All Lakers Expert Predictions For LA-Memphis Game 5

Tonight, your Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to put an end to the Memphis Grizzlies' title hopes on the road.

The teams will face off for the fifth game in their ongoing best-of-seven playoff series at 4:30 p.m. PT, which LA leads 3-1.

Can they can LA wrap this up tonight? 95% of NBA teams in playoff history have won their series when leading by this margin, though the fact that this is an athletic, proud Memphis team playing at home could make tonight particularly difficult for Los Angeles.

Read on for our expert predictions.

1. Will Darvin Ham adjust his backup center rotation?

LA has skated by using the 6'8" Rui Hachimura, 6'9" LeBron James, and occasionally the 6'9" Jarred Vanderbilt as its own undersized backups behind starting five Anthony Davis. The team has survived in those minutes, but given the Grizzlies' size, it might behoove LA's head coach to considering adding rim defender Mo Bamba (who's also a generally competent three-point shooter, albeit not while with LA) or perhaps the springy Wenyen Gabriel, although Gabriel does clog up space on offense while lacking Vanderbilt's defensive versatility. I don't think Ham will make a change, but he should!

2. Will Dennis Schröder score more than 10 points?

The team's backup point guard has had an erratic showing on offense in this series. Through four games, he's averaging just 6.5 points on .421/.286/1.000 shooting splits across 22.6 minutes of action. Schröder has only scored more than 10 points once in these playoffs (he had 12 on Monday) -- though he did nab 21 points in LA's play-in tournament game against the Timberwolves. The Lakers need him to step up if D'Angelo Russell has another weak game. I think he's past due.

3. Will Los Angeles win?

The Lakers' last two games, at home where role players tend to perform better, were fairly close. Given that the series is moving to Memphis and the Grizzlies' backs are against the wall, I believe the Grizz will pull this one out. But LA will shut the door on Friday, when the series reroutes to Crypto.com Arena.

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