The Los Angeles Lakers aren't going to win the title this year. Neither are the Utah Jazz. Last season both of these clubs struggled their way to the #14 and #15 seed in the Western Conference. It was rock bottom for one of these two clubs, and evidence suggests that it was the Jazz. LA won only 2 more games, and had built a team around star players, Hall of Famers when they are eligible, but players who couldn't be relied upon to be ready to play when the games starter.
Tonight these two teams will play again; the Lakers with the sting of their 33 point loss fresh in their minds, will no doubt try to play better. They will have Jeremy Lin back, who does make a huge difference for their team. Not just in over talent in the starting line-up, but also for their rotations as the game goes on. It's a different game between these two teams. Different in all ways, except, it's another Lakers home game in the preseason, and their team is still missing five rotation players.
Kobe Bryant is going to be Kobe Bryant. But Alec Burks is going to be back for the Jazz, and Government Name is someone that these injured Lakers have little chance of stopping. It will be his first game back since Game 2 of the preseason, and even with the rust, he's still going to be doing those things out there on the court that Quin Snyder loves.
Jazz fans love it too. But you know what else Jazz fans love? They love Bryon Scott 's new offense with the Lakers that apparently shun the three point shot. The Jazz lost their first game of the preseason (to the cross town Clippers) partly because guys like Jamal Crawford and Spencer Hawes were bombing from deep. If the Lakers continue to not take the deep shot that only makes them that much easier to cover.
I predict that with Lin back in the lineup they will attempt a few more threes than the 5 they took against Utah last week. We'll see.
Utah Jazz | Los Angeles Lakers | ||
1 | Trey Burke | PG | Jeremy Lin |
2 | Alec Burks | SG | Kobe Bryant |
3 | Gordon Hayward | SF | Wes Johnson |
4 | Enes Kanter | PF | Carlos Boozer |
5 | Derrick Favors | C | Jordan Hill |
6 | Dante Exum | PG | Ronnie Price |
7 | Ian Clark | SG | Wayne Ellington |
8 | Rodney Hood | SF | Jabari Brown |
9 | Jeremy Evans | PF | Julius Randle |
10 | Rudy Gobert | C | Ed Davis |
INJ | Trevor Booker | INJ | Steve Nash |
INJ | Jordan Clarkson | ||
INJ | Nick Young | ||
INJ | Xavier Henry | ||
INJ | Ryan Kelly |
EDIT: Burke out, Exum in.
#UTAatLAL RT @Lockedonsports: Dante Exum starts tonight for the Utah Jazz with Trey Burke resting
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 20, 2014
Basically, if you want, you can boil down this equation to "The Jazz have Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward and Trey Burke, and Alec Burks, and the Lakers don't." And really, there will be no excuse if the Jazz lose this game.
GO JAZZ GO!
Poll
Who is going to win tonight?
This poll is closed
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71%
The Utah Jazz (4-1)
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28%
The Los Angeles Lakers (1-3)