1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Thursday. “LAKERS-CLIPPERS…HOT-HURT-COLD”
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“NBA Playoffs-Healthy or Hot”
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The NBA’s teal season is underway and it is put up-shut up time for the Lakers-Clippers.
The Lakes won their play in game and move on to face the defending NBA Champion Denver Nuggets at the end of the week.
The Lakers are playing possessed, downhill basketball, something we have rarely seen over recent years.
They have won 11-of their last 14, to forge their way from 10th place to the 7th spot in the standings.
LeBron James-Anthony Davis have played like the high priced superstars they are. Maybe there’s a price to extract from playing the way they do, when old injuries reappear.
But this is a different Lakers team at this hour. Austin Reaves came back from a slow start to be what he was a year ago, which was everywhere on the floor.
D’Angelo Russell is shooting 3’s like a mad man, and yes this is a contract year for him, so he can ride his hot hand into an opt out big money contract next year, somewhere else, but why should he leave now? He fits, he scores, he distributes the ball. It took him years to find out what being a pro should be about.
Add in Rui Hachimura, sometimes hot or cold, but usually a good 3rd or 4th wheel option in the offense.
So the Lakers will have their hands full, with NBA-MVP Nikola Jokic, the explosive Davontae Murray, Kevin Porter, and the two journeyman guards Reggie Jackson and Kantavious Caldwell-Pope.
The Lakers will have their hands full. Biggest question for me, can AD and King James play with the passion and the minutes required every game against the Nuggets? Can they sustain the max efforts needed to win against the guys who had the trophy last spring.
The Clippers were built to get to the NBA finals, but now you have the bigger questions.
If you are not healthy, or you are not hot, how much trouble are you in?
And the Clippers seem troubled now. Kawhi Leonard has not played in 8-games and has recurring knee issues, the knee he had 2-major surgeries on.
James Hardin has foot discomfort and has sat out games.
Paul George has had explosive nights but is not a one game gang. More than anything else, shooting forward Norman Powell needs big nights.
If there is no Kawhi on the floor, the Clippers could be in big trouble at both ends of the floor.
Triggerman off the bench Russell Westbrook needs to stand out in this series if there is no Leonard, or Harden is substandard.
Dead ahead is 50-win Dallas, you know with the league’s high octane tandem of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Williams, between them averaging (59P) per game. Home court advantage means alot too.
They, the Clippers, have built this franchise for this type of moment, getting where they never did before, the NBA Conference finals in the West.
Looks like they might not make it.
The Lakers are healthy and hot. The Clippers are cold and hurt.
1-looks ready, the other doesn’t.
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