Marcus Smart Questionable
Luka Doncic Questionable
Adou Thiero Out
Gabe Vincent Out
Maxi Kleber Out
LeBron James Out
Ty Jerome Out
Scotty Pippen Jr Out
Brandon Clarke Out
Zach Edey Out
The Lakers have started the year stronger than expected despite early injury issues. With LeBron still sidelined and Luka missing a few games already, things looked rough. However, Austin Reaves has quickly become a star this season. He’s hitting game winners, scoring 50 points, and racking up assists. Offensively, he has been a force that keeps the Lakers moving. He’s managed to fill some of the gaps on this roster, but going against Memphis is going to be a struggle.
The Grizzlies have started off in the middle of the road. Ja Morant has been solid, but Jackson Jr still looks like he’s getting into the swing of things. Offensively, Jackson hasn’t been very efficient, and defensively he’s struggled with fouls. But against the Lakers, he should get a little more breathing room against a weak front court. Overall, the real story on the Grizzlies has been their rookie Cedric Coward. This 22-year-old out of Washington State has been lethal. He’s shooting in the mid-60% range from the field and THREE! He’s been a force, and is just another great pickup by this Memphis front office
This matchup will be challenging. The Lakers' offense is going to be dangerous, especially if Luka is back. Even without him, Reaves has been torching teams. With the Grizzlies already giving up some high-scoring games, they may struggle to contain the Lakers. However, the same can be said for the Lakers guarding Morant. Downhill, few are better at getting to the rim than him, but shooting from beyond the arc has been tough for him. For the Lakers, all they really need to do tonight is lock down the paint. Memphis hasn’t had much success from deep, especially from their two stars. So if the Lakers can play big, they should be fine tonight. That’s why I’m betting on the Lakers moneyline, the over on the 238.5 points total, and the Lakers spread at -1.5.
Money line: LAL (-112) / MEM (-108)
Total Points: 238.5
Spread: -1.5 LAL (+100) / +1.5 MEM (-120)
Coward has made a big impact in Memphis. Averaging 16 points per game, he’s achieving this with elite shooting percentages in limited minutes. Coward entered the draft as a player ready for the NBA, and he’s proving it. He has gone over this line in four of his five games so far. With LA’s backcourt still looking weak defensively, even with Luka’s potential return, Coward should have plenty of chances to go over again tonight.
Jackson hasn’t been as dominant offensively as he was last year. He’s struggled to reach 20 points so far. The three-point shot just isn't falling, and since he's often in foul trouble, he’s been limited on the court. With Luka possibly returning tonight and Reaves performing well, Jackson could quickly get into foul trouble again. If that happens, he'll have a hard time finding enough shooting volume to compensate for his poor shooting.
While Ayton has added some much-needed size to the Lakers' lineup, he hasn’t been dominating on the boards. Averaging 9.4 rebounds a game, he’s been good, but he’s only had over 10 rebounds twice this year. Especially when he’s sharing the court with Luka, he’s been more consistently around the 8-rebound mark. The under is looking much more reasonable again tonight.
Reaves has been on fire this year, proving he’s a legit star in the league. With Luka missing a few games, he’s kept the Lakers' offense alive, even stealing a game against Minnesota on Wednesday. His passing has been A+ too. Averaging 10 assists a game so far, he’s hit this over line in all but one game this year. Even if Luka comes back, Reaves will likely still see plenty of possessions with the ball and be able to create for his teammates.