Thunder at Lakers Preview
The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on Friday night, which will determine whether they move on to the knockout round of the NBA Cup.
The Lakers are tied atop West Group B with the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs at 2-1, while the Thunder are 1-1. If the Lakers want to advance beyond the group stage, they must defeat the Thunder, ideally by a significant margin, given their low point differential due to the loss to the Suns.
A strong performance, particularly in scoring, may be the determining factor. Furthermore, the success of this game may depend on how well the Lakers control the tempo and minimize OKC’s transition game.
If the Lakers want a chance at making it to the Cup knockout round, they’ll need:
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) November 27, 2024
– To beat OKC on 11/29
– The Spurs to beat PHX on 12/3
Lakers would advance via H2H tiebreaker over SAS. pic.twitter.com/J5fAWx6C5m
Lakers Dominance in the Paint
The Lakers need to leverage their size advantage with Anthony Davis leading the charge. Davis must be aggressive, especially against Isaiah Hartenstein, who can disrupt his game.
LeBron James should also look to attack the basket to draw fouls and create scoring opportunities inside, reducing the Thunder’s ability to score in transition off of rebounds.
The Lakers’ role players must also step up, especially on defense. Quick rotations will allow Davis and LeBron to save energy for their offensive surge. Consistent work from the supporting cast could be the difference in achieving a victory.
Defensive Schemes for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The Lakers will also have to adjust with MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring and excels at getting into the paint. This year, he has also worked on broadening his game to include more three-pointers.
Austin Reaves should be tasked with containing him at first, but expect much of Max Christie and Cam Reddish, as the Lakers will need to use a variety of looks to keep him in check.
Using a combination of man-to-man and zone defenses may be required to confuse SGA and restrict his effectiveness. Furthermore, quick closeouts on Gilgeous-Alexander’s jump shots will be critical to keeping him from finding his rhythm from beyond the arc.
Turnovers
The Thunder excel at creating turnovers, leading the league in steals. They have struggled to rebound the ball this season, although most of that is likely due to Hartenstein’s absence.
However, with Chet Holmgren out, they don’t have much size behind him, so if Davis can get him in foul trouble early on, the Lakers might gain a significant advantage inside.
The Lakers cannot afford to be sloppy with the ball. They need to prioritize secure ball movement and limit mistakes, as OKC thrives on fast breaks and capitalizing on the opponent’s errors.
