The Los Angeles Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies at home on January 2, and it’s one of those games where the standings say “comfortable favorite,” but the injury report says “don’t get cute.”
The Lakers come in 20-11, sitting 5th in the West. The Grizzlies are 15-18, currently 9th, and they’ve spent most of the season trying to win games while constantly reshuffling the rotation.
These teams have already met, and the Lakers have owned the matchup so far. They lead the season series 2-0, including a 117-112 win earlier in the year when Luka Doncic dropped 44.
Star power is obvious here. Doncic has been the league’s ultimate cheat code, averaging 33.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.7 assists this season. LeBron James has still been steady at 20.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.9 rebounds.
For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant sits at 19.2 points and 7.4 assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. brings 18.4 points and 1.5 blocks per game as the two-way anchor.
Injury Report
Lakers
Rui Hachimura: Out (right calf soreness)
Austin Reaves: Out (left calf strain)
Adou Thiero: Out (right MCL sprain)
Gabe Vincent: Out (lumbar back strain)
Jarred Vanderbilt: Questionable (right leg soreness)
Grizzlies
Brandon Clarke: Out (right calf strain)
Zach Edey: Out (left ankle stress reaction)
Ty Jerome: Out (right calf strain)
John Konchar: Out (left thumb UCL surgery recovery)
Scottie Pippen Jr.: Out (left great toe surgery recovery)
Vince Williams Jr.: Out (left patellar tendinitis)
Jaylen Wells: Questionable (left hamstring soreness)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Questionable (right hamstring soreness)
Why The Lakers Have The Advantage
This is the kind of matchup the Lakers should control because the game starts with an unfair question: how do you guard Doncic for 48 minutes when your wing rotation is banged up and your lineup continuity is shaky?
Even with Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura out, the Lakers still have the two best creators on the floor, and that’s usually enough to build a lead that the other team spends the night chasing. The Lakers are scoring 116.8 points per game this season, and a lot of that comes from how quickly Doncic turns one breakdown into three straight open looks.
The other big edge is how the Lakers can stagger Doncic and LeBron to keep one elite engine on the floor at all times. JJ Redick has already leaned into that approach with Reaves sidelined, basically making sure the offense never falls into those dead “who’s creating?” possessions. That matters a ton against a Grizzlies team that’s missing key rotation guys and has struggled to stay stable from game to game.
And this is where the Grizzlies injuries really show up. With Clarke, Edey, and Pippen Jr. out, plus Wells and Caldwell-Pope questionable, the margin gets thin fast. The Lakers can hunt matchups, force switches, and keep putting pressure on whoever ends up being the “we didn’t plan for this role” defender. If Vanderbilt plays, it also gives the Lakers a real physical presence on the glass and another body to throw at Morant’s downhill attacks.
Also, the Lakers badly need a tone reset. Redick publicly called out the team’s effort level recently, and games like this are exactly where you see if that message landed. If the Lakers defend with real purpose for once and don’t treat this like a casual January night, the talent gap plus home comfort should be enough to separate.
Why The Grizzlies Have The Advantage
The Grizzlies’ advantage is that they can turn this into a speed-and-pressure game, and the Lakers are still vulnerable to getting sloppy when the rhythm isn’t perfect.
For starters, the Grizzlies move the ball. They average 29.0 assists per game, which tells you they’re not just standing around waiting for Morant to save them. When they’re at their best, Morant creates the initial crack, Jackson punishes rotations, and the rest of the group keeps the chain moving until the defense finally breaks.
And if Caldwell-Pope plays, that’s a real swing piece. He gives them a tough perimeter defender who can chase shooters and also punish a defense for over-helping. Without him, they’re asking a lot from a thinner wing group, and it gets harder to keep the Lakers honest when Doncic starts spraying cross-court passes.
There’s also the “Lakers are missing bodies too” angle. Reaves and Hachimura being out isn’t just points, it’s stability. It removes a secondary creator and a reliable wing scorer, and it forces the Lakers into more minutes from role guys who can run hot and cold. If the Grizzlies can speed the Lakers up, force live-ball turnovers, and get Morant into transition, that’s the cleanest path to stealing quarters.
And don’t ignore the confidence factor: the Grizzlies have already shown they can beat good teams when Morant is available. The win over the Bucks recently came with a huge Morant playmaking night and monster rim protection from Jackson, and that formula still works here if the shots fall.
So yeah, the Grizzlies are shorthanded, but if they win the effort battle, make this a track meet, and turn it into a possession-count game, the pressure shifts to the Lakers fast.
Lakers vs. Grizzlies Prediction
I’m taking the Lakers because the Doncic-LeBron combo is just too much creation, and the Grizzlies’ injury list is asking a lot from a team that already sits below .500.
It probably gets messy for stretches, but I think the Lakers win the middle quarters and keep the Grizzlies at arm’s length late.
Prediction: Lakers 123, Grizzlies 114
