Outlook- Well things are a little more interesting in this game after the last couple of games from the Lakers. Despite what seems to be a solid effort to lose most games both from Byron Scott and Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers have won two in a row. Oh and let's not forget the Lakers are down now Nick Young as well. Not to mention Julius Randle, Kobe Bryant, Xavier Henry, Ronnie Price, and Steve Nash who will miss the remainder of the season. Jordan Clarkson is the name on everyone's tongue though as he's excelled in his role as a starter. Against the Jazz, Jordan exploded for 22 points on 10/16 from the field to go along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He also had a tremendous steal, dunk, and-one over fellow rookie Dante Exum who was taken by the...
'Sources say Karl would love to acquire Ty Lawson—if the rebuilding Nuggets were to make him available—or any other members of his last Nuggets team, which won 57 games in 2012-13. Karl wants players who move the ball and push the tempo, and that could mean wild upheaval on the Kings roster. Even DeMarcus Cousins, their franchise center, is not untouchable, according to a source with insight into Karl’s thinking. “At the trade deadline, everyone was available,” the person said. Including Cousins? “Every single person (on the Kings roster) was available.” Although Karl does not hold a front office title, “he definitely has control” of future personnel decisions, the source said.'
He's a a head case. I know this very well; all of us do. Just throwing it out there. We get a pick outside of the top 3; we have Hill an Lin's bird rights, Karl wants to play a fast-paced open style that Lin would thrive in, they'll need another big and Hill could fit...
Lakers probable starters- Clarkson/Ellington/Kelly/Black/Sacre
Jazz probable starters- Exum/Hayward/Ingles/Favors/Gobert
Outlook- There were some optimistic whispers coming from some of the Lakers media employees about this being a "winnable" game, but I disagree. Not only are the Jazz a more talented team, but they've been really clicking of late. Gordon Hayward has continued his growth and is slowly becoming a franchise level talent. This season he's averaging nearly 20/5/4 with 1.4 steals as well. Derrick Favors has been strong as well averaging 16/8 with 1.5 blocks and 1.5 assists as well. The real story out in Utah though is the development of Rudy Gobert. He was heralded as a defensive minded project that's at least a few years away, but he's really bloomed this year. In his last seven games he's averaging 5.5/10.5 with 4 blocks!
Meanwhile the Lakers are coming off of one of their...
The Lakers were the only NBA team without a representative at the 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, symbolic of their disregard for advanced stats. Two years later, they say they have begun to take steps toward adopting a new approach, but the progress is invisible so far.
Former Lakers head coach Rudy Tomjanovich and his son, Trey, have been providing basic statistical analysis to the front office for years, but it's only recently that the Lakers have invested in an analytics department. GM Mitch Kupchak told ESPN.com that SportVU data has "changed this whole business" and that he has brought aboard a group of four employees to interpret the data.
But the Lakers were slow to embrace SportVU data, not being willing to pay for the cameras before the NBA stepped up and installed them in every arena. And while Kupchak indicated most SportVU analysis is directed toward the coaching staff, with assistant coach Mark Madsen as a conduit, it's hard to find any evidence of Byron...
