LeBron James was calling out Bulls’ plays before they even happened
Patrick Williams said on Saturday that LeBron James knew the Bulls’ plays ahead of time, and would even tell his teammates what play Chicago would run next on the court.
Judging the result of the game, that certainly appeared to be the case.
James produced 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Anthony Davis scored a season-high 37 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-90 win over the Bulls. Los Angeles led by as many as 30 points in the contest and held Chicago to just 33 first-half points, the fewest scored by an opponent through the first two quarters of a game since 2016.
The Bulls and Lakers previously met on Jan. 8 with L.A. pulling out a narrow three-point win. Williams noted that James, who had 28 points in that first meeting, was less aggressive on offense on Saturday, but hurt the Bulls in other areas of the game, like calling out their plays ahead of time.
He wasn’t as aggressive as he was last time as far as scoring the basketball but he was out there just making plays. He was making plays with his mind, with his communication, even when he didn’t have the ball. When he was off-ball, he was calling out our plays, telling guys where to be and what was coming next. You can tell that he watches a lot of film.
Williams’ revelation that James called out the Bulls’ plays isn’t new. Players have often noted that James will predict their sets before they happen, and call them out to his teammates.
For example, Quinn Cook noted last season that James’ knowledge of every player on opposing teams is second to none. From the top player, to the last guy on the bench, James knows whether they are left-handed or right-handed, where they like to shoot from and other similar tendencies.
Certainly, the Lakers got the best of the Bulls this season but the example James set for his team can also be one that Williams and other players in the league can learn from.
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