The Los Angeles Lakers will look to win their second straight game of the preseason when they travel to the Honda Center in Anaheim to take on the Clippers. While there is clearly room for improvement, the Lakers have seen flashes of brilliance so far this preseason.
LeBron James will likely follow the same formula as the first three games which involves 15 first-half minutes, or thereabouts, and sitting out the entire second half. Hopefully, this will mean the Lakers have the lead at halftime as they’ve had in two of the three games so far.
Lonzo Ball is considered questionable, but due to the nature in which Lakers head coach Luke Walton and the coaching staff have handled Ball’s injury, is it unlikely he makes his preseason debut.
Rajon Rondo will most likely be playing as he returns from his one-game hiatus, which will probably mean a return to a more typical starting lineup. Brandon Ingram, who got the start at point guard last game, thrived and showed exactly why James and everyone else is so high on him.
And while the Lakers were able to get the win, Walton still believes there is room for improvement, saying that not fouling, not turning the ball over, and setting good screens are going to be vital to the team’s success.
The Clippers are coming off of a 27-point beating of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and will likely pose a threat to the Lakers. As the Lakers shift towards small-ball, the Clippers are home to two of the game’s tallest, Marcin Gortat and Boban Marjanovic.
It seems that JaVale McGee will need to play vital minutes at the center position to fend off these two giants. It’s likely that we will only see Kyle Kuzma at center if Montrezl Harrell is in at center for the Clippers.
Defense without fouling will be a top concern for the Lakers as they are out sized in the middle. However, this Lakers team looks to be much more skilled on the wings and up top at the point guard position than the Clippers.
Of course, the Lakers are still testing out tons of lineups and working to build chemistry, but look for a strong showing from the Lakers tonight.
Los Angeles Lakers (1-2) Vs Los Angeles Clippers (2-0)
7:00 P.M. PT, Oct. 6, 2018
Honda Center, Anaheim, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet, NBA TV
Radio: 710 AM (ESPN)/1330 KWKW (Spanish)
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Kyle Kuzma
C: JaVale McGee
Key Reserves: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson
Projected Clippers Starting Lineup:
PG: Patrick Beverly
SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SF: Tobias Harris
PF: Danilo Gallinari
C: Marcin Gortat
Key Reserves: Montrezl Harrell, Boban Marjanovic, Jonathan Motley, Sindarius Thornwell
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