Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024
Preview and Prediction
The 7-foot-4 center for the Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Edey, seems to be finding his footing in the NBA after a few weeks into his career.
The team's top pick in the 2024 draft, Edey, who was selected ninth overall, showed his worth in Monday's 106-104 loss against the Brooklyn Nets. The former Purdue player, who has been named national player of the year twice, had a season-high of 25 points and 12 rebounds in just 29 minutes on the court. He looked comfortable and strong in the paint, impressing his coach and teammates.
When the Grizzlies face the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, coach Taylor Jenkins will be keeping a close eye on how Edey handles the matchup against one of the league's best low post players, Anthony Davis.
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Davis has been averaging 32.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of 57.1%.
Jenkins was pleased with Edey's performance against Brooklyn, especially in terms of his ability to play in traffic. He also praised his defensive effort, which included four blocked shots.
However, Davis' status for Wednesday's game is uncertain due to a foot injury. The Lakers' coach, J.J. Redick, has made Davis the focal point of their offense, making sure he gets the ball every possession.
Meanwhile, LeBron James, who will turn 40 in December, continues to play at a high level. In Monday's game against the Detroit Pistons, he had 20 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds.
Despite James' contribution, the Lakers have been struggling lately, losing three of their last four games. They had a strong start to the season, with wins against three playoff teams, but have since struggled to maintain consistency. In their most recent game against the Pistons, they allowed 67 points in the first half.
Davis acknowledged the team's inconsistency and emphasized the need to improve if they want to achieve anything this season.
To address their defensive issues, Redick may make some changes to the lineup. Cam Reddish, who played his first rotation minutes of the season against the Pistons, may continue to see more playing time due to his defensive skills and athleticism.
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James praised Reddish for his performance, saying he did exactly what was asked of him and played at a high level.
Los Angeles vs. Memphis Recap JAN 5TH 2021
Mike Conley scored 30 points and the Memphis Grizzlies ended a four-game losing streak with a 110-105 win against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Avery Bradley scored 15, and Joakim Noah finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for Memphis.
LeBron James had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, and Kyle Kuzma finished with 22 points for the Lakers, who went 0-2 on the brief road trip.
James -- who became the first player in NBA history to move into the top 10 in both career assists and career points -- scored on a fast break with a minute left, but missed the free throw on the potential three-point play to keep the deficit at 105-103. The Grizzlies shot 5-for-8 from the free throw line over the final 40 seconds, but the Lakers couldn't pull any closer.
Memphis, which came in last in the NBA in scoring at 100.8 points a game, had 61 points and a five-point lead at the half.
As they did in the second quarter, the Lakers managed to pull back into a tie with Memphis during the third, but couldn't regain a lead they lost in the final minutes of the opening quarter.
Neither team scored the first three-plus minutes of the fourth before Noah's dunk gave Memphis an 89-81 lead with 8:44 left.
The start of the game featured 12 lead changes through the first 5:45. Neither team led by more than four until Conley sank a 3-pointer for a five-point lead with 8.8 seconds left in the first quarter, and the Grizzlies took a 34-31 advantage into the second.
Mike Muscala, playing in his third game with the Lakers since his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 7, made a 3-pointer to get Los Angeles even at 44-44 with 7:31 left in the first half, but they were unable to regain the lead.
A 10-0 run by the Grizzlies gave them their first double-digit advantage at 61-50 with 2:47 left in the half, but the Lakers managed to pull back within 61-56 at the break.