Daily Archives: May 23, 2023

LeBron James, retirement, and leverage

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The concept of retirement seemed a long way off for LeBron James not too long ago, but apparently that is no longer the case. James is reportedly unsure if he will be with the Lakers when the 2023-24 season begins according to reports.

Considering Lebron is 38 years old, this is something the Lakers need to take seriously. James has put a ton of miles on his body over the course of his illustrious career, but up until the Lakers elimination in the 2023 postseason has retirement even ben mentioned as an imminent possibility. There is something else that could be in play.

Leverage.

LeBron is no stranger to the leverage play, especially a public one. There have been many instances of James using leverage to get something that he desires, there is a reason people have referred to him as “LeGM”, as cringe as that is. The Lakers star has two more years on his current contract with the Lakers, including a player-option worth over $50 million for the 2024-25 season should he continue to play.

If James is going to continue his time in Los Angeles he is going to want to be competitive and have a legitimate chance at another championship. Having the retirement rumor come out upon elimination gives the Lakers more than enough time to formulate a plan, to LeBron’s liking of course, to take the next step they were unable to this year. It is just that well timed extra bit of incentive to be proactive in improving their roster and making it truly championship caliber.

Of course there is the reality that James is truly considering retirement and could call it a career. The official retirement of Carmelo Anthony just yesterday may have resonated with James and made him reflect upon his own career and future. If James does indeed retire he will go down as one of, if not the best to ever play the game.

Myles Garrett top in turnovers forced

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The Cleveland Browns definitely made the right choice when drafting Myles Garrett. Garrett has been a disruptive force since day one and quickly ascended the ranks among the best pass rushers in the league. It is just not the act of rushing the quarterback where Garrett excels, it is another important aspect of playing defense. Forcing turnovers.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Garrett has created the most turnovers by pressure since coming into the league with 24. The next highest total is that of Yannick Ngakoue with 19.

Found in the info print at the bottom of the graphic is a note about new Browns pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. Smith is tied for fifth with 16 turnovers forced by pressure since 2017. The combo up front of Garrett and Smith should be able to create the havoc many envisioned when the team signed a certain free agent who has bounced around from team-to-team in the last few years.

Myles Garrett is a special player, the type that makes a defense. The Browns defense goes as Garrett does. Cleveland’s front office has taken a few more shots at adding competent pieces that compliment Garrett and make his job easier. The latter part will make the unit as a whole better, and that would bridge the gap from where they were and where they want to be.