There were two cracking games in the NBA early on Friday morning: the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks triumphed against the Philadelphia 76ers. Will D’Angelo Russell still be a problem for the Lakers? Three stars show that class has no age! The insights into the top games.
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NBA: Will D’Angelo Russell be a problem for the Lakers?
A rule in basketball that has been used for decades says: Whoever scores is right! If the ball flies through the ring, the best result has been achieved. However, this is currently too rarely the case with one star of the Los Angeles Lakers: D’Angelo Russell. The point guard, who came to the Staples Center at the beginning of the year as part of the Russell Westbrook trade, has now had a weak start to the season after an inconsistent playoff run.
In principle, after two games in the recently started 2023/2024 NBA season, this is of course not a big problem. But Russell came from an extremely weak playoff round against the Denver Nuggets, in which the 27-year-old was not a factor at all. In the sweep against the eventual champion, the Lakers’ number 1 only scored double digits once and only saw 15 minutes in the deciding Game 4.
In the season opener against the Nuggets, Russell had 11 points (4/12 FG), and in the 100:95 win against the Phoenix Suns he had 14 points (6/16 FG). Especially from downtown, Russell was cold against the Suns and only hit one of his seven three-point attempts. Against the Nuggets he took the third-most throw attempts of the Lakers and against Phoenix the second-most. But Russell is not the Lakers’ second option and, with Austin Reaves, who is developing well, he will probably no longer even be the third option in the Los Angeles team in the medium term.
The second pick of the 2015 draft is in love with pull-up throws, whether from the midrange or behind the three-point line, and is hitting them worse and worse. His efficiency clearly needs to improve, especially if he takes more shots than a certain LeBron James. If this turnaround doesn’t happen, Russell could become a problem for the Los Angeles Lakers – especially with a view to the postseason.
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NBA: LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard prove that class has no age
The names that dominated NBA night have been circulating in the media for several years. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard. All over 30 years old, some already suffering from multiple injuries. British actor Sean Connery once said: “Some people age, others mature!” There are few proverbs that hit the nail on the head so much. Here is a short recap of what the supposedly older people did last night:
NBA: LeBron James ignites the turbo in the final phase
For long periods of the Lakers’ game against the Suns, it looked like an unspectacular game from the “King”. Before the last quarter he had twelve points, the Lakers were behind by ten. But when it became important, the now 38-year-old showed what sets him apart. In crunch time, James made several inimitable moves to the basket with incredible power and scored the supposedly easy points. It’s his 21st season in the NBA, that can’t be emphasized enough, and yet James is still a player who can make a difference – he showed that against the Suns with 21 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds
NBA: Kevin Durant carries the Suns almost to the finish line
After 1,775 days, LeBron met Kevin Durant again in the regular season for the first time. Now 35 years old and stopped three years ago by a ruptured Achilles tendon, Durant shows almost no signs of aging. Against the Lakers, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal were injured and Durant had to do it alone. In the end he had 39 points and 11 rebounds without much support from his teammates. The Suns suffered a loss due to a weak final quarter, but it was definitely not due to Durant.
Lakers vs. Suns: The stats leaders at a glance
Category Lakers Suns Points Davis (30) Durant (39) Rebounds Davis (12) Durant (11) Assists James (9) Allen (4) Steals Davis, Vincent (3 each) Nurkic (3) Blocks Davis (3) Durant, Little, Okogie (1 each)
NBA: Damian Lillard celebrates a dream debut for the Bucks
At 33 years old, Lillard is almost a youngster in the list so far, but he also showed performance again straight away. In his regular-season debut for the Bucks, Dame outscored the Philadelphia 76ers with 39 points, 8 assists and 4 assists. The point guard made a total of 17 free throws, all of which he hit, and was almost impossible to defend for the Sixers. What a debut!
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NBA: Kelly Oubre Jr. could be one of the steals of free agency
27 points, 9 of his 11 shots hit, and also highly efficient from behind the three-point line with 5 of 6 successful three-point attempts. Kelly Oubre Jr. showed in the Philadelphia 76ers’ first game what will make him so valuable to the Sixers – and why he could be one of the steals of free agency.
Last season, the 27-year-old put up over 20 points for the Charlotte Hornets. Such statistics are sometimes called “Empty Calories” because the wing impressed less with his efficiency than with his pure will to make 17 throw attempts per game. In the summer we went into unrestricted free agency and the former Hornet remained without a club for a long time until Philly struck!
For the minimum, Oubre Jr. will play for the 76ers this season. Philly was hoping for a microwave from the bench, which also has all sorts of good defensive skills. He just always lacks the motivation to work equally hard at both ends of the field. Oubre Jr. showed these skills against the Bucks, and if he maintains this motivation, he can become an extremely important player off the bench for the Sixers – who also has the skills to finish a game. That would make it an absolute steal for just under $2.8 million!
2023-10-27 15:13:46
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