Game 38 Thread - Kings (20-17) vs Lakers (18-21)
Posted: Sun Jan 8, 2023 2:18 am
Kings continue the short homestand against the Pacific division rival Lakers.
Things I'm looking for tonight:
1. Shoot it, I dare you. While the Lakers are coming off one of their hottest nights from deep this season (16-35, 46%), they are still near the bottom of the league in 3P%. With Austin Reaves out, the only real deep threats they have are Schroder and Kendrick Nunn, neither of which are the most reliable shooters. What we can't do is let this team get to the rim and make plays, we need to be daring them to beat us with the outside shot.
2. Take care of the ball. The last couple games have seen some sloppy play leading to some costly turnovers. We need to play smart and protect the ball so we can limit transition opportunities for Lebron and Russ. We're giving up the 8th most point off of turnovers per game in the league and I think a lot of that is due to the nature of our turnovers. Too often they are soft passes made that get taken away and lead directly to easy baskets. We need to limit those turnovers and make sure we are getting back into transition defense.
3. Assert yourself! The last seven games have been within 10 points and have all pretty much been tight very late into the game. Our last win by more than 10 points comes, ironically, in the last matchup with the Lakers. Even that game, however, was a fairly close game throughout until we finally pulled away late. I really want to see this team come out swinging and put them away early. The Lakers have been playing better as of late and are 5-3 since that game, currently on a 4 game win streak. Make a statement and prove why we are currently atop the division.
Things I'm looking for tonight:
1. Shoot it, I dare you. While the Lakers are coming off one of their hottest nights from deep this season (16-35, 46%), they are still near the bottom of the league in 3P%. With Austin Reaves out, the only real deep threats they have are Schroder and Kendrick Nunn, neither of which are the most reliable shooters. What we can't do is let this team get to the rim and make plays, we need to be daring them to beat us with the outside shot.
2. Take care of the ball. The last couple games have seen some sloppy play leading to some costly turnovers. We need to play smart and protect the ball so we can limit transition opportunities for Lebron and Russ. We're giving up the 8th most point off of turnovers per game in the league and I think a lot of that is due to the nature of our turnovers. Too often they are soft passes made that get taken away and lead directly to easy baskets. We need to limit those turnovers and make sure we are getting back into transition defense.
3. Assert yourself! The last seven games have been within 10 points and have all pretty much been tight very late into the game. Our last win by more than 10 points comes, ironically, in the last matchup with the Lakers. Even that game, however, was a fairly close game throughout until we finally pulled away late. I really want to see this team come out swinging and put them away early. The Lakers have been playing better as of late and are 5-3 since that game, currently on a 4 game win streak. Make a statement and prove why we are currently atop the division.
