Lakers Travel to Chicago to Face Red Hot Bulls
The Los Angeles Lakers continue their annual Grammy road trip in Chicago tonight. They face a Bulls team that has won four straight games and six of its last eight.
The Lakers, on the other hand, have won only four of their last ten games, but did pick up a quality comeback win against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Both teams are relatively healthy entering tonight, so injuries shouldn’t play a big role. Interestingly, Los Angeles is 15-9 on the road this season while Chicago is 15-9 at home, so we should expect a close outcome. This is the first matchup between these teams this season.
Stopping the streak
A prominent factor of this Bull’s run has been point guard Coby White. He is hot right now, averaging 23.8 points and five assists during this four-game stretch. The Lakers need to focus their defensive attention on him to force others to beat them.
To do this, JJ Redick should strongly consider starting Jarred Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is clearly the Lakers’ best defender and brings the most tenacity on that end of the floor. He gives the team a competitive edge that they desperately need. He also plays with a constant motor and drive that sets the tone for the rest of the team.
Offensive output
On the other side of the court, the Lakers have been servicable. Luka continues to carry most of the offensive load as Austin Reaves’ return looms. The team has still been able to put up points, but the shooting remains streaky as always.
The Bulls don’t defend the paint very well, so this is where the Lakers need to take advantage. It will be intriguing to see how Redick uses Deandre Ayton in this game after he had one of his worst performances of the season on Saturday.
Ayton went 4/16 from the field and ended with a -12 plus/minus. Worst of all, most of his misses were at point-blank range. Whether Redick decides to continue to trust Ayton or go with a small-ball look, LA must make it a point to attack the rim in this one.
Final thoughts
The Lakers are currently fifth in the Western Conference. They’re in the middle ground of being one of the top contenders in the West and falling into the dreaded Play-In Tournament. This road trip as a whole will be a telling snapshot of what direction this team is likely headed for in the second half of the season.
Tonight is their opportunity to start a new winning streak and pick up another quality win away from LA.
The team will be wearing their purple Statement Edition jerseys.
Tip-off is set for 5:00 PT at the United Center.
