Los Angeles Lakers: 3 lessons from Anthony Davis, LeBron James historic night in New Orleans
By Ronald Agers
The Los Angeles Lakers miss Avery Bradley on both ends of the floor and it is obvious!
Laker Nation knows that the team needs Anthony Davis and LeBron James on the floor for any chance of winning the NBA title. This just into Lake Show Life, they need Avery Bradley too. They will not win without him. If anyone disagrees, they have not watched one game on the road trip.
In the first half, it looked like the Pelicans were shooting target practice from the 3-point line. Even with the defense improving in the second half, the Pelicans still lit up the Lakers for 17 of 40 shots (42.5 percent) from distance. There’s a nasty rumor around the NBA stating that J.J. Redick can shoot. He dropped down five shots from the land of the extra point ending up with 18 points.
Jrue Holiday just went nuts on anyone that stood in front of him.
New Orleans led 64-54 at halftime, thanks to the Lakers perimeter defenders getting torched by Holiday’s 10-of-15 shooting. That also included 4-of-4 from 3-point range.
Remember the Memphis Grizzlies went nuts in the previous game from distance. Where’s the problem? At the Thanksgiving table, give thanks for your coach, Frank Vogel.
Frank Vogel made a very important adjustment. He sat Rajon Rondo down and gave his minutes to Alex Caruso. Yes, Alex Caruso. Lake Show Life discussed the possible controversy between these two minutes-wise before the season started.
There’s no controversy anymore. Caruso plays and Rondo sits. Rondo can’t guard the statues in front of the Staples Center. Caruso, on the other hand, STOPPED Jrue Holiday in the last quarter.
When he was on the floor, the Pelicans couldn’t score. Literally. The lanes Holiday was getting in the first half disappeared because Caruso is playing to win games and not chase assists all over the floor trying to catch highlight reels on SportsCenter. Caruso is not a meme but a guy that sacrifices to help the Lakers win.
Finally.
Kyle Kuzma helped finish the game off scoring nine of his 16 points in the last quarter. To see the ridiculous comments about trading the man during the game is shameful. Some fans either have no loyalty, class or ever laced up sneakers to play a game in their life. (NBA 2K stories do not count!) The man just got back from a stress fracture injury and then almost got his eyeball scratched out recently. Can the guy live?
The Lakers are going to need him for this title run and trade comments aren’t going to help. Maybe some of these fans weren’t around last year to see the effects of trade talk.
The Los Angeles Lakers are back home to play the Washington Wizards on Friday.