Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James believes the NBA has moved past the era in which teams routinely cleared out for a single scorer. Speaking on the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, the 41-year-old veteran said modern defenses have developed too many counters for isolation sets, forcing offenses to rely on ball movement and pick-and-roll actions.
“There are so many different ways to get the ball out of a guy’s hands now,” James said. “If he’s just isoing on the wing, you can flood that side, bring a trap, and suddenly you’ve got three defenders involved—the on-ball defender, the trapper, and the sideline. In today’s pace-and-space game, you want the ball popping or you want the trigger to happen through a pass or pick-and-roll.”
James contrasted the current landscape with the 1990s and 2000s, when stars such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Durant and James Harden frequently operated in one-on-one situations. He noted that teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors helped usher in motion-heavy systems, and the trend has accelerated across the league.
The four-time MVP cited the Lakers’ own approach—often initiated by Luka Doncic in pick-and-roll sets—as an example of how offenses now seek to create “4-on-3” advantages. “The question is how you start the blender,” he said. “Is it with a pass-and-cut like the Miami Heat, or with pick-and-rolls like we do because Luka is so dynamic?”
James added that face-up isolations from the elbow, once a staple for players in the Karl Malone mold, now make up “a much smaller slice” of winning basketball. He attributed the shift to defensive schemes that thrive when an offense becomes predictable.
Despite the tactical changes, James continues to excel in his 23rd NBA season. He credited his longevity to developing into what he called “a complete basketball player,” capable of adapting as the sport evolves.
Source: Lakers Nation
