It's tough to simulate all of the skills that LeBron James brings to a basketball court, but that's exactly what the Houston Rockets are trying to do with 5-foot-9 rookie guard Chris Clemons.
According to Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report, the Rockets have been using Clemons in practice to simulate some of the plays the Lakers run through James. There is quite a discrepancy in height and overall talent, as LeBron is 6-foot-9 and considered to be the best player in today's game. Still, Clemons, who serves on the scout team, says there are some benefits to Houston's role-playing:
“LeBron actually plays [point guard] most of the time,” Clemons tells B/R. “He's pretty much everything on the court. He plays a whole bunch of different positions. That's what makes him special. So I would definitely say being a point guard helps, skill set-wise, in trying to replicate his game.”
It may seem like a strange idea, but this is a common strategy in the NBA (and other professional sporting leagues). Coaches will often ask one of their players to mimic a perceived threat from the opposing side in practice.
Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni spoke about this:
“Sometimes a player plays a lot better when he thinks he's somebody else,” Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said, via Bleacher Report. “It's amazing, when we watch it we say, ‘Why don't you play like that all the time?' We tell them, act like you're Kevin Durant or whoever. And they go crazy. They start scoring the ball.”
Though he won't be playing much in Houston's series against Los Angeles, Clemons is hoping to be a voice in the film room:
“It's two different studies of film,” says Clemons. “We obviously have our team film session, where we go through our game plan and stuff like that. But then I have to go off on my own and do a little bit of extra work to break down some film of the guy I'm playing as, to pick up their mannerisms and their tendencies as best as I can and try to mimic it on the court during these practices.”
After Tuesday night's 112-102 victory, the Lakers have taken a 2-1 advantage in their second-round series against the Rockets. James led L.A. with 36 points, while Anthony Davis added 26. Game 4 is set to tip at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night, with TNT having live broadcast coverage.
Let's see if Clemons' role-playing pays off for the Rockets.
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