New Game Preview: Lakers vs Pacers - 8/8/2020

Game Preview: Lakers vs Pacers – 8/8/2020

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Los Angeles Lakers (51-17)  |  Indiana Pacers (42-27)

 

Following a sad Laker’s loss to the Houston Rockets…

 

The Lakers did not play LeBron James, but fans are concerned about their offense after the dreadful performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder, followed by the mediocre one against the Rockets. Even though James has rested, these games are examples of what the team looks like in the playoffs when he is off the floor. 

The Lakers will approach this game in one of two ways. They could use it as an opportunity to rest James further. If so, It’s time to work on increasing their shooting percentage when he is off the floor. The other way they could approach this is by playing all of their best players to show off that there is nothing wrong with the team. Odds are, James does not rest two games in a row.

 

The Lakers will most likely limit the number of shots Dion Waiters and Quinn Cook take in this upcoming game against the Pacers.

 

Although Waiters has proven to be productive in the early bubble games, he shot 2 for ten against the Rockets and 5 for 13 against the Thunder. He also went 0 for four from beyond the arc. Even though more players will have to step up if James rests, Waiters is not consistent and has been on a cold streak as of late. As for Cook, he was a dreadful 2 for 12 from the floor against the Rockets. Regardless of playing 29 minutes that game due to James resting, he should not have shot more than Anthony Davis and Danny Green, who both had efficient performances. 

 

The Lakers will look to increase the number of shots for the consistently efficient players. 

 

Davis has been a monster this bubble season, and the Lakers have not rested him. It seems they have no intention to. He will have his usual near 50 percent game from the floor with around 20 points, whether James plays or not. The Lakers will most likely utilize Kyle Kuzma as a focal point in this game as he scored 21 points off 8 for 16 shooting against the Rockets. 

The odds he has that great of a game again are low, but since he has the hot hand and has shot over 40 percent for the last three games, it’s expected he will get at least ten shots in if James does not play. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has caught a hot hand as well, shooting 4 for seven from the floor against the Rockets. He will see around seven attempts again, even if James plays.

 

Although the Lakers are on a two-game losing streak, this game means more to the Pacers who are one game behind the Miami Heat for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

 

Regardless of some people thinking it’s important for the Lakers to bounce back before playoffs, they still have two more games after the Pacers to do so. The winner of this game will depend on how much the Lakers care about showing they have no issues despite two straight losses. If they want to get James some minutes, expect him to be hungry to bounce back after his loss to the Thunder.

If the Lakers do not play James, the Pacers most likely take this one in a close battle.

Both teams are coming off a loss, but that means more for the Pacers because they are fighting for better placement before the playoffs. The Lakers have already clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference. T.J. Warren and Victor Oladipo will be desperate to bounce back after subpar performances.

 

If James plays, the Lakers will safely take this victory as he will go off and prove he is ready for the playoffs. The game can be seen on TNT with tip-off slated for 3 pm PST. Franchise Sports Media will have your highlights and recap covered shortly after the game. 

 

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-Kyle Randolph – Franchise Sports Media

Twitter- KyleRandolphFSM

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