But even considering that minor bump in effectiveness for the Bucks, it is defense that should shine tonight.īoth of these teams have been excellent on the defensive side of the ball, and although the Lakers have improved offensively over the past two weeks, that is buoyed by the competition (or lack thereof) that they have had during that stretch.Įven with the Lakers playing at the league’s second-fastest Pace, the Bucks have slowed things down on offense with the fifth-slowest Offensive Possession Length. Bucks PredictionĪlthough the Bucks anticipate Khris Middleton’s return tonight, we should not expect him to have a massive contribution on a likely minutes restriction. This is a hallmark for the Bucks over the last couple of years and last season against bottom 10 teams they had a +13.2 point differential while allowing just 106.6 points per 100, per Cleaning the Glass. When the Bucks have played teams in the bottom 10 of point differential, they are 8-1 with a +9.7 point differential and have held their opponents to just 105.3 points per 100 possessions. This has improved against the league’s worst teams though. They take care of business on a nightly basis. The Bucks have had an excellent start to the season: They are 15-5, sit fifth in the league in Adjusted Net Rating, and only allow their opponents to score 107.1 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass, best mark in the NBA. The Bucks have indicated that MarJon Beauchamp (illness) and Serge Ibaka (illness) will both be out tonight. While we should expect to see him on a minutes limit, last season he was a plus on both sides of the ball with a +6.1 point differential per 100 possessions in his minutes played. The Bucks have been anxiously awaiting Middleton’s return to provide them with some much-needed scoring and sure up their perimeter rotations. While those are still solid numbers for anyone, it’s less dominant than he has been this season. In five games with the Lakers, AD has averaged 24.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists against Antetokounmpo. The matchup vs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez is a tougher one for Davis. He has a Net Rating of +7.7 when he’s on the floor and has averaged 26.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this season. The offense has not been cohesive this season, but their defense has been able to keep them afloat.Įven on the season as a whole, Anthony Davis has been this team’s best player. Against the top 10 teams in point differential, the Lakers are just 2-5 and score the fewest points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. Their scoring woes are exacerbated when they play strong teams. The Lakers’ overall success has been driven by defense, and they are limiting opponents to just 111.9 points per 100 possessions this season (ninth). Their issues have largely been on the offensive side of the ball, averaging just 110.1 points per 100 possessions (25th in the league). The Lakers have struggled a bit this season with an 8-12 record to go along with their 24th Ranked Adjusted Net Rating of -2.4. Additionally, Lonnie Walker (foot) and Dennis Schroder (personal) are questionable while Troy Brown Jr (foot) is probable. The Lakers have continued to list both Anthony Davis (calf) and LeBron James (adductor) as probable on their injury report but they have generally played even with those injury designations. TRY FOR FREE Defense Is Carrying the Lakers This Season
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