All Lakers Expert Predictions For Magic-LA Showdown On 2nd Night Of Back-To-Back
After a disappointing 132-127 overtime road loss to the Sacramento Kings, your Los Angeles Lakers head back home to host the undefeated (2-0, but still) Orlando Magic tonight.
Darvin Ham has already hinted that not all his starters will suit up, which makes sense given that All-NBA LA superstar forward LeBron James played nine minutes beyond his supposed regular season minutes allotment just last night in the defeat.
All Lakers experts Noel Sanchez, Ricardo Sandoval and Alex Kirschenbaum unpack the big questions heading into tonight's matchup, which tips off at 7:30 p.m. PT.
Will LeBron James and Anthony Davis even play?
Noel: I think LeBron James will likely sit this one out due to heavily going past his minutes restriction the past two games as he tried to will LA to two straight wins. Anthony Davis, on the other hand, should definitely play. It hasn't been the brightest of starts for the Lake Show so I hope at least one star suits up for us.
Ricardo: One of them will play tonight, and hopefully, that is Anthony Davis, considering he is only 30 years old. LeBron James played 39 minutes, and AD played 41 minutes in their OT loss to the Kings, and with a game tonight, I’ll be shocked if those two are out on the court tonight. Davis said he wants to play all 82; we’ll see if he means it.
Alex: This is a tricky situation. James is 38 years old, playing in 21st season, and on the cusp of shattering Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for the most total minutes played in the league by anyone. He suited up for the aforementioned 39 minutes last night. 30-year-old Davis played 41:41. Both looked somewhat gassed in the overtime period, when LA's shooting slipped. Davis chipped in just one basket and a foul in the period, leaving it mostly to James to bear the brunt of the offensive burden. James to his credit scored seven points on 3-of-3 shooting, but turned over the ball twice, including one especially costly moment with 15 seconds remaining in the bonus period. Only one other Laker, D'Angelo Russell with three points, even scored at all in the frame.
It's a long season. I know LA might be worried about falling into a 1-3 hole right now, but there's no shame in losing a game in October against what I think will be a solid play-in/bottom-four playoff team. Sitting at least James makes sense to Ham, even if it could cost the Lakers a W. I expect that he sits at least one of his two stars.
Which Magic player poses the biggest threat tonight against LA?
Ricardo: Which Magic player poses the biggest threat tonight against LA?Any one of their guards since opposing guards love to kill the Lakers. You could go with either Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, or Markelle Fultz. Although the best players on their team are front-court players, don’t be surprised if the backcourt players go off.
Alex: Franz Wagner will run a close second for me, as I think LA has enough wing depth to deal with him. I'm more worried about Paolo Banchero, who is insanely athletic for a guy measuring in at 6'10" and 250 pounds. Anthony Davis can protect the paint against most interior threats when they get there, but it might be an unnecessary expenditure of his energy to have him chasing the reigning Rookie of the Year all over the floor tonight -- assuming Davis even plays, that is. I assume Ham will start Taurean Prince on Banchero and shift LeBron James (again, if he plays) to Wagner duty, but Banchero is just so much bigger. I'd imagine Ham tries out Rui Hachimura and maybe even Jaxson Hayes on Banchero in spurts.
Noel: Franz Wagner is definitely the guy to keep an eye on for the Magic today. Lakers fans are familiar with his brother but Franz has all the tools to run a successful offense and he has done just that through the first two games of the season (21 ppg & 2.5 apg). Paolo Banchero is still coming into his own but he is a huge threat as well.
Will the Lakers win/cover their -4 spread?
Alex: LA is favored tonight, which to me is a bit insane, given that their two best players are north of 30 with a lot of playoff and injury miles and Orlando's blossoming young, athletic stars should be getting into town totally refreshed, having not played a game since Friday. The Magic will win, but I'm not panicking about LA's season just yet, as the club has faced off against three playoff teams thus far and the Magic feel like the fourth.
Noel: I do have the Lakers covering their spread today!
Ricardo: I’ve picked the Lakers to win every game this season, and that’s not going to stop. The Lakers will look to avenge their tough OT loss last night against the young, up-and-coming Magic, whose 2-0 record is not what it seems. The Lakers will look to stay undefeated at home, and I believe that will be the case.
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