Lakers at Jazz Preview
Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers (11-8) travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz (4-15). The Lakers will look to get back into the win column after dropping the previous game against OKC.
Utah comes into this game on a three-game losing streak and will be looking for a spark at home. Here are some things to look out for tonight while the Lakers try to make it a four-game losing streak.
Lakers Banged Up
Los Angeles is entering tonight’s matchup more depleted than they have been at any point so far this season. Outside of the usual scratches in Vanderbilt and Wood, the Lakers will be without Jaxson Hayes (ankle), and Austin Reaves is questionable after his hard fall against OKC.
In addition to the injuries, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish both suffer from illnesses. Russell is doubtful, and Reddish is questionable. Although struggling all season, Russell has hit a bit of a groove in the last few games, and Reddish has been a more than serviceable POA defender.
Whether these are “illnesses” and trade is looming, or there is a legitimate bug going around the locker room, the Lakers will miss both players if they are not able to go. Regarding Hayes being out, expect a mix of Koloko filling in minutes as well as small ball lineups with either LeBron or Rui at the five.
Can Knecht do it Again?
The previous time these two teams faced each other, a clear x-factor emerged in Laker’s victory. While he did go on an insane burner (35 points) in the preseason against PHX, this game solidified that he was the real deal.
Dalton Knecht went nuclear last time out against Utah and quite possibly won the game. He went for 37 points, shooting 9-12 from three-point land. This was the rookie’s coming-out party in the league and the game that vaulted his name firmly into Rookie of the Year discussions.
In the games since, Knecht has been taken out and reinserted back into the starting lineup. In two of the five games since, he has led the team in scoring with 20 points. He is, without a doubt, more than your average rookie. Look for the young sniper to have another big night.
Walker Kessler: rim protector pic.twitter.com/WWIAJdrY3j
— Cranjis McBasketball (@Tim_NBA) November 30, 2024
Return of Kessler
Utah was without one of their key pieces the last time these two teams faced off. The young big man Walker Kessler is now back from injury and has been playing well as of late.
Kessler has recorded a double-double in three of his last four games. He did that while showcasing his most skilled ability in defending the rim. In the last four games, Kessler has averaged 3.25 blocks per game.
These are the reasons the Lakers have been so high on him for some time now. Dating back to the last offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers have been looking to trade for the third-year big man, and for good reason.
Kessler is very young and already one of the better rim protectors in the league. Pairing him at some point next to Anthony Davis, who is able to spread the floor with his shot again? Forget about it. Look for Kessler to be a problem tonight with the Lakers depleted frontcourt.
Enough Lakers Turnovers
Yes, you, LeBron. In reality, the whole team. Over the past five games, the Lakers have averaged 13.4 turnovers per game, and teams have capitalized. Most recently, Los Angeles had 17 turnovers against OKC, and the Thunder were able to convert those into 20 points to our five off of turnovers.
This is not a recipe for success. It will need to start from the top to turn the ship around. LeBron James has not done an adequate job of leading by example in this metric. Over the last five games, James has averaged an abysmal five turnovers per game.
If the Lakers look not only to win this game tonight but have any type of deep-season success, they will need to find a way to start taking better care of the ball. Why not start tonight?
