On Friday night, the 8-4 Los Angeles Lakers will look to right the ship following a 121-92 decimation at the hands of the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. The reigning champs improved to a 12-1 record on the year.
Now, in an Emirates NBA Cup competition, LA will square off against one of the Western Conference’s most miserable franchises, the No. 15-seeded New Orleans Pelicans (2-9), without All-Stars Zion Williamson or Dejounte Murray, plus prolific guard Jordan Poole. The Lakers will be missing 21-time All-NBA superstar forward LeBron James with his lingering sciatica injury and reserve guard Gabe Vincent due to an ankle sprain, but have the rest of their rotation pieces available.
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At least the Lakers are fairly well-rested. The Thunder game on Wednesday was over by the fourth quarter. Only three Los Angeles players suited up for 30 or more minutes, topped out with Rui Hachimura’s 32:53.
Here are our expert predictions.
How Will New Orleans Generate Its Offense?
Alex Kirschenbaum: The Pelicans have been generating their offense by committee in the absence of Williamson, Poole and Murray. Wing Trey Murphy III has been New Orleans’ leading healthy scorer, averaging 18.5 points on .435/.352/.914 shooting splits, 6.8 boards, 3.7 dimes and 1.3 steals. While he’s been seen mostly as a defense-first forward, the 6-foot-8 pro seems to have built out his game on the other end.
Look for New Orleans to feature Murphy, sure, but the team also has four other healthy scorers in double digits, with rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen looking solid, plus All-Defensive forward Herbert Jones and vet Saddiq Bey.
Which Deandre Ayton Will Show Up?
Alex Kirschenbaum: The 7-footer out of Arizona has been a bit trick-or-treat for Los Angeles this season. When Lakers guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are looking to feature Ayton as a lob threat, he’s used his size and strength to body dudes in the paint and put up 20-point double-doubles.
But he can also check out a bit, as he has across the Lakers’ first three games of this ongoing five-contest road trip. For the road trip, Ayton is averaging a paltry 10.3 points, 5.3 boards and zero blocks. He’s got to do better. Thankfully, he’ll be jumping against the undersized Kevon Looney.
Will Los Angeles Win?
Aaron Coloma: The Lakers need to bounce back after the Thunder blew them out Wednesday, and have the perfect opportunity to do so against an underwhelming Pelicans squad. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will continue to put in work on the offensive side of the ball as the Lakers cruise to a win.
Lakers 124, Pelicans 103.
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Patrick Warren: After getting humbled by the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 29-point loss, the Lakers should bounce back against the reeling New Orleans Pelicans, winners of just two games this season. The Lakers made just 40.3 percent of their shots against the Thunder, including a combined 11-for-32 performance from guards Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. Look for those two to play with an edge on Friday night.
Lakers 128, Pelicans 104.
Alex Kirschenbaum: Just 11 games into its season, this is a Pelicans team seemingly desperate to be put out of its misery. Rumors have already been swirling about the tenuous job security of New Orleans head coach Willie Green, who just two seasons ago had been guiding Zion Williamson and co. to a 49-win season and a playoff berth. The Lakers do struggle against long athletes, and New Orleans has a few such pieces, but the team is too incoherently organized to pose much of a threat against the aggressive scoring of a dialed-in Doncic and Reaves.
Lakers 116, Pelicans 98.
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