The Lakers welcome the Kings to STAPLES Center as the young core looks to recapture their fire
The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off of a game on Sunday night against the New York Knicks where things were undeniably strange for the home team. The starters and the young future of the organization struggled in a major way, but the reserves fought to get LA back into the thick of things—even if they ultimately lost. Now the team as a whole will look to regroup on Tuesday night at STAPLES Center as they take on the Sacramento Kings.
D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle were all largely disappointing in the matchup against the Knicks as they all seemed disengaged when they were on the floor. Moreover, they themselves even recognized that the bench unit gave them a better chance to compete on Sunday night. While that speaks well of the fight and heart of the reserves, it’s not exactly flattering of the young guys.
However, young players are often susceptible to this type of inconsistency. While they aren’t checked out or apathetic regarding their performance, they just don’t have the veteran experience to step up and deliver night-in and night-out on the level that they one day hope to as the future cornerstones of a franchise. What’s important, though, is that players like Russell, Clarkson, and Randle show the ability to bounce back after games like the one against the Knicks.
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Though it will be Kobe Bryant’s final game against somewhat of a rival in the Kings, the real narrative on Tuesday night will be how the young players step up coming off of a poor showing. The good news for them is that Sacramento has been one of the worst defenses in the NBA this season and offer the opportunity for Russell, Clarkson, and Randle to really exploit that. Moreover, we’ve already seen Russell shine earlier this season in a matchup with the Kings.
As stated many times before this season, the outcome really is irrelevant at this point for the Lakers. The goal is to build things, both tangible and intangible, that will benefit the team and the young players moving forward. Bouncing back from a poor performance with a solid one against the Kings would certainly be one of those things that should stir optimism for the future.
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers
Date: Tuesday, March 15
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. PST
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Arena: STAPLES Center
TV Info: NBA TV, TWC Sportsnet
Live Stream: NBA League Pass (replay only after game’s conclusion)
Radio: Here
Betting Odds
Points Spread: Kings -4
Moneyline: Kings -170, Lakers +150
O/U: 219.5
Injury Report
Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Brown (foot)—Out, Brandon Bass (eye)—Questionable, Kobe Bryant (shoulder)—Questionable, Larry Nance Jr. (knee)—Probable
Sacramento Kings: Ben McLemore (finger)-Doubtful, Eric Moreland (hand)—Out
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Prediction
The last outing for the Lakers, though the reserves showed a ton of fire, was a bit disheartening regarding the effort of the starters in the young core. Playing against the Kings defense is always a good remedy, though, and I think the Lakers rebound with a strong win on Tuesday night in STAPLE Center.