Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Lakers: Can Lakers improve their defense?

As the NBA midseason has approached in full flow, the task to predict games has become even tougher. Some of the high-quality teams have lost steam on the offensive end and tiredness has settled in at times but yes, the midseason window has also meant that some players are in midseason form, and that makes the teams better ultimately. Also, with the trade deadline knocking at the door, you may see some moves being made soon. Anyway, in this game, the Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Lakers in this Eastern-Conference affair.

The 76ers have largely relied upon their Center Joel Embiid and have compiled 28 wins and 19 losses, winning nine games and losing three games this month. On the other hand , the Los Angeles Lakers have continued to be a 50% win team, winning 24 of their 48 games, splitting their last four games, as we have been accustomed to all season long. The Philly squad has been doing a great job on the offensive end compared to earlier months and of course, Joel has been on fire all along. The LA Lakers have gotten Anthony Davis and that is of course a welcome news considering how much size they lacked at the big Forward/Center position. Can the Lakers pull one off here away from home or will they continue the chain of following a win with a loss? For my game and total prediction, go to “Expert Betting Tips”.

76ers’ dependency on Embiid, Davis’ return

The Embiid factor

Joel Embiid is of course a huge factor on the offensive end but yes, his overall leadership skills help this team on both ends of the floor. The Center has been scoring in the 38 or more points range during the last four games and well, he is having his best offensive month this season. Joel has also racked up big-time rebounds, as he has picked up 10+ rebounds on a regular basis. Embiid has made a case for the MVP award and it is sure that with him at the helm, the 76ers can also make a deep Playoffs push. Just like Nikola Jokic, the 76ers have gone nowhere without the Center.

At the wing, Tobias Harris has been terrific in terms of both his points production and rebounding, and well, this has been the case for Harris during many seasons. Tyrese Maxey has done well as the isolation scorer at the guard position, and he provides balance to an otherwise heavily Joel dependent lineup. However, the trouble then begins with the rest of the players and there seems to be a huge lack of production from other players and with Seth Curry being out for the last few games, the load has largely rested upon primarily Embiid supported by Harris and Maxey.

Lakers keep on an inconsistent identity

The Lakers are yet to go on one of those winning streaks that are needed to extract momentum during the season and that is the primary reason why they have been unable to stack up the wins of course. The team has won seven games and has lost five games but yes, they need something more, they surely need a six/seven game winning streak and well, they do have time to get it back together, they have certainly picked up some terrible habits, especially at the defensive end, as the season has went on. Anthony Davis is back in the fray and he certainly solidifies the Lakers lineup on both ends of the floor.

LeBron James has provided the bulk of offense this season, regularly going past the 30 points mark and thanks to him, the Lakers have maintained cohesion on that end. Westbrook has done well recently, especially shooting the ball but yes, his production is down since last season. Davis gives two-way hops but yes, may take some to adjust after missing many games. Malik Monk has been a wonderful scorer dipping 20+ regularly, Carmelo plays a vital off-the-bench scoring role. Meanwhile, Avery Bradley and Stanley Johnson have done well in providing some semblance of defense to the squad.

Player Performance Prediction

• LeBron James has scored 33 in most of the games recently. I think he will score around the same range here;
• Tobias Harris has grabbed 11 rebounds in each of the last two games;
• Russell Westbrook scored 15 in the last game. I believe he will score at least 16 here while as many as 19;
• Tyrese Maxey scored 10 points in the last game. I believe he will score at least 15 here and as much as 21;
• Malik Monk had 22 in the last game. I think he will score at least 14 but less than 20.

Expert Betting Tips

Points Range: The Lakers have been having a difficult season on the defensive end but yes, they have done well all season to produce offense and have produced 110+ points on a regular basis. On the other hand, the 76ers have scored 115 or more in three of the last four games. Well, defensively, the 76ers have held teams to the 107-110 points range recently which has been enough considering their top-notch offense. Well, the Lakers have had 111 or more in two of the last four games and this has been the case throughout the season. Anyway, I think the 76ers will score at least 111 here even with Anthony Davis back for the Lakers. On the other hand, I see the Lakers having a strong offensive game too. The total points range seems to be 220-230.

Prediction: The Center match-up is a challenging one for the Lakers without a doubt as no team has had any answer to Joel Embiid during the recent window. Lakers can employ Anthony Davis in the middle to restrict the bigs but hey, he doesn’t care who is guarding him these days. The wing match-up between Harris and James is also interesting where I see LeBron having a definite advantage here. I think the 76ers will chip this one 116:110.

Expert Betting Odds

• Alternate Total Points: Total Over 219.5 for 2.05;
• Total 1 Over 110.5 for 1.9;
• Spread: PHI 76ers -2.5 for 1.90.