Lakers vs 76ers Preview: A Tale of Two Tanks

The Lakers look to open up the New Year with a win against the Philadelphia 76ers

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers are a combined 9-58, and are at the bottom of their respective conferences.

Friday night in Los Angeles represents a confounding conundrum for both squads. Nobody likes to lose, but when winning pays no dividends aside from boosting team morale, and losing gives you greater chance at a higher draft pick, the argument must be made.

The problem is even more complex when you consider the fact that the Sixers own the Lakers top three protected draft pick.

For Philly, the problem isn’t as drastic. A win isn’t as detrimental to their cause as it is to the Lakers. This is to say that, the difference between a number one and a number five pick isn’t a big deal to them.

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Let’s get real, they’re the Sixers, they can squander any pick.

But the difference between Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram and nothing is huge for the Lakers in the grand scheme of things.

That said, it’ll be a interesting side story to watch the coaches on the bench, and how they talk to their players during the course of the game.

Last year, the Lakers faced similar situations when facing the Sixers and even the Boston Celtics, with fans begging them to lose to better their draft pick. But after winning against both of those teams, the Lakers still ended up with the second overall draft pick, so keep that in mind tonight while watching the game.

Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers

Date: Friday, January 1
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Arena: STAPLES Center
TV Info: TWC SN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Here

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Los Angeles Lakers -3.5
Moneyline: Lakers -165, 76ers +145
O/U: 210

Injury Report

Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant (shoulder) — Out
Philadelphia 76ers: Hollis Thompson (eye) — Questionable, Joel Embiid (foot) — Out

Next: 5 Things Lakers Fans Can Look Forward to in 2016

Prediction

The Lakers finally get their first back-to-back wins of the season against the Philadelphia 76ers, enroute to the most impressive 50 game stretch the league has ever seen. Only kidding about the last part.

As always, be sure to check back with Lake Show Life for all your Lakers news, analysis, updates, and more.

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