Dave McMenamin | ESPN26 de oct, 2023, 17:14 ETLectura: 4 min.
Will the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors become the candidates they promise to be?
Both teams have made changes from last season and can become a major threat to win the title. Sebastián Martínez Christensen explains it.
Bradley Beal continues to have lower back stiffness and Devin Booker will be out due to soreness in his left foot, the team reported.
THE ANGELS – Los Angeles Lakers They will look to bounce back from their season-opening loss by facing a depleted team. Phoenix Suns Thursday. Two of the three figures of the Suns, Bradley Beal y Devin Bookerwill not participate in Los Angeles’ first home game.
Bradley Bealacquired in an offseason trade with the Washington Wizards, also missed Phoenix’s 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday due to lower back stiffness. Devin Booker He shined in the victory over the Warriors, leading the team in points (32) and assists (8), but will be out against the Lakers with a sore left foot.
In their alignment, the Suns They will be able to have Kevin Durant, who is 37 points away from passing Hakeem Olajuwon for 12th place on the all-time scoring list.
Devin Booker, KD and Beal, on the bench during a preseason game between the Suns and Pistons. Photo: Getty
“I think when KD fails, it’s more because he failed,” the Los Angeles guard said. Lakers, Austin Reaves, at shootaround on Thursday when asked about guarding the Suns star. “You can play great defense, you can get good competition, you can compete and try to make it harder for him, but he’s 7 feet tall and has a 7-foot-15 wingspan. So every time he shoots, especially for me his shot is unstoppable. .
“I think I saw it was in the Finals when he was in Golden State, they paused at the top of his shot and he was throwing it like 10-2 or something. So he’s throwing it over the rim. To me it’s impossible get to him, especially because I’m trying to play good defense. But you just try to make it difficult for him. He’s a world-class player for a reason.”
Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets 119-107 on opening night.
The two main stories to emerge from the loss were that Anthony Davis was held scoreless in the second half and that the Lakers looked ineffective when LeBron James was on the bench.
Davis explained that the Nuggets targeted him twice after halftime and he looked to get past open shooters, but added, “I’ve got to shoot more,” after going 0-for-6 after the break.
“Sometimes it’s tough because you want to stay spaced and give it a chance when teams double up, no matter who it is, ‘Bron’ or AD, so they have that opportunity to pass it,” Reaves said when asked how the Lakers can adjust. . “I feel like we need to cause a little more confusion at the back so teams can’t attack.”
Beyond creating movement on offense, Los Angeles’ role players will have to take into account the team’s plan to limit James’ minutes to the 28-30 range this season.
The Lakers outscored Denver by seven in the 29 minutes James played in the first game, meaning they were outscored by 19 in the 19 minutes James was on the bench.
“When he’s off the court, I have to be the guy he is offensively and defensively,” Rui Hachimura, who trained with James in the offseason, said Thursday. “He’s running on the court, he has the physical presence to do that. So I have to do it more, especially when he’s off the court. That’s what the team wants.”
2023-10-26 21:14:00
#Bradley #Beal #Devin #Booker #Lakers
