The Lakers disappointing 0-3 Start
The Los Angeles Lakers are off to their second 0-3 start in the Lebron James era and their appears to be no silver lining. Despite having 3 future hall of famers in James, Davis, and Westbrook it is clear that the roster as presently constructed is not working. The glaring issues are obvious both on the stat sheet and when watching them on the court as they are by far the worst 3 point shooting team in the league. Their dreadful 21.2% from three exemplifies the lack of identity of this current Lakers team as they don't appear to have an aspect of the game they can rely on consistently.
Looking ahead to next week, the Lakers will have another tough slate of games as they take on the Denver Nuggets twice along with the Timberwolves. When looking ahead at their schedule an 0-6 start not only seems possible but predictable as the Lakers issues do no appear to be fixable in the short term.
The return of Zion
The New Orleans Pelicans showed why they deserve to be considered a playoff contender as they dominated the Brooklyn Nets in the Barclay Center. The future looks bright as the impact of a healthy Zion Williamson on the court for the Pelicans was shown right away. Zion looks as explosive as he did when he last played in the 20-21 season while dropping 25 points and 9 rebounds in his first game back. The Pelicans were a Kelly Olynyk game winner away from starting the season 3-0 as they fell to the surprising 3-0 Jazz in overtime. Despite the loss, Zion has had a solid start to the season averaging 22 points, 6.7 rebound, and 2.3 assists per game
Next week, the Pelicans have a tough 3 game stretch where they take on the Mavericks, Suns, and Clippers. They also face their first bit of adversity this season as both Ingram and Williamson suffered injuries in their last game that could cost them both to miss time.
The 76ers surprising 0-3 Start
The 76ers superstar duo in James Harden and Joel Embiid are averaging a combined 53 points per game yet they still find themselves at 0-3 to start the year. Although they both have been impressive statistically, the duo has had issues of playing well in tandem with each other. The lack of synergy is not limited to their two stars as the team has struggled to find efficiency on offense or defense. Their losses in their first two games were not overly disappointed as they lost to two quality teams in the Celtics and Bucks. However, a 114-105 loss to a young rebuilding Spurs team at home will no doubt cause major concern for a Sixers team with championship aspirations.
Their 2nd week of the season started on a positive note as the 76ers earned their first win of the season defeating the Indiana Pacers 120-106. Embiid and Harden played well in the same game for the first time this season with Harden dropping 29 points and Embiid scoring 26. The Sixers will look to start their first win streak of the season as they play back to back games against the Raptors before closing out the week against the Bulls.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reacts to the Lakers 0-3 start
Source: ESPN YouTube Channel
Comentários