-year-old feet in an ice bucket<\/a> Wednesday night in the Lakers\u2019 locker room, quiet after a season-ending loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>.<\/p>\n He stared at his phone until something else caught his attention \u2013 his 20-year-old son,\u00a0Bronny.<\/p>\n Standing in front of his locker, Bronny said something it seemed only his father could hear. The mundane moment signaled the end, at least for now, of something historical.<\/p>\n A father and son suited up for the same NBA team. So, where does playing alongside Bronny rank among LeBron’s accomplishments, especially considering everything Bronny has overcome?<\/p>\n \u201cNumber one for sure,\u2019\u2019 LeBron James said after the Lakers’ 103-96 loss. \u201cThat’s easy. That’s not even close. To be able to play the game that I love and to be able to be along my son this whole year has been one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I’ve ever been on.<\/p>\n \u201cJust to see his growth from the moment he was drafted when we were all in New York at the draft party to seeing him in summer league struggle early on … and pick it up towards the end.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Then there was the Lakers\u2019 preseason game Oct. 6 in Palm Desert, Calif., when father and son took the court together for the first time. And Bronny making his playoff debut in the final minutes of the Lakers\u2019 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 1.<\/p>\n \u201cI just saw he has a bright future because not only can he play the game of basketball, he’s just a great (expletive) kid,\u2019\u2019 James said. \u201cAnd you can ask anybody, any one of his teammates, any one of the coaches. Just a joy to be around, and\u2026\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n A grin spread across LeBron\u2019s face before he added,: \u201cI have to say that I have a lot to do with that.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n As a team, the Lakers might have fallen short. But Bronny James said he felt good about the progress he made during his rookie season.<\/p>\n Bronny James addresses rookie season<\/p>\n In all, Bronny James played 27 games for the Lakers and averaged 2.3 points per game. He also played 11 games for the South Bay Lakers of the G League and averaged a team-high 21.1 points along with 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists.<\/p>\n \u201cJust growing as a player that I was put in a situation that it could be difficult for a lot of people,\u2019\u2019 said Bronny James, who signed a\u00a0four-year, $7.9 million\u00a0contract with the Lakers before the season. \u201cSo I think just pushing through that and growing at the same time is just something to be proud of as I go through my career. So I think it was a great year for me.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Asked if there were points when he thought pressure or frustration might distract him or slow him down, Bronny replied, \u201cI mean, yeah, but that’s all the time. It’s so many situations that I can say that it distracted me or something like that. So I feel like it’s, I think it’s good for me to go through those situations and come out on top.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n LeBron James praises JJ Redick<\/p>\n LeBron James left no guesswork when it comes to how he feels about Lakers coach JJ Redick. He said Redick had \u201ca hell of a rookie campaign for a rookie coach\u2019\u2019 and suggested he\u2019s on his way to becoming great.<\/p>\n \u201c(It\u2019s) already hard being a rookie coach in the NBA. And it’s a hell of a lot harder being a rookie head coach coaching the Lakers,\u2019\u2019 James said. \u201c\u2026I thought he handled it extremely well. I thought he just learned every single day, held us accountable. He pushed us. I thought JJ and his coaches staff were great throughout the whole season. That was pretty cool.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Though the Lakers fell short of expectations, Redick helped guide the team to a 50-win season and the No. 3 seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.<\/p>\n \u201cI know I can be better and I know I will get better,” Redick said. “I don\u2019t necessarily take any satisfaction for how the year went. That\u2019s not to say I\u2019m not proud of what the group was able to do and how we were able to figure things out on the fly and put ourselves in position to have homecourt in the first round. But there\u2019s always ways to get better and I can get a lot better.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Luka Doncic looking ahead<\/p>\n Luka Doncic has two years left on his contract, including a player option for the 2026-27 season. Though he hasn\u2019t pledged to stay in Los Angeles long term, he spoke glowingly about his time with the Lakers since they acquired him Feb. 1 from the Dallas Mavericks.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been great, honestly,\u2019\u2019 Doncic said. \u201cThe way the fans accepted me, it\u2019s been amazing. The way the community has accepted me has been amazing. So I\u2019m really glad that I\u2019m here.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a great couple of months. Was trying to learn about everything, about the city, about the team. So just trying to process everything.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Two months, however, clearly was not enough to figure out how to close out playoff games with along with James and Austin Reaves. In five games against the Timberwolves, the Lakers averaged 17 points in the fourth quarter and got outscored in each one.<\/p>\n The three Lakers closers disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s tough to get that chemistry on the court without any practices,\u2019\u2019 Doncic said. \u201cSo I\u2019m really excited to have the preseason with (James and Reaves) so we can learn.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Of Redick, Doncic said, \u201cWe have a great bond. It\u2019s been nothing but amazing with him as a coach.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thunder’s preferred matchup: Clippers or Nuggets? 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