The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in game this past week and have advanced to the first round of the play-offs where they will face the young and hungry Memphis Grizzlies.
NBA Play-Offs
Grizzlies v Lakers
16 April 2023 – 21:00
Game 1
The Grizzlies are a young, focused and energetic side, They have two NBA All-Stars in Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr in the side which gives them that competitive edge.
Throughout the season they have been classified as cocky and boastful, which can be true considering they finished the regular season with 51 wins and 31 losses, only finishing second behind the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference.
The young squad consists of very versatile and talented players, Morant being one of them. The point guard won Rookie of the Year in 2020 when he took the league by storm and he hasn’t stopped since, averaging 26.2 Points per game this season, he is one to watch.
The LA Lakers have had to do it the hard way this season, after defeating the Timberwolves in the Play-In Tournament this week. They head to Memphis for Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs. After 2 wins and 10 losses in the first 12 games of the season, the Lakers had a 0.3% chance of getting into the playoffs.
But the side, led by Lebron James, were able to defy the odds. However, after a turbulent season, the Lakers will be full of optimism and energy as they get ready to start the seven-game series against the Grizzlies on Saturday.
The side has a very strong core of experienced players, previous champions, young players full of potential and of course James himself.
Besides surpassing Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s all-time record scorer title this season, Lebron has averaged 28.9 points per game and 6.8 assists per game and was a key component in the Lakers’ play-off push.
The Lakers will need to have consistency if they are to beat the Grizzlies over a seven-game series, which is something they lacked all season… but stranger things have happened at play-off time.
Verdict: Grizzlies 6/10
Experience is one thing, but consistency wins you games, especially over a seven-game series. The Memphis Grizzlies are an exciting and talented side that has all the ingredients to go all the way this season, especially after crashing out against the eventual champions last season.
They gave the Golden State Warriors a run for their money, the Lakers would need to consistently be on their A-game for them to win, which I do not see happening, This could be over in five games.
