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On this episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine dive deep into the numbers to try to figure out how 39-year-old LeBron James is having such a great season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The guys start with the big number, which is 826 this week. That’s the number of 3-point shots LeBron James has made since joining the Lakers. If you don’t think that’s a lot, tune in to hear which Hall of Fame players never made that many 3-point shots in their entire career.
But it’s the efficiency of LeBron’s season that has really caught the eye of both Tom and Dan. He is currently posting career highs in points created per 36, points scored on plays where LeBron is in the pick-and-roll and percentage of his baskets that are assisted.
The success of the 10-4 Lakers, as well as the success of rookie forward Dalton Knecht, can be directly attributed to the increased efficiency and proficiency of LeBron James, who turns 40 in about six weeks. That’s crazy. Is there a case to be made that he’s having his most impressive season?
Finally, Tom wrote a piece for Yahoo Sports wondering if making dunks worth three points would shift the NBA back to offensive diversity and away from every team trying to copy the Boston Celtics. He talks it out with Dan to see if it would be viable and, if not, what other plans might make sense.
(2:05) The Big Number: 826
(17:34) The Little Numbers: 47.3
(19:54) The Little Numbers: 49.2%
(22:37) The Little Numbers: 1.19
(27:32) The Little Numbers: +15.5
(32:49) Over/unders scoreboard update
(33:37) Should the NBA make dunks worth 3 points?
🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube
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