All Lakers Expert Predictions For LA-Spurs Clash Tonight
Your Los Angeles Lakers' Texas two-step continues tonight, as LA heads to the Frost Bank Center to face off against star rookie Victor Wembanyama and the rest of his lowly San Antonio Spurs. LA is coming off a disappointing 127-125 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
We're here with answers to all (well, some) of your burning questions.
Can LA hold the Spurs under 110 points tonight?
Alex: Last night, scoring wasn't a problem for your Los Angeles Lakers against the Dallas Mavericks. Instead, the problems came on the other side of the ball, as without top perimeter stoppers Jarred Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent, LA had trouble containing Dallas' guards and wings all night. Despite being one of the worst teams we've seen in the league in a long time, the Spurs have scored 110 or fewer points in half of their last ten games (all losses). We don't know the statuses of Jarred Vanderbilt or Anthony Davis ahead of tonight's game, but if both can play this feels pretty attainable for the Purple and Gold.
Noel: I do think the Lakers will be able to hold the Spurs under 110 points tonight! Even though they are on the road, they will be hungry to bounce back after a tight loss to Dallas and that always starts on the defensive end.
Can D'Angelo Russell take advantage of what sure seems like a shamelessly tanktastic rotation choice from Gregg Popovich?
Noel: D’Angelo Russell should have a great game tonight. He’s hovering right around 16 points, 6 assists on 40 percent from deep on the year. I’m confident this is one of those games where most things look easy to them.
Alex: For some insane reason, deep into a 17-game losing streak, Pop continues to start 6'9" power forward Jeremy Sochan at power forward, when he has a perfectly good point guard option, Tre Jones, just waiting on the bench. Jones' box plus-minus of -2.4 is at least marginally better than Sochan's brutal -5.4. As the only guy who can really distribute to Wembanyama reliably off the bounce, one would think Popovich would want Jones starting alongside the rookie -- unless, that is, the longtime Spurs coach/executive wants to try his lottery luck for the second straight season, and lose as many games as possible this year. That's my theory, at least.
So with a non-point guard at the position, one would expect starting LA point guard D'Angelo Russell to go off. In 25:01 against the Mavericks last night, Russell scored just seven points on 3-of-9 shooting from the floor, but passed for seven dimes and pulled down two boards. Can he score more than his average this season (16.6 points on .483/.405/.782 shooting splits) in a potentially advantageous matchup? I think so.
Will Los Angeles cover the spread (the team is a -2.5 point favorite)?
Alex: Anthony Davis played through an aggravated groin injury against the Mavs, but it might behoove all involved to give him a rest day on the second night of a back-to-back. Jarred Vanderbilt was a late scratch on Tuesday as well. If either of these players is available to help shore up the Lakers' front line, they'll cover. I realize that's kind of a caveat-loaded way to make a bet, so for posterity I'll just officially predict that Los Angeles both wins and covers.
Noel: I predict the Lakers will cover their spread against one of the NBA’s most struggling teams.
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