The Memphis Grizzlies dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers last week in the final game of their road trip. Now, the Lakers are looking for revenge with expected Anthony Davis back in the lineup, though Grizzlies star Ja Morant won’t be suiting up as he recovers from a hip injury suffered in that game with L.A. last week.
A rivalry between these two teams has grown over the past couple of years and that was re-ignited during that game as LeBron James went back-and-forth with Morant. But with Morant out, the focus should now turn towards the big man matchup between Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Davis has been dominant this season and he seems to turn things up a bit against Jackson, much in the same way he often attacks Rudy Gobert. This could be due to Jackson owning a Defensive Player of the Year award, which Davis somehow has never won despite long being considered arguably the best defensive big man in the NBA.
James is also looking to continue his strong play as he has recorded back-to-back triple-doubles in the Lakers’ last two wins, while Austin Reaves has also been excellent lately. The insertion of Cam Reddish into the starting lineup has lessened the defensive workload on Reaves, allowing him to be even better offensively and that is a huge boost to this team overall.
To that same point, the Lakers badly need D’Angelo Russell to maintain his strong play since moving to a reserve role as the bench needs the jolt he has given them. They also need some decent minutes from Christian Koloko as Jaxson Hayes is out due to a sprained ankle, leaving the two-way big as the only center behind Davis.
Even with Morant out along with Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies still have plenty of firepower and are getting Marcus Smart back.
Scotty Pippen Jr. has stepped into the starting lineup in Morant’s absence and he still holds a bit of a grudge against the Lakers after not really getting his opportunity while in L.A. on a two-way. The same can be said for center Jay Huff and both he and Pippen were huge in that first contest.
The energy in the building should be high for this game after what went down a week ago, but for the Lakers this is about taking care of their own issues. Getting back in transition, clearing the glass and executing the offense must be the focus regardless of who is standing in front of them. And if along the way they engage in some trash talk and heat, this rivalry up some more than so be it.
Los Angeles Lakers (6-4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (7-4)
7:00 p.m. PT, Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Austin Reaves
SG: Cam Reddish
SF: Rui Hachimura
PF: LeBron James
C: Jaxson Hayes
Key Reserves: D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, Christian Koloko
Projected Grizzlies Starting Lineup:
PG: Scotty Pippen Jr.
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jaylen Wells
PF: Santi Aldama
C: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Key Reserves: Jake LaRavia, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, Luke Kennard, Jay Huff, John Konchar
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