Here is what you need to know before the Lakers take on the rival Boston
Celtics.
1) This is the first chapter of the future of Laker-Celtics On one end you
have Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma. The other has Kyrie Irving,
Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum.
That’s one first-overall pick, two seconds, two thirds and one 27th who is
making a strong case for Rookie of the Year.
Not since the days of Kobe, Pau, Garnett and Pierce has the Lakers-Celtics
rivalry been this exciting.
Listen for the Boston faithful give Ball a hearty booing during introductions,
as the TD Garden crowd will relish jeering the key to the future of their
greatest rivals.
While Ball has struggled with his own shot at the beginning of his career, he
has done a nice job of directing the offense in a pace-pushing fashion, while
also making a dent on the boards and defensively.
He will have to be especially locked in to contain Irving — one of the league’s
top offensive threats — who dropped 35 points in Monday’s win over Atlanta and
jump-starts fast-breaks by swiping the league’s third-most steals (2.18).
@ZO2_ v @kylekuzma#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/QDlV9NrlgS
2) The young small forwards have been crucial for their teams While most
eyes will be on the point guard battle, the game could hinge on Ingram and the
player who replaced him as Duke’s starting small forward last year: Tatum.
Ingram has hit (literally) his stride by using his length to elevate his game
this year. With his long-legged drives to the hoop and wingspan-stretching
steals, the 20-year-old has been able to make a greater impact on both ends of
the floor.
Meanwhile, Tatum already boasts a polished scoring arsenal just a few weeks into
his NBA career. The rookie has shown excellent footwork and a consistent jumper,
allowing him to average 14.3 points and shoot the NBA’s sixth-best 3-point
percentage (52.9).
Toss in Kuzma’s red-hot offense inside the arc (68.5 percent shooting) and
Brown’s status as Boston’s second-leading scorer, and there is a healthy amount
of talent developing for the future of this rivalry.
The past five games have been a showcase for Brandon Ingram’s length on both
sides of the ball. : https://t.co/UCx4397n3e : @JoshWilliams89
pic.twitter.com/4HiCr6ssUB
3) Brook Lopez is stil wrecking opposing defenses Over the past three games,
only seven other players in the league are averaging more than Brook Lopez’s
27.3 points.
During this breakout, Lopez has been great on post-ups and in pick-and-rolls,
but his greatest value has come from beyond the arc, where he has shot 11-of-19
on 3-pointers.
The Lakers will need that kind of firepower against Boston, which ranks first in
the NBA in defensive efficiency and is holding its opponents to a league-low
94.5 points per game.
In fact — even after losing All-Star Gordon Hayward to a gruesome injury in the
season opener — the Celtics have arguably been the league’s most impressive
team, entering this contest on a nine-game win streak.
For the 5-5 Lakers, a victory would not only give them a winning record; it
would also legitimize their fast start by taking down an opponent that has
steamrolled through the beginning of the year.
Injury Report Lakers: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left hip strain) is probable.
Andrew Bogut (back tightness) is questionable. Larry Nance Jr. (fractured second
metacarpal, left hand) is out. Celtics: Gordon Hayward (left ankle fracture) is
out.
Tip-Off: 5 p.m. PT TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes in L.A. ESPN
nationally Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW Unis: Gold Location: TD Garden —
Boston, Massachusetts
Click here to view game notes for this contest.
East Coastin’
A post shared by Los Angeles Lakers (@lakers) on Nov 7, 2017 at 2:49pm PST
Player: Lonzo Ball
Player: Brandon Ingram
Player: Kyle Kuzma
Player: Brook Lopez
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/171108-lakers-celtics-preview
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram,
Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers
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