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Lakers vs. Grizzlies: First-round scouting report, prediction

April 15, 2023

SERIES SCHEDULE

(Best-of-seven, all times PT)

Game 1: Sunday, at Memphis, noon (Ch. 7)

Game 2: Wednesday, at Memphis, 4:30 p.m. (TNT, Spectrum SportsNet)

Game 3: Saturday, at L.A., 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 4: April 24, at Lakers, TBD (TV TBD)

*Game 5: April 26, at Memphis, TBD (TV TBD)

*Game 6: April 28, at Lakers, TBD (TV TBD)

*Game 7: April 30 at Memphis, TBD (TV TBD)

*If necessary

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Lakers won the regular-season series 2-1

Jan. 2: Lakers 121, Grizzlies 120, at Crypto.com Arena

Feb. 28: Grizzlies 121, Lakers 109, at Memphis

March 7: Lakers 112, Grizzlies 103, at Crypto.com Arena

TALE OF THE TAPE

Grizzlies (regular-season rank) … category … Lakers (regular-season rank)

51-31 … Season record … 43-39

116.9 (9th) … PPG … 117.2 (6th)

113.0 (11th) … Opp. PPG … 116.6 (20th)

47.5 % (27th) … FG Pct. … 48.2 % (10th)

35.1 % (23rd) … 3-point Pct. … 34.6% (25th)

73.3% (30th) … FT Pct. … 77.5% (20th)

46.6 (2nd) … Rebounds … 45.7 (6th)

26.0 (9th) … Assists … 25.3 (15th)

8.3 (3rd) … Steals … 6.4 (26th)

5.8 (3rd) … Blocked shots … 4.6 (16th)

13.6 (12th) … Turnovers … 14.1 (15th)

STARTING BACKCOURT

The Grizzlies are most often described as talented but young. No one typifies that description more closely than guard Ja Morant, the Grizzlies’ leading scorer with an average of 26.2 points, who has had off-court issues this season. The NBA suspended him for eight games after a video surfaced showing him waving a gun around while in a Denver-area strip club. The Washington Post, in a recent article, detailed further incidents that included joining a group of eight or nine others in confronting a sporting goods store employee Morant claimed had upset his mother. Morant also reportedly punched a 17-year-old during a pick-up altercation last summer. Each case was investigated by police, but only after lengthy delays. … A sense of calm has come over the Lakers since they traded Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook at the NBA’s deadline on Feb. 9. D’Angelo Russell – the most high-profile addition they made at the deadline – had a rough night in the play-in game (two points on 1-for-9 shooting), and the Lakers will need him to bounce back strong in this series. EDGE: GRIZZLIES

STARTING FRONTCOURT

The Grizzlies are expected to be without injured center Steven Adams (knee) and power forward Brandon Clarke (Achilles) for the rest of the season, so that should give the Lakers a significant advantage around the basket. That leaves Jaren Jackson Jr. as the Grizzlies’ most effective big man, with averages of 18.6 points and 6.8 rebounds. He must contend with Lakers counterpart Anthony Davis and Rui Hachimura, two players at home in the paint and on the perimeter. Davis had a stellar stretch run for the Lakers interrupted by several less-than-productive games to close the regular season. But he stepped up in their play-in victory over the Timberwolves with 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots. LeBron James is in his 20th NBA season and averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists. Not bad, eh? EDGE: LAKERS

BENCHES

The Lakers must ease the burden shared by Davis and James with a number of bench players that include Hachimura, Malik Beasley, Troy Brown Jr. and Dennis Schröder. Lakers coach Darvin Ham is expected to tighten his rotation for the playoffs, as all coaches tend to do. The Grizzlies will be short-handed up front with Adams and Clarke sidelined, and their depth will be tested. EDGE: LAKERS

COACHES

Ham won an NBA championship as a player with the Detroit Pistons (over the Lakers) in 2003-04 and as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks (over the Phoenix Suns) in 2020-21. He’s in his first season as a head coach with the Lakers and probably feels like he has coached several different versions of this team already given the injuries to Davis and James and the trade deadline roster makeover. Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins, part of the Mike Budenholzer coaching tree like Ham, is in his fourth season with the Grizzlies, leading them to a second consecutive Southwest Division title. EDGE: GRIZZLIES

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INTANGIBLES

It seems weird to speak of James as an intangible, but when it comes to leading a team in the playoffs, there’s no one with his sparkling résumé in this series or any other. At present, he’s without a peer in the NBA, and that gives the Lakers a very large advantage in a first-round series against the youthful Grizzlies. The play-in game was the Lakers’ eighth game in a 14-day stretch, but counting their days off following the play-in win, their next four games will be played over 13 days, surely a welcome change. EDGE: LAKERS

SERIES PREDICTION

The Grizzlies are probably a slight favorite in what figures to be among the most closely watched first-round series. The Lakers’ experience in the form of past NBA champions James and Davis will likely give them an edge when things get tight. Game 1 certainly looms as a must-win for the Grizzlies, who would gain a huge boost of confidence while maintaining home-court advantage. LAKERS IN SEVEN.

Orange County Register

News Details

Lakers vs. Grizzlies: First-round scouting report, prediction

SERIES SCHEDULE

HEAD-TO-HEAD

TALE OF THE TAPE

STARTING BACKCOURT

STARTING FRONTCOURT

BENCHES

COACHES

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