All Lakers Expert Predictions For Battle Of LA Part 3

Tonight, some of your Los Angeles Lakers will do battle against some of their local little brother franchise, the star-studded LA Clippers, a club which features not one but two ex-Lakers in prominent roles.

The Purple and Gold have won both their prior two contests. Who will prevail tonight, in a LeBron James-less clash?

Can the Lakers buck the odds?

The Clippers are -9.5 point favorites to win in the two clubs' mutual home. The Clippers, however, are missing a starter of their own, in ex-Lakers center Ivica Zubac, out for months with a right calf strain. But the Clips' core trio of future Hall of Famers are healthy and absolutely rolling. Yes, they fell to the Lakers most recently, in a back-and-forth affair earlier this month. But without the scoring acumen of LeBron James, it's going to be tough for the Lake Show to supply the requisite offensive punch. The Lake Show will lose, but there's no shame in that. This Clippers team is just better, and the Lakers are missing their offensive MVP.

Onto which Clipper should Darvin Ham sic Jarred Vanderbilt?

The Purple and Gold's best perimeter defender will have his work cut out for him tonight. I assume Ham will toggle Vanderbilt between All-Star forwards Paul George (the closest match, size-wise, with Vanderbilt) and Kawhi Leonard, but of course that will leave LA scrambling to cover one of the game's savviest passers and scorers in point guard James Harden. I figure Austin Reaves could see some run against Harden, with Ham opting to hide his weakest starting defender, D'Angelo Russell, on Terrance Mann. Taurean Prince may be saddled with Leonard or George. Vanderbilt will be playing off the bench for LA, but I assume he'll get plenty of run. Rui Hachimura may draw the George assignment on first blush, I could envision scenarios where Ham plays Hachimura, who's fairly athletic for his size and could stick with George or Leonard within the arc at least, alongside Vanderbilt.

Which Laker needs to step up with LeBron James down?

D'Angelo Russell has been on the mother of all hot streaks lately. And it's not just his exquisite long-range marksmanship. His passing has been remarkably sharp recently, too. The Lakers will need everything he can give them.