Things seemed to be trending in the right direction for the Los Angeles Lakers after picking up back-to-back impressive wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks.
They then got out to a double-digit lead in the first half against the Brooklyn Nets before things came crashing down. The Lakers were outscored by the Nets 68-44 in the second half to suffer the disappointing defeat, again bringing up the questions of what this team is.
At 21-22, the Lakers are more than halfway through the season and have not been able to build any sort of momentum.
They have a chance to get back on track on Sunday night when they host the Portland Trail Blazers, although that is a team that has been playing better than their 12-29 record would indicate.
The Trail Blazers come in having just picked up back-to-back impressive victories over the Nets and Indiana Pacers. While they have their fair share of injuries to deal with, their core players like Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons have been playing at a high level this season.
Simons missed the team’s last game with an illness but is in the midst of a career-year, averaging 22.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 38.3% from deep.
Meanwhile, Grant, who is a potential trade target for the Lakers, is also having the best scoring season of his career at 21.8 points on 40.9% shooting from 3-point range.
The Lakers come into this game with a hefty injury report, which has been the case pretty much all season. The good news is that Cam Reddish is expected back in the lineup after missing the last three games with a knee injury.
Reddish has struggled with some minor injuries throughout the course of this season but undoubtedly would like to get some revenge against his former team in this one.
Three of the Lakers starters, LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy), Anthony Davis (bilateral Achilles tendinopathy) and Taurean Prince (left knee soreness), were listed as questionable coming in.
Prince has been ruled out while James and Davis and both playing. The expectation is for Rui Hachimura to replace the injured Prince in the starting lineup, which marks the first time L.A. is going with that group to start.
Despite L.A.’s underachieving 21-22 record, Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups knows they’re not a team you can take lightly with James and Davis in the lineup.
“None of those things matter. None of those things matter. This is a team, with the experience that they have, it wouldn’t matter if they’re the No. 1 seed or 12th. You see them and view them the same way. If they’re healthy and out there then you got to worry about LeBron, who is LeBron. As the oldest player in our league, he’s individually leading the league in fastbreak points. It’s LeBron James, he’s unbelievable. And then AD. These guys are champions. They understand, they’ve forgotten more about basketball than my young guys have learned yet.
“So it doesn’t even matter what seed they are. Their role players understand who they are, they understand that they have to be complementary to those two big studs. So no, to me that team is kind of built for the playoffs. You saw them during that In-Season Tournament how it didn’t matter then. Those games meant so much and they were able to kind of turn it on. That’s kind of who that team is, to me.”
While Billups may be right, the Lakers need to show it on the court to pick up a much-needed win over an inferior opponent.
Los Angeles Lakers (21-22) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (12-29)
7:00 p.m. PT, January, 21, 2024
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: LeBron James
PF: Rui Hachimura
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish, Christian Wood, Max Christie
Projected Trail Blazers Starting Lineup:
PG: Malcolm Brogdon
SG: Anfernee Simons
SF: Jerami Grant
PF: Jabari Walker
C: Deandre Ayton
Key Reserves: Matisse Thybulle, Toumani Camara, Scoot Henderson, Duop Reath, Kris Murray
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