Brooklyn Nets forward Jared Dudley took a subtle shot at Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James after the Nets beat the Lakers on Tuesday night. When asked about the Lakers' small defensive lineups, Dudley got his dig in at James, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.
“No bigs in there. LeBron's probably their 5 and you know he's not really trying to play no defense out there right so for us it's just, you're trying to get downhill and trying to get to the basket.”
Dudley is correct that the Lakers were short on height. With JaVale McGee unavailable, the Lakers only used a true center for 27 minutes of the game. Starter Tyson Chandler saw 17 minutes of action, while youngsters Moe Wagner and Ivica Zubac combined for 10 minutes off the bench.
So, the Lakers had their hands tied with lineup possibilities. With LeBron at center, Dudley's words make sense. While The King might take issue with the statement that he isn't trying on defense, he isn't really an intimidating shot blocker in the half-court setting, especially at this point in his career, so attacking the paint when James is in the middle is just good strategy.
On his end, Dudley is putting together a solid season for the Nets. The 12-year vet has averaged 5.1 points on 42 percent shooting and has been a positive presence in the locker room.
While he is in the twilight of his career, Jared Dudley is clearly still good for a few solid minutes off the bench and some trash talking every once in a while.