The Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies will perform in one of the most highly anticipated first-round matchups in the Western Conference. The superstars will battle each other as LeBron James and Anthony Davis will battle Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr in a likely hotly contested matchup. It won’t be easy for either team to get the job done, although the Memphis Grizzlies are slightly favored when looking at a fair team comparison between the two sides. But do the Los Angeles Lakers actually have a shot at defeating the Memphis Grizzlies?
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. We finally arrive at the playoffs on Saturday, and we will be treated to a very exciting showdown.
There is no doubt that the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies are favored to defeat LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the Lakers are not going to simply bow down and accept defeat and will have a shot to defeat the young up-and-coming side if they focus on their strengths. In fact, there are five key factors that will come into play if the Purple and Gold want to take advantage of the underdog position and shock the world by showing resilience as they did in the play-in game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Without further ado, here are the five major factors that will come into play for the Lakers to win their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
5. Size And Dominance
The Los Angeles Lakers have incredible size when going through their key players. LeBron James is 6’9” and 250 lbs and is still an unstoppable locomotive when he attacks the rim. Not even Jaren Jackson will be able to stop The King when he is on the break or gets ahead of steam. Anthony Davis is 6’10”, and 235 lbs and is over 7 feet tall when he has his arms up, meaning he can dominant on both ends of the court through pure size.
Jarred Vanderbilt, the recent acquisition, is 6’9” and 214 lbs and can defend the perimeter and the rim at a high level. Rui Hachimuira is 6’8” and 230 lbs and is another big body who can bang and use his strength to battle the opposition. Even as needed, the Lakers can put in Wenyen Gabriel or Mohamed Bamba (if he is healthy). The team has plenty of size to throw in the paint to deter the Memphis Grizzlies players, and that means Los Angeles has a physical advantage if they use it properly.
The keys for the Lakers to utilize their size depends on how Darvin Ham sets up his lineups while also focusing on the paint instead of hoisting up unnecessary long-range jumpers against players who defend the perimeter quite well. Los Angeles has a lot of big boys to throw down low, and if Davis especially asserts himself, they can be dominant at times.
4. Improved Depth
The Los Angeles Lakers greatly improved around the trade deadline, getting rid of Russell Westbrook and adding the likes of Rui Hachimura, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mohamed Bamba, and D’Angelo Russell. This amount of reinforcements has made the Lakers the best team in the league after the trade deadline (record-wise), as they can throw on a host of different players to compete on both ends. Even youngster Austin Reaves has improved on offense and is a legitimate threat at times.
The Lakers can take advantage of their depth because the Memphis Grizzlies are missing key players in Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke, while the opposition is pretty much healthy from top to bottom. Los Angeles can utilize their deep bench as much as possible to include shooting (Beasley, Troy Brown Jr, Russell) or size and presence (Hachimura, Bamba, Vanderbilt). This amount of depth was not there to start the season, and it will be massive for the Lakers to focus on their strengths.
When the series becomes long and tiring, the Lakers won’t have to rely on five or six players to get them through the trenches. If Darvin Ham gets his rotations right, the Lakers can utilize their specialists off the bench in specific moments to hurt Memphis. Memphis will likely have to rely on their starting lineup with two key bigs out with injuries, so the Lakers can pace themselves to keep LeBron James and Anthony Davis fresh as much as possible.
3. LeBron James Has The Smartest Brain On The Court
LeBron James is 38 years old and is no longer the best player in the world. That is a fact that Lakers fans and the NBA Universe have to accept because he has been the dominant force for so long now. James can’t compete on defense as much as he used to and will have games where he goes cold from beyond and won’t have the energy to mix up his offense which might lead to turnovers. Despite his age, however, James will be the smartest player on the court.
His championship experience will be pivotal, more on that later, but so will his playmaking and basketball IQ. As great as Ja Morant is with the ball in his hands, he is not smarter or a better playmaker than The King. James can control the pace of the game better than anyone on the court and will be able to set up his soldiers in the best way possible as an extension of the coach on the floor.
The King’s presence means the Lakers will always have a chance to win a series against any opponent, including the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. James will be able to make clutch plays because he will always make the right pass at the right time and will hardly force bad shots. Memphis will have to find a way to slow down LeBron James when he has the ball in his hands, and he will still demand double teams. This type of presence means the Lakers have an immediate advantage to make use of.
2. Anthony Davis Can Compete As The Best Player In The Series
The key for the Lakers, from a player level, is Anthony Davis. We have been saying this since the 2019-2020 season because he is in his prime and can make up for LeBron’s age. The King is still regarded as the best and most accomplished player on the Lakers, but he can’t do what Davis can and should do on the floor. The big man had a terrific regular season, posting 25.9 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 2.0 BPG over 56 games, and is always capable of going off for 30 points and 15 rebounds at a minimum.
As great as Jaren Jackson Jr is on defense, he is not on Davis’ level as a talent which means the Lakers star can dominate the series. There is no excuse for the big man to not have a dominant series because Steven Adams is unavailable, which means there will not be a powerhouse down low to bully him. Davis is arguably the most skilled power forward player ever in terms of his guard skills, and he can be just as effective on defense. He must put a stamp on the series for the Lakers to win the series.
If Anthony Davis becomes the best player in the series, the Lakers will win the series in six or seven games. He basically holds all the cards because he is a matchup nightmare for any player, including one of Jaren Jackson Jr’s defensive abilities. Davis has shooters around him now and an all-time great playmaker in James, feeding him the ball, so it is time for him to dominate the court and shake off the critics doubting his mentality and passion for the game.
1. Championship Experience
Anthony Davis is the key for the Lakers on an individual level, but the team’s championship experience will be just as critical. The stars of the team have the experience, which means LeBron and Davis will have what it takes to pull the team from adversity and come back in games where they trail. Since the Grizzlies are so young and energetic, the Lakers will be trailing in some games over the series.
The key for Los Angeles is to come back in those games and championship experience will be necessary for that. We saw how the Lakers came back against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in game, even when it looked like the game was out of reach. The reason they came back was that James and Davis took control and knew how to punish the opposition when they became complacent.
The Lakers supporting cast is all quite young and will look up to James and Davis in terms of leadership. The superstar duo will have the most experience in the series and that will come into play against a young and relatively inexperienced Memphis Grizzlies side as well. As long as the Lakers let their leaders lead the way through their experience, they will be in fantastic shape to win the series.
