D’Angelo Russell Leads Lakers to a Massive Victory as LeBron James Gets a Breather – 3 Key Takeaways From Grizzlies Thrashing

The Los Angeles Lakers just improved to 2-0 in the In-Season Tournament after a convincing 134-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at the crypto.com Arena. Coming into the game off a narrow win over the Portland Trail Blazers, and with LeBron James’ availability a “true gametime decision”, the Lakers showed up today, at almost full strength and with guns blazing.

The Memphis Grizzlies, without their talisman Ja Morant, had no reply to the Lakers’ onslaught. With Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard going off injured, and Jaren Jackson Jr. misfiring, they were dominated from start to finish during a franchise night for the Purple and Gold. Here are three key takeaways from the game.

1. AD gunning for DPOY

Anthony Davis has been on a tear this season. Despite a poor season opener, where he went scoreless in the second half, the Lakers Forward is playing like he has something to prove. His defense was a major reason that the Grizzlies were restricted to 34 points in the paint throughout the game. With 19 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and a game-high 6 blocks, The Brow is ready to claim the Defensive Player Of the Year at the end of the season. The highlight of his game was when he registered two consecutive blocks on reigning DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr, leaving the fans and commentators in awe.

As Austin Reaves joked after their previous win, “I saw the ‘fro back tonight so I knew this was gonna be a big day for him.” The Fro may have imbued Davis with special powers because it seemed like he could do no wrong today. A clinical defensive performance, accompanied by a routine offensive night, Davis played like the version of him we saw in the Bubble. A player capable of scaring entire offenses on his own, and a monster on the pick and roll, he will want to maintain this rich vein of form he’s in if he wants to be the face of the Lakers in the future.

2. Well-deserved rest for LeBron James

When the Lakers lost their season opener to the Nuggets, Darvin Ham said they would restrict LeBron James to under 28 minutes per game. Since that announcement, only two games has that held. Their win against the Blazers, where LBJ was injured (0 minutes), and tonight’s game against the Grizzlies where he played only 22 minutes.

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A large reason for that was the team stepping up, and playing the way that Lakers fans have expected them to. 7 of the 10 players that had minutes today scored in double figures, with Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves contributing 23 and 16 respectively off the bench. Jaxon Hayes had a few highlight plays, and Cam Reddish was near automatic from the corner three. The Lakers also equaled their franchise record of 22 three-pointers made in a single night. If the supporting cast continues to play like today, LBJ might actually be able to comply with the 28-minute restriction.

3. Grizzlies without Ja are not fun to watch

Ja Morant’s antics have been well documented, and the impact of those antics is being felt by the entire Grizzlies organization. Currently bottom of the Western Conference, the Grizzlies sit at 2-9 for the season. The only team with a worse record is the Pistons, at 2-10. With his return due to be on the 19th of December, it may come too late for the team from Memphis. They are on the brink of elimination from the In-Season Tournament, and another month without their All-Star guard will not be something they look forward to.

Combined with injuries to Marcus Smart, Derrick Rose, and Luke Kennard, their offensive and defensive units have taken massive hits. Unless Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr can string together a couple of wins to boost some confidence, this team will end the season as a lottery team.

Is today’s game enough proof that Anthony Davis can replace James as the face of the Lakers? Are the Grizzlies in trouble without Ja Morant? What are your thoughts after this game?

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