There’s a decent chance that LeBron will face James Devin Booker or Damian Lillard in the playoffs – maybe even both.
There is no chance that he will underestimate either.
After this year’s NBA All-Star reserves were announced without Booker on Tuesday, James joined the charge and the Phoenix Suns guard declared a dislike. He didn’t use the word “blunt.” But his timing and message were clear.
Devin Booker is the most respected player in our league !!! Simple as that.
– LeBron James (@KingJames) February 24, 2021
He followed that tweet with his thoughts on Lillard.
Unlike Booker, Lillard was named to the All-Star team on Tuesday. But many in the NBA felt that the honor came too late – that Lillard should have become a starter last week. Count James among them.
Lillard barely missed the starting grid thanks to a tiebreak between the votes of fans, players and media. NBA coaches selected the reserves and decided Booker wouldn’t cut it.
So who would cut LeBron?
While James showed his respect for Booker and Lillard on Tuesday, he refused to scrap names. Of course, you cannot add a player to a capped squad without removing another.
And we can’t really blame James. Talking out your rivals is one thing. Cutting them off is another – albeit a much more interesting prospect.
Most critics called Luka Doncic the best candidate to be dropped from the starting lineup in favor of Lillard – Doncic was one of them. Adding Booker means leaving out one of Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, Zion Williamson, or Paul George. We know that James Davis does not mention. Would he dare leave out old friend and Booker’s teammate Paul in favor of his defensive mate?
Here’s guessing James will never say it. At least not in public.
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