LA Lakers vs Boston Celtics: Can Lakers find better balance, will the Celts recover?

The NBA Regular Season has been bringing us battles that are decorated in the annals of basketball and it is no coincidence that the American Basketball League is the most popular basketball competition in the world. It is also one of the lengthiest ones with each team playing 82 games across various months. In one of the most celebrated rivalries, the LA Lakers are going to take on the Boston Celtics to add to the league’s annals further.

The Lakers come into this game after defeating the Detroit Pistons 124:117 as LeBron James accumulated 35 points. This win broke a three-game losing streak and the Lakers remain an underwhelming squad with just 11 wins and 15 losses, losing their way after having been just a couple of games below the 50% win mark. Thus, it will not be a surprise if the Lakers pull off a trade or two because, at this point, they need a three-point shooter who can be a defensive specialist too. The Lakers are dead-last in terms of total three points made per game, drilling below 10 on average.

Majorly, Anthony Davis has been the driving force and has had to play out of his skin on both ends of the floor. LeBron James is well… LeBron and will do his thing. While Westbrook has been a strong playmaker, he has not been as dependable in terms of offensive efficiency and turnovers. Lonnie Walker IV has been getting it done, averaging it close to 16 a game. Rebounding-wise, the team gives up the second most rebounds and has been outhustled repeatedly. The Lakers lack depth on both ends, especially on the defensive end, giving up the fourth most points per game in the league.

The Celtics enter the fray after losing 93:113 against the Clippers as their offense struggled for second time in a row. This marked the first time in the season when the Celtics have lost twice in a row but despite the downturn, they have an impressive record of 21 wins and seven losses. It will be interesting to see how the team recovers from the current woes, but one thing is for sure, they have the tools to do so. This is going to be the last game away from home for the month and after it, the team will have a rich home spell, playing seven in a row there.

Thus, they will be expected to recover after the current slide. The uptick is that the team is solidly built from top to bottom. Jayson Tatum despite his recent struggles has managed to average 30 points a game. Jaylen Brown can score similar number of points whereas Marcus Smart is one of the best defenders with a more than capable playmaking and dependable scoring. Malcolm Brogdon has averaged around 14 points a game whereas Derrick White, Grant Williams, and Blake Griffin fill out an amazing two-way squad. The current slide isn’t concerning as of now.

• Lakers: OUT: Cole Swider, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Wenyen Gabriel. PROBABLE: Anthony Davis, LeBron James;
• Celtics: OUT: Robert Williams III, Danilo Gallinari.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Anthony Davis(28-35 Points), Jayson Tatum(27-34 Points), Jaylen Brown(24-29 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Anthony Davis(12-15 Rebounds), Jayson Tatum(8-12 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Russell Westbrook(9-12 Assists), Marcus Smart(7-10 Assists).

The Lakers continue to underwhelm their fanbase and the league alike. Their effort has been lacking and there is a propensity to force the issue and at times, they play stagnant possession. It isn’t like that all of the offense lacks fluidity but when your defense is suspectible, more is needed out of the offense. The Celtics played last night and in the last two games, they have looked a bit off-color. In their second game of the second night. I believe the Lakers will have an impressive win and extend the Celtics losing streak to three. I predict a scoreline of 115:110 in favor of the Lakers.