The first Sunday of the NBA playoffs offers an exciting line-up of action. The Los Angeles Lakers will take the court first, facing the Memphis Grizzlies live on Sky Sports Arena from 8pmfollowed by a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat.
By means of Mary Naz
12:22, UK, Sunday 16 April 2023
The Los Angeles Lakers will take the court first, facing the Memphis Grizzlies, who have no important defensive personnel, followed by the match between the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Miami Heat. Which of these teams will start the first round of the playoffs with a win?
Lakers vs Grizzlies: Can James and David take advantage of a short-staffed defense?
All eyes will be on LeBron James, and how his team will fare against Ja Morant and the rest of the Memphis cohort.
The fact that these two sides have never met in the postseason before makes it even more interesting. Can the Lakers beat the second-ranked team in the West? Will their presence in the frontcourt be strong enough to withstand the defensive setup of the Grizzlies?
If appropriate, the answer is an unequivocal ‘yes’. Since the trade deadline, the Lakers have strengthened their roster by bringing in Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura, as well as sharing the offensive duties so that James is not left to carry the weight. at work. The fruit of their labor? A record of 19-8 since February.
Austin Reaves has contributed to that with his silky ball-handling and skilled three-point shooting – a department the Lakers have been consistently lacking this season.
Combine all of these factors with Memphis’ undermanned defense and you have a chance to start a seven game streak with a convincing win to kick the critics to the curb.
The Grizzlies aren’t going to let it lie down. They have Defensive Player of the Year contender Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the way, with the crafty duo of Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks as backup.
However, while many players don’t want to dance in the paint with Jackson Jr., there are reasons to believe it might be a good idea to stir things up. The 23-year-old has a history of fouling and it will be very tempting to do so when locking up James’ knees and elbows.
Elsewhere on the Grizzlies’ defense, nothing more. Former reserve Kyle Anderson is now playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams are injured. It all falls to JJJ to act as the glue, while Xavier Tillman and David Roddy should put together a respectable shift in his absence.
It’s worth mentioning that when the Wolves tried this technique on Tuesday and took Karl Anthony-Towns off the floor, in the 12 minutes Minnesota was forced to play without him, the Lakers outscored them by 26 points.
That’s the premise the Lakers need to work on. They don’t have a roster with line-up flexibility, or the ability to rest players in early games. The starting five you see in game one is the starting five in game seven.
Any chance they get to build a scoring margin is important, keeping their players healthy will be equally key.
They have no alternatives lying in their bank. Fortunately for Darvin Ham, as it stands, as well as their opponents, who say it’s in James’ favor.
Bucks vs Heat: league’s best defense can stop Miami in their tracks?
The Bucks sit atop the Eastern Conference as the first team to earn a playoff berth, with the league’s best offense and defense, led by the man at the top of the MVP conversation — all of which points to a deep that playoff run.
This week’s opposition, on the other hand, could not be different in the same form and situation. In fact, the Heat already did only enough at all times to stay afloat, barely straying from .500, and relying on clutch players in clutch moments to secure their seed.
So, what happens when the most average side in the league goes up against the franchise that expects to headline the NBA finals?
First, you can expect a lot of points. It may feel that the Heat’s devotion to their league position calls for a calmness and stability, but their performances have been anything but.
Their preferred method of winning is by spoiling the closing minutes of games. Only the Dallas Mavericks have played more games where the score was within five points in the final five minutes of the regular season, outscoring opponents by nearly 15 points per 100 possessions in clutch moments.
Jimmy Butler was the man who orchestrated the madness. ‘Fourth quarter Butler’ always delivers for his team; That was evident on Tuesday when he dropped 13 of his 31 points in the final 12 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks, including a huge three-pointer with minutes remaining.
Pair that with a physical backcourt presence of Kyle Lowry, Gabe Vincent, and Tyler Herro, and there’s enough power in the paint to do a lot of damage.
Unfortunately, they will match up against a team that has proven to be impenetrable and even on their bad days somehow manages to pull through.
Former DPOTY Marcus Smart leads the way on that front, but there are plenty of other capable players who could suit up as well, most notably Khris Middleton, who led the Bucks’ post-season charge last year.
There are some concerns about the health of his right knee, which could mean reduced minutes. But with Smart, there is less space and time for Herro and Butler to work their magic.
And if all else fails, there’s a Greek chap named Giannis Antetokounmpo, who can help sort things out. Our projections? A win for the Bucks.
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