Lakers: 2 Highs, 2 Lows from loss to Celtics
By Eric Brown
The highs and the lows from the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
The Lakers already honored the Showtime Lakers by wearing their jerseys twice this year, so why not again? After bringing back the Showtime maestro in Magic, the team wore the 86-87 jerseys again last night against longtime rivals Celtics.
In a night where the Lakers were awful from 3, Jordan Clarkson led the team with 20, D’Angelo poured in 17 while Randle chipped in 13.
The Highs
Nwaba’s Night: Only scoring 7 points in 20 minutes may not seem impressive too many, but a few times during the game he showed the cutting ability he has been lauded for during his career. If he continues to progress into a slasher and scorer, Nwaba could be a rotation player for years to come.
Ennis Excitement: In a game where the bench unit was more productive than the starting 5, newly acquired Tyler Ennis lead the squad in real +/- for the game. His production didn’t show up on the stat sheet, but he could quickly become a coach’s favorite for his hard work ethic.
The Lows
Rebounding Trouble: Given the fact that the Lakers were clearly outmatched size wise heading into the game, nobody expected them to dominate on the glass. Getting outrebounded by 12 though is not something we envisioned. For this team to take the next step, either Zubac or Nance needs to become consistent in rebounding.
Ingram’s Foul Problems: The young core had each played 30 minutes in every game since the All-Star break, and Ingram had shown potential the past few games. He probably would’ve played 30 minutes again, but he picked up 5 fouls in only 25 minutes of action. He’ll need to stop handing out silly fouls if he wants to reach his ceiling.
Next: Looking ahead to the 2017 free agent class
What do you guys think of the Lakers performance last night against the Celtics? Was it uninspiring to you as it was to us? Could Nwaba eventually become a full time starter? Let us know in the comments below.