Here is what you need to know before the Lakers return home against the
Philadelphia 76ers.
1) We’ve got a battle between two of the NBA’s best young cores In all
likelihood a handful of future all-stars will be taking the court tonight. On
the Lakers’ side there are Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma. The
Sixers’ end features Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Robert Covington.
With all this young talent, it will be interesting to see which matchups prove
most important toward the final result.
Ball and Simmons are both stat-sheet-filling, oversized point guards that affect
nearly every area of the game. Simmons — essentially a power forward that
directs the offense — has been nearly impossible to stop from getting to the
hoop, and the Lakers will have to decide which of their players is best suited
to guard him.
Embiid, meanwhile, has already proven himself a superstar just one year into the
league. His 3-point shot hasn’t been falling this season, but he is a monster on
the block and leads the NBA in post-up scoring. Coach Luke Walton will match
size for size with Brook Lopez in the starting lineup, but he could turn to
Julius Randle for a small-ball look if Embiid gets off to a fast start.
While Simmons and Embiid — both top-two draft picks — deservedly receive the
most attention on the 76ers, Covington has been the epitome of a 3 and D wing
this season, hitting the NBA’s third-most 3-pointers (3.7) on the fifth-best
clip (50.0 percent) while also ranking third in deflections (3.5).
The small forward battle between Ingram and Covington (coming off a career-high
31-point night) could very well swing this matchup.
A post shared by Los Angeles Lakers (@lakers) on Nov 13, 2017 at 6:00pm PST
2) The Lakers’ point guards have led the way lately Four days removed from
recording the youngest triple-double in NBA history, all eyes will be on Lonzo
Ball in this nationally televised tilt.
Ball’s shooting struggles have been well-documented, but the 20-year-old went
7-of-12 in that triple-double performance, and an encore of that aggressiveness
and shooting would go a long way against Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the Lakers can essentially count on Jordan Clarkson putting in
15-plus off the bench.
Clarkson was the key in Monday’s win over Phoenix, scoring 25 points by filling
the bucket at the rim, from mid-range and on 3-pointers.
He has been reliable all year, scoring the NBA’s third-most points off the bench
(15.5) while shooting the second-best field goal percentage among point guards
(51.2).
If at least one of the Lakers’ point guards can find a scoring rhythm, the rest
of the offense should follow in a battle between two of the NBA’s fastest-paced
teams.
Jordan Clarkson led the Lakers in scoring with 25 points in tonight’s win over
Phoenix #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/MxWfv8uECo
3) This game could be won at the 3-point line The Lakers hit a season-best
14 3-pointers in their win over Phoenix, and will likely need some of that
long-range success against the 76ers.
L.A. ranks last in the NBA in both made triples (7.3) and 3-point percentage
(30.2), while Philadelphia checks in among the top five in both (12.1 made; 38.8
percent).
Fortunately for the purple and gold, they have been excellent on the opposite
3-point arc.
The Lakers’ fourth-ranked defense is holding opponents to a league-low 31.3
percent clip on triples, keeping them in just about every game this season.
While that defense will be crucial, the Lakers will also need some shooting of
their own, so look for Clarkson, Lopez or Ball to heat up from beyond the arc.
Injury Report Lakers: Larry Nance Jr. (fractured second metacarpal, left hand)
is out. 76ers: Jerryd Bayless (left wrist contusion) and Jahlil Okafor (upper
respiratory infection) are out. Markelle Fultz (right shoulder soreness/scapular
muscle imbalance) and Nik Stauskas (right ankle sprain) are out.
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT TV: ESPN Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW Unis: MPLS Blue
Location: STAPLES Center — Los Angeles, California
Click here to view game notes for this contest.
Lonzo’s historic performance in Milwaukee leads this week’s edition of Top
Plays, presented by @budweiserusa pic.twitter.com/IWQGnpnTWz
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