Los Angeles Lakers vs Jazz preview: Can Donovan Mitchell be stopped?

Sound the alarms! The Los Angeles Lakers got smacked Saturday night! The Utah Jazz are a lock to beat them tonight! Or are we overreacting?

Whoa! Slow down! The Los Angeles Lakers had a bad game. Toronto was a bad matchup.

Toronto’s speed exploited the Lakers’ chief weakness (transition defense) and mitigated the Lakers’ chief strength (interior scoring) by double-teaming LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the post. The Raptors phenomenal closeouts and rotations forced the other three players to knock down semi-contested threes.

And Chick Hearn was rolling in his grave trying to call all the missed shots! The Lakers could not throw a grape into the ocean! Danny Green couldn’t get water if he fell out of a boat!

The Utah Jazz are a much better matchup for the Lakers. At least on offense. The Jazz run a more conservative defense, whereas the Raptors trapped everything and gambled on role players knocking down open threes. The Raptors ought to go to Vegas because the Lakers shot 25% from three-point range. Their gamble paid off immensely.

Jazz defenders will not take as many chances. This will all boil down to LeBron James and Anthony Davis vs Rudy Gobert in the paint.

Whoever scores the most points in the paint will win tonight’s game.

The Lakers offense should be fine. Gobert cannot block every shot. They figure to shoot better than 25% from three.

The defense is a major red flag, though.

Jazz backcourt mates Mike Conley Jr and Donovan Mitchell are licking their chops waiting to attack the Lakers vulnerable perimeter defense. Mitchell especially. The Lakers struggle in getting back on defense and guarding opposing lead guards.

Mitchell knows this. He is excited. What will he do tonight?