After showing some signs of life by winning two in a row, the Lakers have dropped their last four, and stand at the bottom of the Western Conference. The Lakers had high hopes of getting their fourth win of the season against a terrible Timberwolves team, but they ended up suffering the hardest loss of the season. A shot we have seen Kobe Bryant make thousands of times in his career, as Bryant came up short on his three point attempt to win the game.
The Lakers are looking at the worst start in franchise history, the Raptors are in a slightly different situation. Toronto has gotten off to the best start in franchise history (13-3), and hold the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Raptors ranked top ten in both offense and defense, and are first in the NBA with a +10.6 point differential. However, the Raptors will be without one of their stars, DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan suffered a torn tendon in his left groin in Toronto’s loss against the Mavs on Friday night.
For the Lakers, Jeremy Lin has been the story recently averaging 16.75 points in his last four contests, while shooting over 50% in three of those four games. Lin recorded his second double-double of the season on Friday night including a season high 11 assists.
Here are some key matchups:
Jeremy Lin vs. Kyle Lowry
Kyle Lowry has become a lock as a top five point guard in the league. Lowry is struggling from behind the arc this year, but there is no doubt he can shoot the ball, and he uses his size and strength to bully opposing point guards.
Based on the Lakers perimeter defense, Lowry is probably going to put up big numbers tonight, I’d say at least 25 points. Jeremy Lin will start out on Lowry, but don’t be surprised if the Lakers make a defensive change by halftime.
I’m not expecting Jeremy Lin to lock down Kyle Lowry, but I do expect Lin to do his best to match Lowry on the other end. With DeRozan out, Lowry is the undisputed go to guy, so Lin is going to have to make Lowry work on the other end.
Also, the Lakers are going to have to find a new way to produce in crunch time. If the Lakers are going to win tonight, it is going to be a close one because there is no way this Toronto team is getting blown out. The Lakers have lost too many games this year in the last two minutes, mostly do to poor execution down the stretch. Instead of constantly giving it to Kobe, I would like to see Jeremy Lin make an impact in crunch time, and free some guys up for better shot opportunities.
Nick Young vs. Louis Williams
Young and Williams have made a living in this league for one reason: they could score. They both are usually depended on to be a spark off the bench, but with DeRozan out, Williams may be inserted into the starting lineup.
Regardless if Williams starts or not, whoever is able to give their team a better spark will likely be on the winning team. DeRozan being out makes Williams the number two scoring option, while Young has been the number two option ever since he returned. Williams has been very consistent this year, and I expect him to have a great game against the Lakers.
Young on the other hand hasn’t had the best season. His numbers have dropped and he is shooting a career low 37% from the field. To keep up with the 2nd highest scoring offense in the league, Young is going to have to have a big impact on the offensive end, and at least match Williams’ production.
Prediction: Raptors 115 Lakers 107
I think with DeRozan out, the Lakers will be able to stay within reach of the Raptors throughout the game. Also coming off a very tough loss, the Lakers will play with a chip on their shoulder, but the defense will lose them the game, again.