[KC_Connection]

Will 'Tournament LeBron' carry the Lakers?

We've seen "Playoff LeBron" for years, and he led all active NBA players in terms of outperforming his regular-season value in the playoffs when I studied the topic in 2019. Now we've got "Tournament LeBron," which admittedly doesn't have the same ring but is proving meaningful nonetheless.

At this stage of his career, James is unlikely to make a run at a fifth regular-season MVP, but the in-season tournament MVP is likely his if the Lakers win Saturday. Only Haliburton has rated as more valuable in tournament games by my wins above replacement player (WARP) metric. Because WARP is a cumulative value stat, James actually hurt his cause to a small degree by playing a little too well in just 22:32 of playing time on Thursday.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, that was the lowest minutes total for any player with at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists (James had eight) since minutes were first tracked in box scores starting during the 1951-52 season.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...-pacers-lakers

It’s a big one tonight.