The Grizzlies have given the Lakers a chance to turn things around for next season. The Grizzlies’ addition of Ja Morant alongside Mike Conley Jr is enough to lure LeBron James and Co. away from LA, where they will also be joined by Rajon Rondo’s arrival in Sacramento..
The “lakers game score” is a benefit of the doubt given to the Lakers over their opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers have been struggling as of late, but Stephen A. Smith believes that they will be able to turn it around and beat the Grizzlies.
The Memphis Grizzlies have demonstrated that they are legitimate NBA contenders. Memphis is 46-22 and No. 2 in the Western Conference, thanks to the brilliance of an absolute superstar in Ja Morant. They have all of the ingredients in place to make a deep playoff run this season.
In a series between the teams, Stephen A. Smith seems to still prefer the sad Los Angeles Lakers. When asked about LeBron James and his recent performance for the Los Angeles Lakers, Smith claimed he isn’t convinced the Grizzlies would win a game against The King and his crew.
And his remarks were just incorrect.
The Memphis Grizzlies are a fantastic team… The Lakers, on the other hand, are a disaster.
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The Grizzlies and Ja Morant have experienced a breakthrough season.
Morant, who has the potential to be the league’s next face, is averaging 27.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game and has shown to be one of the top point guards in the game. His team is 46-22 and in second place in the Western Conference.
The Grizzlies’ offense is a force to be reckoned with. With 114.2 points per game, it ranks fourth in the league, thanks to Morant and players like Desmond Bane and Jarrett Jackson Jr. They’ve also contributed to their team’s 113.8 offensive rating, which ranks seventh in the league. Memphis is also a solid defensive team, finishing eighth in the NBA with a defensive rating of 108.9.
The Lakers, on the other side, have been the greatest letdown in basketball.
LeBron James has performed well. With 29.7 points per game, he leads the NBA in scoring, and he has hit 52.2 percent of his field-goal attempts. James also has 8.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
His teammates, on the other hand, haven’t been that helpful. Los Angeles is currently in ninth position in the Western Conference with a record of 29-37. Its defense ranks 26th in opponent points per game (113.2), while its offense ranks 24th in offensive rating (109.2).
The Lakers’ route to a postseason spot is now challenging. To obtain the eighth seed, they’d have to win two games in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Stephen A. Smith feels they would have a decent shot against the Grizzlies if they could somehow move up to the seventh spot.
The ‘trash’ Lakers were given the benefit of the doubt by Stephen A. Smith.
LeBron James, Stephen A. Smith, and Ja Morant (from left to right). Getty Images/Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times; Getty Images/Kevin Mazur; Getty Images/Justin Ford
On ESPN’s NBA Countdown recently, Stephen A. Smith confessed that the Lakers are a terrible club. However, he feels they can still have an impact in the playoffs, particularly if they get the seventh seed and face the Grizzlies.
On the March 12 show, Smith said, “I honestly feel the Lakers are garbage.” “Let’s be very clear about this. Right now, they’re garbage. They don’t appeal to me in the least… Can we clearly say they can’t win a first-round series versus Memphis if LeBron is LeBron and Anthony Davis returns healthy?”
Smith’s justification for dismissing Ja Morant’s team? Michael Wilbon, an ESPN colleague, believes that youthful teams can’t win. According to Smith, since the Grizzlies are young, there’s a potential that the dynamic pair of James and (a healthy) Davis will get the better of them.
But, although that makes sense to some extent, Smith seems to be overlooking one fact: the Lakers have been poor both with and without Anthony Davis.
Memphis would have no chance against LA.
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Smith’s argument has a number of flaws. For openers, the Lakers trail the eighth-ranked Los Angeles Clippers by 4.5 games. To even have a chance at the No. 7 seed in the playoffs, they must finish in seventh or eighth place at the conclusion of the season. It takes a long time to make up four and a half games.
Smith, on the other hand, seems to be forgetting that the Lakers have been a disaster on and off the court with Anthony Davis. While AD’s skill easily elevates them to a higher level, he does not elevate the Lake Show to the level of a great Western Conference club. When Davis is in the lineup, the Lakers are 17-20, and when he isn’t, they are 12-17.
The Grizzlies’ advantages would be used to exploit the Lakers’ flaws.
With an average of 17.4 fast-break points per game, Memphis leads the NBA. The Lakers, on the other side, allow opponents the second-most fast-break points (14.7 per game). Los Angeles also has the fourth-most turnovers in the NBA (14.7 per game), while Memphis has the fourth-most points off turnovers (18.3).
The Lakers are just not a good team, and they would struggle to keep up with a youthful and dynamic Grizzlies group. It’s just discourteous to believe differently.
Basketball Reference and NBA.com provided the statistics.
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