After five games, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs are the two best teams in the Western Conference.
As both teams are 4-1, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers are a championship contender while the Spurs will likely be battling for one of the final playoff spots.
Since the 2019-20 NBA season opener loss, the Lakers have rebounded nicely including an impressive win over the Dallas Mavericks to begin their three-game road trip.
However, one area for concern is the team’s slow starts. In each and every game, the Lakers have played from behind.
Although the second half adjustments from head coach Frank Vogel have led to four straight wins, they should avoid these types of situations as the competition improves.
While the Lakers have had the same starting lineup through five games, Dwight Howard and perhaps Kyle Kuzma (once healthy) may give Vogel reasons to rethink the starters.
As for the Spurs, they continue to plug-and-play different players during the head coach Gregg Popovich era.
Although the Spurs may not be as talented as they have been in the past, they are a solid team and the Lakers will have to play good basketball to extend their winning streak.
Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) vs. San Antonio Spurs (4-1)
4:00 P.M. PT, Nov. 3, 2019
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM (ESPN), 1330 KWKW (Spanish)
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Avery Bradley
SG: Danny Green
SF: LeBron James
PF: Anthony Davis
C: JaVale McGee
Key Reserves: Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Troy Daniels
Projected Spurs Starting Lineup:
PG: Dejounte Murray
SG: Bryn Forbes
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: Trey Lyles
C: LaMarcus Aldridge
Key Reserves: Rudy Gay, Derrick White, Patty Mills, Marco Belinelli, Jakob Poeltl