The article discusses the heightened intensity of playoff basketball compared to the regular season, highlighted by LeBron James' comments on his podcast about the need for players to adjust to this shift. Players like Austin Reaves have found it difficult to adapt to the physicality enforced during playoffs. LeBron suggests the NBA should allow a transitional phase, starting post-All-Star break, where officiating mimics playoff standards, giving players time to prepare for an intense competitive environment without abrupt changes.
"First I thing I want to say that is, like, if they're going to allow it to be as physical as it is, you have to give us a little bit of time to prepare for it."
"So, like, post-All-Star break. Yeah, post-All-Star break is usually 30 games left. So maybe like 12-15 games left in the regular season. Give us a month to prepare for it."
"It goes from...no body check, no hand checking, no pushing a guy off his spot, no re-routing guys at all for six-and-a-half, seven months. Then, two months straight, have at it."
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