Hawks vs. Lakers Game Preview
The thought that the Lakers – owners of a 23-3 record, the league’s third-best point differential, and perhaps the best basketball player in the world – could still be a work in progress should terrify the rest of the NBA. Los Angeles has coalesced rapidly and may still have room to grow. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are still learning one another’s games, yet have still powered L.A. to the fourth-most efficient offense in the NBA. Davis has anchored a top-10 defensive unit, and nearly every role player in the Lakers’ rotation has provided solid, consistent production.
Any strategy for stopping L.A. starts with an emphasis on the rim. The Lakers rank in the top three in both attempts and efficiency within four feet of the basket, and have been one of the stingiest rim-protecting teams in the league. James and Davis are major reasons for that, being two of the most imposing finishers in the league. James leads the NBA in assists and may be the most efficient shot-creator for others in the entire league. He'll provide another challenging test for De'Andre Hunter, who seemed to be caught off-guard by James' sheer speed and force – late alone his uncontainable shot-making – when the two matched up in mid-November.
Game Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
TV: FOX Sports Southeast, Spectrum SportsNet
Streaming: NBA League Pass, FOX Sports Go
Davis has played perhaps the best defensive season of his career and is holding opponents to just 45.6 percent shooting within six feet of the basket. Though he has the size and versatility to man either frontcourt position, Davis has played primarily power forward this season with JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard flanking him at center. That has bolstered L.A.’s interior defense and rebounding, yet the Lakers still force plenty of turnovers with their activity on the perimeter.
While the Lakers have unambiguously established themselves as championship contenders, some of their early statistical dominance could be due for eventual regression as their schedule gets more difficult. A 55.3 effective field goal percentage might not be sustainable against sturdier defenses, and the team’s night-to-night execution could wane if James decides to dial back his energy midway through the season (a perfectly justifiable approach for a 35-year-old with as much mileage as he has). If James misses any amount of time the Lakers will be perilously thin on playmakers.
The Hawks and Lakers have trended in opposite directions all season. While Los Angeles has enjoyed good health for its best players and a relatively kind schedule, the Hawks have been without key players for much of the season against rather difficult competition (though the Lakers’ strength of schedule will inherently be lower than Atlanta’s because they are the better team and cannot play themselves). L.A. may be susceptible to regression while Atlanta has almost nowhere to go but up. Most importantly, however, the Lakers may be bound for the NBA Finals while Atlanta is destined for the lottery.
The first time the two teams played, L.A. made easy work of the slumping Hawks with a 122-101 victory in Los Angeles. James dropped an easy 33 points and 12 assists on just 13-of-21 shooting as the Lakers blocked 14 shots and shot 43 percent from 3-point range. Trae Young had 31 points and seven assists for the Hawks, but turned the ball over eight times as the Hawks sputtered to just a point per possession. They’ll need to summon a stronger effort on Sunday, but making headway against the Lakers late has been a largely futile pursuit.
