The Lakers will play their first game since losing Anthony Davis to an abdominal injury versus the struggling Wizards
The Lakers will look to get back on track on Thursday versus the Washington Wizards. This will be the final time these two teams will meet this season and L.A. is looking to complete a season sweep.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Washington Wizards
When: 4 PST, Jan 30
Where: Capital One Arena
Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet
The Lakers not only suffered one of their most embarrassing losses of the season last Tuesday to the Philadelphia 76ers but also lost their best player, Anthony Davis, for at least one week. This means that the purple and gold will be without their superstar big man for the next three games.
That’s definitely a bummer, but injuries to superstars happen in this league and it’s the team’s responsibility to be ready for it at all times. The question is: Are the Lakers ready to be without AD? For better or worse, we will find out in these next few games.
How will JJ Redick adjust?
It’s safe to assume that with Davis out, Redick will lean more into utilizing Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko.
It also won’t be surprising if the rookie head coach asks LeBron James and Rui Hachimura to play a few minutes at the five. While that’s not really appealing or sustainable, it seems to be the only option for Los Angeles.
It’ll be interesting to see how Redick game plans for the Wizards on Thursday. My guess is that he starts Hayes against Jonas Valančiūnas.
If this is the case, it’s vital for LeBron James and L.A.’s supporting cast of Austin Reaves, Max Christie and Rui Hachimura to not only carry the scoring load but also make up for that disadvantage at the center spot. That will be their role in the absence of Davis and hopefully, it’ll be enough.
The Lakers have enough to beat the Wizards
Even without Davis, L.A. should still be able to take care of the slumping Wizards. Washington hasn’t won since Jan. 2 and they’re currently in the midst of a 16-game losing streak. They’ll also be playing on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Toronto Raptors by 24 on Wednesday.
When these two teams last faced each other less than two weeks ago, the purple and gold won by a blowout.
They controlled the paint and got 29 points and 16 rebounds from Davis. With AD out, the same formula might not work, but it would be nice if the team makes up ground by making more of their perimeter shots this time.
Perhaps Dalton Knecht can carry over his 24 points from the previous game versus the Sixers. Or maybe Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, or Jarred Vanderbilt will pop off.
The Wizards’ system features a lot of Jordan Poole who is averaging 21.2 points and 5.0 assists per game. Expect him and former Laker Kyle Kuzma to get their touches again.
Now more than ever, the Lakers need their supporting cast to step up and, at the very least, keep them afloat and competitive Western Conference standings. That won’t be easy, but they can start by beating the Wizards Thursday night.
Notes and Updates
- For the Lakers’ injury report, Rui Hachimura (left calf soreness) is probable.
- Meanwhile, Dorian Finney-Smith (right shoulder contusion), LeBron James (left foot injury management) and Gabe Vincent (left knee contusion) are questionable.
- Anthony Davis (abdominal muscle strain), Jalen Hood-Schifino (left hamstring strain) and Christian Wood (left knee surgery recovery) are out.
- The Wizards have yet to release an injury report since they’re playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but for what it’s worth, Marvin Bagley III (right knee sprain), Saddiq Bey (ACL injury), Malcolm Brogdon (right foot plantar fascia contusion) and Alex Sarr (left ankle sprain) were listed as out.
- We will be live on Playback for this game, so be sure to join us!
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You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.