The L.A. Clippers christened the Intuit Dome with their first game and first win over the Los Angeles Lakers, defeating them 115-110. The Clippers and Lakers were battling intensely for the first quarter. But in the second quarter, the Clippers took off and never looked back. As great of a performance it was from the Clippers, it was an equally poor showing from the Lakers.
The Clippers were led by Norman Powell on the scoring front, as he put up 22 points (9-17 FG), four rebounds, one assist, and three steals. James Harden also had a strong showing, as he put up 21 points (7-19 FG), four rebounds, 12 assists, and one steal. Kawhi Leonard played just 24 minutes tonight, but put up his best performance of the season, with 19 points (9-13 FG), one rebound, four assists, and one steal.
As for the Lakers, LeBron James cannot take much of the blame, as he put up 25 points (9-20 FG), five rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, and one block. Rui Hachimura had one of his better games, putting up 19 points (9-14 FG), seven rebounds, and one assist. Anthony Davis had a weaker game, putting up 16 points (5-14 FG), 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three blocks.
The Lakers were embarrassed by a much more game Clippers team. It was another performance where they left so much on the table and showed why this roster, as presently constructed, is not fit to compete for an NBA championship.
With that being said, here are three reasons why the Clippers defeated the Lakers:
The Lakers Can’t Protect The Ball
During tonight’s game, the Lakers turned the ball over 15 times. It was a truly embarrassing performance by a team that showed that they could not protect the ball against strong competition. It was a terrible showing and pointed out a key flaw in the team that JJ Redick has yet to address.
LeBron James and Austin Reaves were the primary offenders, as they both turned the ball over five times each. Two players comprising 66% of the entire team’s turnover count is ridiculous, no matter how much they have the ball in their hands. Anthony Davis was not far behind, as he had three turnovers of his own. The big three for the Lakers turned the ball over 13 out of the entire team’s 15 times.
The Lakers are the sixth-best team in the NBA when it comes to turning the ball over, averaging about 13.3 turnovers per game, but their big turnover nights usually come against strong opposition. This was a very poor performance from the Lakers, and their inability to hold on to the ball allowed the Clippers to take control of the game and just get what they needed to.
Three-Point Shooting Costs The Lakers Again
The Lakers shot 9-27 from beyond the arc, making just 33.3% of their attempts. It was an abysmal night from range for the Lakers, the latest in what has been an inconsistent shooting season for the Lakers at best. These types of bad shooting nights have cost the Lakers numerous games.
LeBron James shot 2-6 from beyond the arc, which is not ideal for a star player. Anthony Davis went 1-3 from the three-point line, summing up just how poor an evening he had. But the worst offender was Dorian Finney-Smith, who came off the bench and went 0-3 from range, which is unexpected given how strong a player he is.
The Lakers are 19th in the NBA when it comes to three-point shooting, converting just about 35.3% from beyond the arc. Clearly, they are one of the weaker teams in the NBA, and until they get some reinforcements to fix their shooting, things will not improve for them any time soon.
Clippers Dominate On The Offensive Glass
The Clippers grabbed 11 of their team’s 38 rebounds on the offensive. Ivica Zubac was the leader on the glass, grabbing eight offensive rebounds during the game. The Lakers giving up so many offensive rebounds, and not being able to guard the paint, has been a significant weakness for them this season.
The Clippers are one of the worst teams to be giving up rebounds against, as they rank second in the NBA when it comes to second-chance points, averaging 20.5 points off second chances. The Clippers scored 15 points off second chances tonight, with eight of those points coming off the eight offensive rebounds Ivica Zubac grabbed during the game.
By contrast, the Lakers give up bout 15.0 points per game, which ranks about 25th in the NBA. Strangely, that is exactly the amount of second-chance points that the Lakers gave up tonight.
Tonight was yet another stark reminder that the Los Angeles Lakers roster is just not good enough to compete. The Lakers may have made a trade for Dorian Finney-Smith, but that is not enough. It is now time for Rob Pelinka to not be cautious or lazy, and make a big move, as not doing so is wasting the last few competitive years of LeBron James, and the prime of Anthony Davis.
Will any big trade deal happen before the Lakers play their next game against the Washington Wizards? They have until Tuesday, 10:30 PM EST to make any such move happen. Regardless of a trade, the Lakers should try their best to win the game tomorrow night.
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