The Los Angeles Lakers look to win their third straight game while maintaining their perfect home record as they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. This is also an In-Season Tournament game and the Lakers are debuting their alternate court design for the tournament as well as their City Edition uniforms.
The big question is whether LeBron James is suiting up in one of those new uniforms and that looks to be the case as the Lakers leader is expected to play after sitting out Sunday night due to a left calf contusion. LeBron does so much for this Lakers team so having him on the court is always a positive, as is the fact that this injury was just a minor one as was expected.
Many players stepped up in LeBron’s absence on Sunday night, but one of the biggest that stood out was Cam Reddish. The guard has been inserted into the starting lineup and has shined with double-digit scoring efforts along with three steals in each of the last three contests. He and Taurean Prince will likely get the call to defend Desmond Bane, so Reddish will need to continue to be locked in on both ends of the floor.
Likewise, the player Reddish replaced in the starting lineup, Austin Reaves, has looked great in his sixth man role as well the last two games. His minutes haven’t dipped at all and Reaves has shot at least 50% from the field and deep in both games while totaling 11 assists to just three turnovers. Perhaps Darvin Ham has figured out the best way to unlock Reaves after a slow start to the season.
Of course, the Lakers also need another dominant performance from Anthony Davis, which he has given the team far more often than not this year. He absolutely destroyed Memphis in the playoffs last season with his matchup against Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. being a one-sided one.
It will be interesting to see how that goes on this night as the Grizzlies have brought in center Bismack Biyombo to be a physical presence inside. With Memphis going big now, Ham could turn to Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes for some more minutes to help out Davis in the paint.
The Grizzlies have been one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA this season, ranking 29th in offensive efficiency and 26th in 3-point shooting. Where they are dangerous, however, is defensively where they are one of the best at forcing turnovers and creating easy baskets because of them.
Aside from Bane, the Grizzlies don’t have much to worry about in terms of offensive firepower, but the Lakers can not afford to take them lightly. Memphis is coming off a win over the L.A. Clippers and surely want to continue that momentum. But if they remain locked in and come out firing on all cylinders, the Lakers have a good chance of keeping their win streak going and staying undefeated in the In-Season Tournament.
Los Angeles Lakers (5-5) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (2-8)
7:30 p.m. PT, November 12, 2023
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Cam Reddish
SF: Taurean Prince
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood, Max Christie
Projected Grizzlies Starting Lineup:
PG: Jacob Gilyard
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Desmond Bane
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.
C: Bismack Biyombo
Key Reserves: Luke Kennard, Santi Aldama, David Roddy, Ziaire Williams
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