All Lakers Expert Predictions For Friday Night's Game Against The Memphis Grizzlies
This evening at Crypto.com Arena, your Los Angeles Lakers will play host to the surging Memphis Grizzlies, winners of 11 straight games. Since the conclusion of a five-game win streak of their own, Los Angeles has had decidedly less exciting results, with a 1-4 record over its past five contests following the streak.
LA will of course be without starters Anthony Davis and Lonnie Walker IV, plus integral reserve guard Austin Reaves — although they did get some good news on AD earlier today. There's a chance that the team's All-Star power forward, LeBron James, will be absent tonight too — he's currently questionable with a persistent sore left ankle that has been hounding him for months.
Your trusty All Lakers experts will make some prognostications ahead of tonight's matchup. Prepare yourselves.
1. Which non-Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies player would you most like to see wear the purple and gold one day?
Alex: Jaren Jackson Jr., a staunch defender who seems to be improving by the day. Desmond Bane is a close runner-up, but he's already accrued some troubling injuries (JJJ may have more, but positionally his upside is just more intriguing) and I'm just kind of sick of watching undersized shooting guards at this point.
Noah: I would definitely say JJJ, too, but for the sake of switching it up I'll say Bane. The 24-year-old has had a pretty meteoric rise in the NBA, and he turned into one of the most underrated two-way players in the game. He's continued to improve every year — this season, he's averaging a career-best 21.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. In his career, he's a 46.2% shooter from the field, a 43.4% shooter from three and an 88.7% shooter from the line.
2. How many Lakers will score in double figures tonight?
Noah: This question definitely hinges on whether LeBron plays. If he's in, I'll say four — James, Thomas Bryant, Wenyen Gabriel and Russell Westbrook. If LeBron is out, I'll say five — Bryant, Gabriel, Westbrook, Dennis Schröder and Kendrick Nunn.
Alex: Across their past five games (during which, again, they have gone just 1-4), the Lakers have had as many as six and as few as four players score in double figures. I'm going to say five players overall, but just three starters (let's go with LeBron James, Thomas Bryant and Dennis Schröder), while two reserves notch double digits.
3. Which positional matchup are you most excited to see?
Alex: I'm curious to see how LA's center rotation of Thomas Bryant and Wenyen Gabriel fares against their Grizzlies counterparts, starter Steven Adams and 6'8" backup Brandon Clarke. On Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, Darvin Ham got so fed up with Bryant and Gabriel's lackluster defense that he opted to trot out LeBron James at the five spot.
Noah: I mean it's impossible to not be excited about watching Ja Morant. I'd love to see what kind of plan the Lakers have to try to slow him down — emphasis on the word try. He'll likely have a few highlight plays under the bright lights in Los Angeles.
4. What would LA need to do to actually win tonight?
Noah: LeBron needs to be in the lineup — that's first. And second, they need to shoot lights out. Like shoot over 50% from three, and probably put up at least 120 points.
Alex: Create some kind of voodoo doll effigy of Ja Morant that Phil Handy could stick full of pincushions on the Lakers' bench.
5. How far can Memphis go this season?
Alex: So many of the West's best teams (the Grizzlies, the Denver Nuggets, the New Orleans Pelicans and, yes, the ninth-seeded Golden State Warriors) have major injury question marks surrounding the core of their roster. If the Grizzlies can stay healthy, I could see them at least making the Western Conference Finals. It's tough for me to see anyone beating a health Nuggets team in the West this season, but, injury issues abound on that roster, too.
Noah: The Grizzlies feel like a team that will continue to be disrespected, but their play speaks for itself. I don't see this team making an NBA Finals just yet, but I also think they'll be able to compete with anyone in the West. But for now, I'll call their ceiling the Western Conference Finals.
6. Will the Lakers cover the 6-point spread?
Noah: Again, it depends on LeBron's availability. If he's in, yes. If he's out, no chance (although the line will surely change in Memphis' favor).
Alex: I'm saying LA will get blown out. They're just not that good, and that's going to be a problem against a highly motivated Grizzlies club.
