Here’s how we see things panning out.
The Los Angeles Lakers have officially entered must-win territory. They currently sit as the No. 13 seed in the West, and play a majority of their remaining games against teams currently above them in the standings. They have to start winning games, and they have to do it now.
So, here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s huge game, courtesy of All Lakers experts Alex Kirschenbaum and Noah Camras. Let’s jump right in:
1. LeBron James is back in the lineup. Now that everyone’s healthy, how do you expect the starting lineup to look? And how would you want it to look?
Noah: We know Darvin Ham wants to keep running Dennis Schröder and D’Angelo Russell out there together, so the lineup is going to be Schröder, Russell, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, it should be Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, LeBron and Davis. But what do I know?
Alex: Interesting. I think the big risk with starting Vanderbilt alongside James and Davis is that it may cramp floor spacing a bit, but talent-wise the guy just might be the fifth-most enticing Laker. I would want a bit more three-point shooting, I’d roll with your starters, but subbing in either Lonnie Walker IV at shooting guard (shifting Beasley up to small forward) or Mo Bamba at center, both of whom are above-average three-point shooters.
2. Malik Beasley went 0-for-6 from deep in his first game as a Laker and went 6-for-12 in the last one. How many threes do you think he’s going to make tonight?
Alex: Beasley needs to cook. The Lakers need to bank as many contests as they can against beatable teams. Let’s go with another six triples for the volume shooter (8.6 attempts per game!) tonight.
Noah: The Lakers need Beasley to keep shooting, which is why I thought him getting going in garbage time of Monday’s game was a good silver lining in the loss. I think he’s going to make four threes tonight.
3. Anthony Davis has received a lot of flack as of late, and is getting set for a revenge game against his former team. Predict his stat line tonight:
Noah: Anthony Davis has been dominating the paint, but hasn’t been as effective on offense. Tonight, I think that trend will continue. I have Davis scoring 19 points, grabbing 16 boards and recording three blocks.
Alex: I’ll say he gets featured a bit more on offense, scoring 24 points, pulls down 12 rebounds, and swats away two blocks.
4. How good would Brandon Ingram be on this Laker team right now?
Alex: Theoretically I love the fit. Obviously we saw a pre-All-Star Ingram underwhelm during the one season he overlapped with LeBron James in LA, but now as a secondary ball-handler and three-level scorer, with his size and length, he could fit in really well alongside James and Davis to form a ferocious front line.
Noah: I mean it’s always nice to have another All-Star, but Ingram is very ball-dominant, and would probably clog things up a little too much on offense. His length would be very helpful on defense, but I don’t think he would like the idea of being a catch-and-shoot guy. He would be very helpful in the games LeBron misses, but BI has had his fair share of injury issues, too.
5. Will the Lakers get a much-needed win tonight?
Noah: The Lakers have to win tonight, so I’ll go with yes. The new-look Lakers have shown some improvement, and I expect them to get the job done tonight at home. Lakers by five and they head into the All-Star Break with some momentum.
Alex: With LeBron James available, LA will win. Without him, they may struggle to close out the contest.
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