LeBron vs Durant, the winner of the veteran match?

The big match between Western Group A of the 2023-24 NBA In-Season Tournament will take place at the Footprint Center this day. A clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Sons will take on each other in their first game with that. Both teams are leading contenders for Western Group A. The Suns are considered to be capable of winning beyond the tournament, and in the case of the Lakers, they are not that bad, but once they gain momentum, any team has a team color that they are not afraid of, so they are considered a dark horse to turn the game around in the tournament, which is a short-term match.

The reason why the two teams are strong is extremely simple. This is because there are two veterans representing the league, "King" LeBron James (39, 206 cm) and "KD" Kevin Durant (35, 208 cm). He is coming down from his prime at a considerable age, but there are still not many players to put above them. As if to prove this, LeBron has averaged 24.4 points, 5.4 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1,4 steals, and 1 block shot in 8 games this season, while Durant also has 29.3 points (5th overall), 4.6 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1.2 blocks in 8 games.

It is still an absolute part of the team to the extent that the words "when is LeBron and when is Durant?" are overshadowed. Both are the top scorers in their teams. LeBron's "shut up and break through" in its heyday was hard to stop. When a big man with a muscular and fearsome body penetrated the gap like a guard and entered the rim attack, it was fear itself for defense.

On top of that, it has excellent shooting skills such as three-point shots and mid-range, allowing various bombings across the inside and outside. There are so many areas that they are good at, they don't care about scoring, but they were able to enter the competition for the top scorer if they decided, and it is not too much to just play as a point guard beyond reading and passing well.

In fact, he has both the top scorer and the top assist player titles. For this reason, there have been many seasons where the main ballhandler and the main scorer are taken together in most careers. When it comes to versatility, he is superior to Jordan. The main position is number three, but it doesn't really mean much. This is because he is better at reading than he is at No. 1 and has the power and physical fighting ability to play with a power forward.

Durant is close to an authentic small forward, but depending on the situation, he is a player who can be a power forward. He may be a little weak in strength, but he has a big-man-class height, so he is still powerful in height. He is a type of player who runs inside and outside, but shots from high RBIs such as mid-ranger jumpers and three-point shots are considered extreme weapons that cannot be controlled even if they are known from the defense's point of view. He has a reputation as an all-time scorer because he combines height with speed and athletic ability that are unimaginable from his height such as soft ball handling.

However, the atmosphere of both teams is contradictory. The Lakers have lost three consecutive games due to the injury of Anthony Davis (30, 208cm). No matter how wide the Lakers have a player base, the strongest weapon to lead the team is by far LeBron and Davis' one-two punch. Davis has averaged 23.9 points, 3.3 assists, 12 rebounds, and one steal in seven games, showing power over LeBron.

Especially in defense, the presence is huge. He ranks first overall with 3.3 block shots. Given that second-place Daniel Gafford (Washington) is a 2.6 block shot, it is reasonable to guess how great Davis is showing his block shooting ability. Since it combines height and mobility, if Davis holds out, the opposing team's strikers will not be able to break through easily.

The help block is also powerful, and above all, the synergy effect in defense cannot be achieved just by slowing the opponent down for a while. It's a fleeting moment, but it has a great influence on teammates' defensive timing and double teams. It was also thanks to Davis' crazy defense that silenced the Golden State Warriors' spacing basketball in last season's playoffs.

On the other hand, Bradley Beale (30·193 cm) returned to Phoenix. It is regrettable that Devin Booker (27, 196cm) continues to be absent, but with Durant struggling alone in scoring, Bill's joining is like a thousand troops. Since he has just made his debut in a new team, he may not be able to blend into the team immediately, but it will certainly be a great help if he can disperse the defense that is concentrated in Durant to some extent.

The Lakers are in the quagmire of losing all five games in away games this season, and this match is also an away match. But I don't lose ground in the momentum. This is because they won their first showdown at Crypto Dotcom Arena on the 27th of last month. Durant fought hard with 39 points and 11 rebounds at the time, but failed to overcome Davis (30 points, 12 rebounds) and LeBron (21 points, 9 assists).

Phoenix's performance is important in addition to Durant and Bill's firepower in the face of Booker's absence. In the last showdown, Yusuf Nerkic (29·21cm) and Drew Eubanks (26·208cm) were thoroughly beaten by Davis' height. If the same scene is repeated again, Durant and Bill score highIt can get tough even if you do it. Of course, this is expected to be established under the premise that Davis can play normally.

In addition to the Lakers and Phoenix, the Western A group includes the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies. With Portland at the top of the list by beating Utah over the weekend, this time the group's leading candidate Lakers and Phoenix will clash. A fierce match is expected as it is included in the regular season performance and tournament prize money and trophies are given.

Meanwhile, another big match is expected today, besides the Lakers and Phoenix game. The Los Angeles Clippers, who announced the birth of a super team with the trade of James Harden (34, 196cm), and the Dallas Mavericks, with Luka Doncic (24, 201cm), will face off in the in-season tournament. Both teams are in dire need of a change of atmosphere. The Clippers have lost three consecutive games despite Harden joining them, and Dallas was beaten by Toronto in the previous game.

The Lakers and Phoenix match will be broadcast live on SPOTV ON and SPOTV NOW at 12 p.m., while the Clippers and Dallas' first showdown of the season will be broadcast live on SPOTV ON 2 and SPOTV NOW at 10:30 a.m.

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