The Los Angeles Lakers look to continue to take advantage of a soft schedule to begin the 2019-20 NBA season when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers have begun to hit their stride a bit as they have put together two solid defensive outings as shown in their wins against the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets.
Anthony Davis has been the anchor of the team’s much-improved defense as he has shown his ability to alter or block shots at the rim and defend in space.
LeBron James has also seemed to embrace his role as the purple and gold’s de facto point guard as he has done a good job of getting his teammates involved early and often and picking his spots before turning it on in the fourth quarter. James has not been asked to carry the offensive burden playing next to Davis and he should be fresher for the rest of the season because of it.
On the other side of the matchup, the Grizzlies are currently rebuilding after shipping off Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors and trading Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz.
However, it did not take them long to find their successors as Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant form one of the most exciting young duos in the NBA.
Memphis has plenty of young talent on their team besides Jackson and Morant in Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke, and they could very well give Los Angeles some fits much like Charlotte did. This iteration of the Grizzlies can get out and run in transition and also space the floor, a far cry from the grit-and-grind mentality that they were previously known for.
Despite their bright future, the Grizzlies are still years away from truly contending and this is another game the Lakers should win if they keep up the defensive intensity they have shown so far.
Los Angeles Lakers (2-1) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (1-2)
7:30 P.M. PT, Oct. 29, 2019
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM (ESPN), 1330 KWKW (Spanish)
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: LeBron James
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Danny Green
PF: Anthony Davis
C: JaVale McGee
Key Reserves: Dwight Howard, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Quinn Cook, Jared Dudley
Projected Grizzlies Starting Lineup:
PG: Ja Morant
SG: Dillon Brooks
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr.
C: Jonas Valanciunas
Key Reserves: Tyus Jones, Solomon Hill, Kyle Anderson, Brandon Clarke