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By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY
The Los Angeles Lakers haven't needed Metta World Peace much in the first two games of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. Kobe Bryant has scored a combined 69 points in the first two games and the Lakers hold a 2-0 series lead.
But it's not to be forgotten that World Peace was at the top of his game prior to his seven-game suspension.
So what was responsible for the late-season explosion by Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace?
No, not for the elbow he slammed to the head of an opponent that resulted in a concussion and has World Peace suspended for the first six games of the playoffs.
His actual play on the court.
Although he averaged a career-low 7.7 points per game in his 13th season, World Peace reached double figures in nine of the last 10 games, including his second-quarter ejection on April 22.
That offensive outburst came after a stretch from Dec. 29 to Jan. 20 when he failed to score in double figures, scoring two points or fewer eight times. The 149-day lockout was the culprit.
"Out of shape early because of lockout. Couldn't get treatment so I took off a flat 3 months. I did nothing," he tweeted with a photo that shows his decline in weight and body fat.
World Peace shows that he was 268.7 pounds and at 13.3% body fat on Dec. 11. By Jan. 2, he'd dropped to 256.2 and 12.6%.
On Feb. 17, he went up 10 pounds, likely muscle, but still dropped 1.6% in body fat.
By April 30, World Peace's weight was down to 246.5 and 8.6% body fat – 22.2 pounds lighter and 4.7% fewer in bodyfat.
That's why he was dunking, beating opponents off the dribble and running up and down the court fluidly. That joy, World Peace said a week ago, sparked the incident when he hit James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the head and led to his 13th suspension from the NBA.
He'd just dunked for the third time and was overcome with "erratic passion." He's new and improved.
From this:
To this:
