The Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies are locked in the first round of the playoffs after the Lakers’ hard-fought victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. It took a valiant effort from the Laker squad to get the victory in overtime, and they have a few days of rest before taking on a young and supremely talented Grizzlies side led by superstar Ja Morant and All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr.
It won’t be an easy series for either side as both teams will compete at a high level with the intention of building momentum for a deep playoff run. We have already seen how good the Lakers can be as they held the best record in the NBA after the trade deadline, and Memphis finished 2nd in the Western Conference despite the drama that Ja Morant caused for himself during the year. With only a few days until we see the Lakers and Grizzlies head to battle, let’s do a comparison on the starters, bench, coaches, and key advantages before making a prediction.
Here is the full comparison between the Lakers and Grizzlies in what will constitute an exciting first-round matchup in the Western Conference.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Lakers: D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Anthony Davis
Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr, Xavier Tillman
The Los Angeles Lakers have greatly improved since getting rid of Russell Westbrook and bringing in some valuable players, two of which will most likely start throughout the series against the Memphis Grizzlies. D’Angelo Russell is a far better player than Westbrook for the Lakers since he is averaging 17.8 PPG and 6.2 APG on 39.6% shooting from three. He brings All-Star capabilities as a scorer at times, and Reaves is an improved player when it comes to scoring and also drawing fouls.
LeBron James is one of the ten best players in the world, and even at age 38, his experience is a massive advantage for the Lakers against a young Grizzlies side. Not to mention, he is unstoppable when he attacks the rim and Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke not being there will boost The King’s ability even more. Vanderbilt is a tough defender and will be useful against the Grizzlies’ front line, while the wild card is always Anthony Davis. Davis dominates inside and will have the ability to win the series for the Lakers because he is that good.
Meanwhile, Ja Morant is the key for Memphis. There isn’t a single guard on the Lakers that can stop him and he will likely get to the paint anytime he wants to score for himself or create for his teammates. Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks are two tough defenders who also space the floor at a high level and will be perfect complements to their superstar point guard. Expect these two players to have a solid series.
Down low, Memphis combats the Lakers’ strong frontcourt with Jaren Jackson Jr and Xavier Tillman, two bigs who hustle hard and love playing defense. Jackson Jr’s presence on defense will likely nullify Davis to some degree and also discourage the Lakers players from attacking the rim. Overall, Memphis’ starting lineup revolves completely around Ja Morant because he will score or create open shots every time while the bigs patrol the paint.
As dominant as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are as a duo, Ja Morant and his supporting cast will even the playing field as much as possible. If The King was in his prime the advantage would have gone to the Lakers, but the starting lineups are even heading into the first round.
Advantage: Even
Bench
Los Angeles Lakers: Dennis Schroder, Malik Beasley, Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr, Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, Mohamed Bamba, Wenyen Gabriel
Memphis Grizzlies: Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard, John Konchar, Ziaire Williams, David Roddy, Kenneth Lofton Jr, Santi Aldama
The Lakers bench is far deeper now, thanks to the availability of Malik Beasley, Rui Hachimura, and Mohamed Bamba. Los Angeles has a speedy point guard in Dennis Schroder, who hit what should have been the game-winner on Tuesday night, and he is adept at creating shots alongside LeBron James as well. The shooters off the bench, including Malik Beasley, Lonnie Walker IV, and Troy Brown Jr, will all have moments to shine.
Hachimura is the best player coming off the Lakers’ bench, as he has the size and skill to provide 12-15 PPG in the series. Anytime Davis needs a breather or if the Lakers want to go big, Hachimura will always be a factor. Meanwhile, for Memphis, the team is slightly decimated with injuries as Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke won’t be available. Luckily, some of their players have responded and played well in their roles.
Tyus Jones is an excellent backup point guard who can pass and score and is a tough defender as well. He will likely bring what Schroder brings, except he will have bigger games. Luke Kennard was a big pickup for Memphis as the shooting guard is shooting 43.7% from three over his career and will have a ton of open shots playing alongside Ja Morant. Konchar and Williams are both solid wings who play defense, and David Roddy has become a fan favorite due to his strong build and impressive effort.
Memphis will miss Adams and Clarke at times, and their depth is slightly lacking. The Lakers have a very slight edge, with Schroder, Beasley, and Hachimura acting as solid offensive players, but the Grizzlies do have an excellent backup point guard and some solid shooting, including Luke Kennard. It is tempting to give Los Angeles the advantage, but Memphis does have quality players off the bench as well.
Advantage: Even
Darvin Ham vs. Taylor Jenkins
The difference might come down to Darvin Ham vs. Taylor Jenkins. Ham has done a terrific job as the season has gone by, giving minutes to deserving players and also improving his game-time decision-making. The head coach has faced criticism at times, but he stuck to his guns with the Russell Westbrook benching and seems to have belief in developing Austin Reaves as well.
Taylor Jenkins is a terrific coach and has been since last year because he is squeezing out every inch of talent from each of his players. Memphis plays extremely hard on defense, and the team is elite when taking into account its 15th-ranked offense (offensive rating) and 2nd-ranked defense (defensive rating). In terms of PPG as a team, Memphis ranks 9th in the NBA, so they can score the ball very well as long as Ja Morant is on the court, wreaking havoc.
Credit should go to Darvin Ham for getting the new guys to buy in and hold the best record in the NBA after the trade deadline, but Taylor Jenkins is a better coach. He has had his players longer than Ham and knows how to get each of the youngsters to buy into their defensive schemes. He lost out on Coach of the Year to Monty Williams last year, so he has been elite for two years and gives the Grizzlies an advantage over the Lakers.
Advantage: Memphis Grizzlies
Los Angeles Lakers Advantages
The Lakers have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, two of the greatest players in the world. James is 38 years old and is not the same player from a decade ago, obviously, but he still has an unstoppable ability to get to the rim and finish inside. Memphis does not have Steven Adams, who is unlikely to come back, which means there isn’t a major enforcer down low for Memphis to throw at The King. LeBron also has championship experience and is arguably the best leader in the NBA, things the Grizzlies don’t yet have.
Davis is also supremely talented and is the best big man in the series. Jackson Jr’s strength and shot-blocking could deter Davis throughout the series, and that is something to keep an eye on as the games go by, but it is expected that the Lakers star has a big series. By having the two best players in the series and championship experience, the Lakers have a boost in their superstar duo’s capabilities.
Memphis Grizzlies Advantages
The Grizzlies would have been made more formidable if they had Steven Adams and even Brandon Clarke healthy to start the series, but they have enough depth and attitude to make up for these losses. Firstly, nobody on the Lakers can stop Ja Morant. The point guard does not have the experience of James or Davis, but his athleticism is off the charts, and none of the Lakers’ guards can keep up with him. Expect Ja to have a monster series, and that bodes well for the team’s chances.
Next, the Grizzlies are youthful, competitive, and hard-working. These are things the Lakers have struggled with at times, mainly because James and Davis are older and more banged up than ever before. Memphis will switch on defense perfectly at times and always share the ball for good shots. They are well-rested after making the playoffs easily as the No. 2 seed and will be able to play all seven games with overtime included if necessary. Memphis has more energy and youth than Los Angeles, and that will be a major advantage for them.
Who Is The Better Team In The First Round?
This series will be extremely hard-fought, but there can only be one winner. As much as delusional Lakers fans want to defeat the young and hungry Memphis Grizzlies, it likely won’t happen. It took an overtime period for the Lakers to sneak past a Minnesota Timberwolves team that finished 8th in the Western Conference with poor displays all year. The Timberwolves did not even have Rudy Gobert playing for them, and the Lakers still almost blew their shot at making the playoffs without having to play another play-in game.
Los Angeles is older and beat up with James and Davis, and while the days before the weekend will be huge for their rest, the 7-game series will be exhausting once it arrives. Memphis can run up and down the floor all game long, and if it takes seven games, they are willing to do that. We saw how gassed LeBron James was on Tuesday night, and that is not a good sign for the Purple and Gold, who still greatly depend on The King on offense. Memphis has better defenders and an absolute superstar point guard who won’t have a matchup he won’t crave.
One can never count out LeBron James or Anthony Davis because their size and skill are certainly tremendous, especially without Steven Adams manning the middle. However, it is likely LeBron goes through lulls on defense and struggles to stay fully healthy without fatigue throughout the series, and the same goes for Anthony Davis. Davis looks dominant one minute and then disappears the next, while Memphis goes for it every second of the game. There are those who still believe in the Lakers, and for good reason, but the facts remain the facts about Los Angeles’ age and attrition. Due to their youth, fantastic coaching, and hunger, the Grizzlies will win the series and could get it done in six games.
Prediction: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
