NBA needs Big 3 of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant to start winning in 2025
The NBA needs LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant and their respective teams to reach the playoffs to pull audiences.
Follow Us
The NBA needs LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant and their respective teams to reach the playoffs
The Big 3 of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant pull the largest audience in the NBA. That is why the league scheduled them as highlights of its Christmas Day lineup. That suggests the league wants to capitalize off their popularity for as long as possible.
That also could see the league wanting to see the trio in the playoffs. The lack of these veteran greats saw last season’s NBA Finals ratings plummet. However, the current situation these three superstars and their respective teams are in, might have the league’s top brass sweating.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns had a combined 31-9 record up until their bad stretches started. Since those stretches started, they are 18-38 collectively and hanging around in the lower levels of the playoff ladder. If this continues, all three teams are at the risk of losing out.
The three are part of a strong Western Conference where other younger teams have trumped the old guard. But what do they need to do if they want to turn this around and have a deep run in the playoffs, just like the league would want them to.
Kevin Durant and his Phoenix Suns are struggling
Among the three, the worst hit is the Phoenix Suns. Their bad run of games started earlier than the other two and stands at 15 losses out of 21 games. That is a horrible run for the likes of Kevin Durant who is generally expected to keep his team in the top half of the conference.
However, the blame is not completely on Durant as injuries have made it difficult for his team. But injuries are not the only reason for these disappointing last two months. Earlier today, their loss to the severely depleted Memphis Grizzlies brought up a new set of questions.
The team had most of their players available yet were defeated at home by a team with just two starters and a bunch of inexperienced players. It showed that the team are nowhere close to being able to beat playoff teams soundly.
They have to figure out their rotations and schemes if they are to resume winning basketball games. The onus is on the experienced veterans and new head coach Mike Budenholzer. Starting into the new year, the team will come under scathing criticism if their situation does not improve.
Steph Curry and his Golden State Warriors cannot get a break
The Golden State Warriors are another team struggling to find an identity. After heading the West early in the season, they are on the verge of joining the Suns in toppling out of play in spots. But what has caused this from a team that many considered NBA title favorites.
Firstly, the inconsistencies of Curry and his teammates has been baffling. One game they play to their expected abilities. Then one or the other player fizzles out in the next, leaving the team struggling to score. Curry himself has shown this disturbing problem off late.
But even then, this team was praised for its balanced rotation. Even then, they are struggling to use their collective performances to win games. Their recent 2-7 streak has seen fans losing their minds. If this continues, top NBA executives could also start losing theirs.
Head coach Steve Kerr has to figure out his best rotation and stick to it. At the same time, the front office has to find another scorer on the trade market. Just in case 36-year-old Steph Curry struggles with consistency.
LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers are recovering
Out of the three teams, the Los Angeles Lakers are the only ones with a winning record these past few weeks. They had an appalling 3-8 record where nothing was going right for them. LeBron James also struggled with his shooting and bore the brunt of criticism from fans.
His teammates were also not spared after their abomination of a performance against the Denver Nuggets in November. But since December 8th, they are on a 6-3 run that culminated in a loss against the league leading Cleveland Cavaliers earlier today.
The most important takeaway from these recent games was that there was a massive uptick in effort. Players have responded to criticisms from fans, coaches and the media and have shown they can play. The front office also played a part after trading away D’Angelo Russell for two potentially impactful rotational players.
LeBron James is now 40 years old and can only do so much. That means the rest of the team has to learn to win without relying too much on him. However, they have to beat top playoff teams if they want to be a serious playoff threat, which is what the league would want.
Stay Updated!
Joseph Varghese
(2455 Articles Published)