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Los Angeles Lakers: Game vs. Phoenix Suns is compelling for both teams

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 10: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers waits during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on November 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 10: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers waits during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on November 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers take on the surprising Phoenix Suns after losing their second game of the year in what is bound to be a compelling match up.

The Los Angeles Lakers could not win forever and were handed their second loss of the season, which ended a seven-game winning streak, by the Toronto Raptors. Today the Lakers are back in action in the first half of a back-to-back against the surprising Phoenix Suns.

The Suns have been one of the worst teams in the league this decade but have enjoyed a hot start that seems to be signaling that the terrible times are coming to a close.

Phoenix is 6-3 on the season and has benefitted from getting an actual point guard in Ricky Rubio. Devin Booker is beginning to take that next step, Kelly Oubre has been surprisingly good (averaging 17.2 points per game) and Aron Baynes is playing solid in DeAndre Ayton’s absence with 15.8 points per game.

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There is still a lot of basketball left to play but thus far, the Suns are showing all of the right signs of being much better than we anticipated this season. They may not be a playoff team just yet, but they could be frisky as the year comes to a close.

That is what makes the Suns’ Tuesday night matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers so compelling. While they have already beaten the likes of the 76ers and Clippers, getting a win over the best team in the Western Conference thus far would be huge for the Suns’ moral moving forward.

As for the Los Angeles Lakers, it will be interesting to see how they respond from their second loss. A blowout win is a great sign and proves that the Lakers deserve to be near the top of the totem pole. An ugly loss could be concerning, considering the team has not had the toughest schedule and has not been great offensively.

That is also what makes this game so compelling—it is going to be a clash of two different styles and it will show us whether or not the Lakers’ defense is as good as it has been so far.

The Suns are a somewhat high-tempo team, ranked seventh in pace to play, that is at its best when making jump shots. The team ranks fifth in three-point percentage, 11th in three-pointers made, however, Phoenix also ranks 10th in the league in points in the paint.

The Suns are a team that, when things are going right, can score from anywhere on the court. They have the ultimate heat-check guy in Devin Booker, who could swing the decision of a game if he is feeling his shot on any given night.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are a team that has played really good defense but has not been great offensively this season. The Lakers rank 25th in points per game (108.4) this season while ranking dead-last in three-pointers made per game (9.2).

That is a problem in 2019. The Lakers can score in the paint, ranking fourth in the league, but need to be able to space the floor to keep up with the shooting playoff teams in the league. We saw how this could be a problem against the Raptors.

And as good as the defense has been, you can’t win a title by being the 25th-ranked team in points per game, not in today’s generation. The only team this century to rank lower than 20th in points per game and win the title is the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons.

There has only been one other team (2004-05 San Antonio Spurs) to rank below 15th and win the title.

The year is still young and the Los Angeles Lakers can make right but it will be interesting to see how the offense responds if the Suns get hot and open to a moderate lead. Without the consistent shooting, the Lakers may not be able to get back in the game.

However, the one area that they will dominate in is rebounding the basketball. The team may rank 21st in the league in rebounds per game but the Suns rank 28th and allow the sixth-most per game.

With the size of Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, the Lakers should be able to clean the boards and give themselves plenty of second-chance opportunities.

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If they can succeed in doing that, then they will win this game. However, if not, this game is going to be closer than people may expect and may expose for the second game in a row the Los Angeles Lakers’ biggest flaw: offense.

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