The Lakers play their second game of this 6-game road trip in the nation’s capital.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and company are coming off the biggest win of the season (and as LeBron put it, the best game that these three all-stars have played together since the Lakers acquired Westbrook) after they scored the upset against the Bucks in Milwaukee. They looked like a top tier team, if only for Friday night. So this next game is very ripe for a letdown.
This aforementioned next game is against the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are the very definition of an average team. They’re ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference with an 11-12 slate. After a 6-1 stretch in the middle of November, they followed it up with losing 5 of 6 games. Those 5 losses all come from the road so they’ll be a bit more comfortable against the Lakers at their home stadium, Capital One Arena. They are 8-4 in D.C. and the Wiz are 3-8 away from home.
The Wizards have some players, though. We remember Bradley Beal, a top tier scorer that’s averaged more than 30 points twice in his NBA career. He’s trying to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2021-22 campaign and he’s shooting the best percentage of his career at .520. He’s also good for 24.1 points per game this season. And he’s got some help offensively.
After getting dealt by Dallas that involved Spencer Dinwiddie, Kristaps Porzingis is trying to settle in as the #2 option in Washington. The 7’3″ ex-Knick/Maverick is averaging 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting .364 from three. And we all remember Kyle Kuzma. He’s as streaky as ever but he’s averaging a career-best 20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. So they have a few go-to scorers with the Wizards.
They also have Monte Morris and Will Barton (who both came from Denver in that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope deal). Morris starts at point besides Beal. He has struggled a bit this season and is still trying to form that chemistry with the team. Will Barton comes off the bench but he’s not doing so hot, either, as he’s averaging single digits in points for the first time since 2015. He’s shooting a not-so-great .369 from the field. But I say this now for both ex-Nuggets but they’re certainly capable of big games (Barton scored 25 points last season in his last game as a Nugget against the Lakers).
The Wizards’ fifth starter is lottery pick Deni Avdija, who struggled early but is now improving as an all-around player. Their rotation consists of Corey Kispert (.441 from three), Rui Hachimura (feels like we’re still waiting on him to be an excellent player; also, he is listed out against the Lakers), and Daniel Gafford (rim protector). They’ve missed Delon Wright and his perimeter defense; he’s only played four games before he was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Nothing particularly stands out for Washington. Again, I mentioned that they are quite the average team. They’re 18th in offense, 19th in defense, and 21st in net rating (offensive rating minus defensive rating). They’ve beaten some good teams in Memphis, Dallas, and Utah but they’ve also had losses to Charlotte and Oklahoma City.
So if the Lakers played their game like they did against Milwaukee (or really, how they’ve played in the last 9 games outside of maybe against the Suns and those last 10 minutes against the Pacers), they should beat this team. Should. But we know that in any given day, one team could beat another. With the Lakers coming off such an emotional win over the elite Milwaukee Bucks, they could slip on a banana peel and lose to these Wizards. It feels like they could ill afford any slips; the Lakers started out 2-10, for crying out loud.
Anthony Davis just needs to continue attacking. He put up 44 and 10 against the Bucks, who are known for their interior defense. LeBron James has seemingly looked to Davis early and often; I’d like for LeBron to continue doing that if he plays on Sunday afternoon (he is questionable as of this writing). We know LeBron could get his. And Russell Westbrook really is a different player off the bench compared to the rest of his Laker tenure as a starter. He’s really bought into his role and he’s still mostly playing a lot, anyway (though it is a career-low 28 minutes per).
The Lakers have shot .370 from three in the last 9 games (which they’re 7-2). So they’re starting to find their groove there as well.
So let’s see if the Lakers can continue their good vibes on the road against the Wizards. Making it 8-2 in their last 10 would make it a good Sunday afternoon for the Lakers and their fans.
