The Lakers are fresh off a win against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night. LeBron James took over in the fourth, while Anthony Davis carried the team earlier. That very same night, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to steal a victory in overtime against the Brooklyn Nets. Jae Crowder hit the game-winner as time expired.
The Grizzlies will be traveling to Staples Center to take on the Lakers. You’d think this is a David vs Goliath story, but the Grizzlies have a ton of promise, led by rookie point guard Ja Morant. Morant is coming off a very impressive performance against Brooklyn where he had 30 points and nine assists, one of which found Crowder to win the game.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke are two exciting young prospects that fans are excited about as well. Grayson Allen is on that team and it’s unfortunate as they’d be so much more likable without him.
So, how do these teams stack up?
Memphis is 27th in scoring efficiency, scoring 100 points per 100 possessions while allowing 107.7. The Lakers have been in the middle of the field, with an offensive rating of 107.5 points per 100 possessions (11th) and a defensive rating of 102.0 (also 11th). I’ve included the Grizzlies shot chart below from Statmuse. You can see that most of their points come from the paint while being quite sporadic from beyond the arc (30.9%).
Opponents are shooting 32% from three-point-range against the Grizzlies and 52% on two-point field goal attempts.
We should get an interesting battle across the board. Anthony Davis is going up against a unicorn in Jaren Jackson Jr. and his formidable frontcourt mate, Jonas Valanciunas. Morant will be pestered by the Lakers’ defenders. Grayson Allen will be fighting the need to continually trip people.
Whoever wins gets Andre Iguodala. The loser gets Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Grizzlies at Lakers will start at 7:30 PM PST. Follow @LakersOutsiders on twitter for updates.
