First Week:
1/1: vs. Phoenix 107-117 [W] (27-7)
1/3: vs. New Orleans 113-123 [W] (28-7)
1/5: vs. Detroit 99-106 [W] (29-7)
Second Week:
1/7: vs. New York 87-117 [W] (30-7)
1/10: @ Dallas 129-114 [W] (31-7)
1/11: @ Oklahoma City 125-110 [W] (32-7)
Oh my goodness, I have a lot of games to cover after pushing this for awhile now. I apologize for that. I am currently busy with some things. But first and foremost, belated Happy New Year to Laker Nation. I hope you all are off to a good start to 2020 as the Lakers are off to a good start this year. The LakeShow still managed to end 2019 on a high note despite a 5-game losing streak with wins over Portland and Dallas as recapped in Roundup #9. And they're carrying that over by going 6-0 so far, ringing in the New Year.
I watched highlights and most of the portions of the games of the Lakers' first two weeks and January and I figured for this week, I might as well condense these games instead of providing my quick thoughts on each individual game (thanks lazy me).
If we compare, the first week was a week of "unsatisfactory wins." The Lakers had three games against sub .500 teams. If we go back to that Phoenix game on NYD, that game should've been a wire-to-wire blowout. They outscored the Suns 17-43 in the first quarter, putting 74 total points at the half. They should put their foot on the gas and let LeBron and AD rest throughout the 4th. But nope, they let them back in the game before regaining control in the 4th. The same can be said for the games against the Pelicans and Pistons.
Against the Pelicans, it was a homecoming for Zo, B.I., and Josh Hart. There's no denying that they're good young players. They were just put in a bad situation on a team that expects championships out of the gate. Still, it was worth the trade for prime AD. AD burned the Pelicans again with 46 points. Danny Green went off for 25 points going 6-10 from deep. Still, LeBron and AD are not sitting out until about 1 minute left in the 4th when the game is well out of reach. Against the Pistons, the finish of the game had trap game written all over it. Detroit is lifeless team, yet Derrick Rose returned to MVP form with 28 points and almost singlehandedly carried the Pistons to victory. But, the Lakers prevailed with a block party hosted by Davis (8 blocks), JaVale McGee (6 blocks), and Dwight Howard (5 blocks). I should point out KCP and Avery Bradley sustained injuries this game, which explains the lack of production in the back court with the exception of 13 points from Caruso.
The 2nd week was a lot better. I won't go too deep into the Knicks game because honestly, the Knicks are a dumpster fire. It was embarrassing they swept the Lakers last season. But, the tables have turned this time around. The only notable story that game was AD's scary fall while he was going up for a dunk. Luckily, X-Rays came out negative and he's going to miss a few games with a bruised tailbone barring any setback. The back-to-back wins against Dallas and OKC were most impressive as they continued their dominance on the road. The Lakers took the season series against the Mavs. LeBron James went beast mode as a scorer and rebounder with 35 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists sans Anthony Davis. We tend to forget that LeBron can literally play all 5 positions. JaVale and Dwight were in foul trouble this game and that freed up the idea to play 'Bron at Center. Meanwhile, the defense did a good job keeping Luka in check for the first half. He made a meme out of himself, ripping part of his jersey off. The thing about the Mavericks is they live and die by the three and getting Doncic going is the key to that. Once he struggles, their offense fizzles out and that was the case on Friday. Yes, they didn't have Porzingis, but the Lakers didn't have AD. So that cancels out.
Against OKC, no 'Bron. No AD. No problem. Before this game, the Thunder have become the biggest surprise in this stretch of the season winning seven of their eight games and in the 7th seed in the West. This is all because Chris Paul has found the fountain of youth with his scoring and playmaking and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a scorer during for OKC. This game was expected to be tough for the Lakers without their top two stars. That's until Kyle Kuzma re-introduced himself. He must've heard the trade rumors for Bogdan Bogdanovic from Sacramento as he poured 36 points on the Thunder. However, this was a great team effort win. Rondo stepped up with a near triple-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. The bench had solid contributions from Quinn Cook (13 points), Dwight Howard (12 points), Troy Daniels (12 points), and Alex Caruso (11 points). You think the Lakers lack depth? Hold Rob Pelinka's contract extension and promotion to VP of Basketball Operations.
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