Grimes figures to have an opportunity to fill the two-way role the Lakers need on the perimeter, with his defensive ability potentially being just as important as his production on the offensive end, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Reed could have a hard time cracking San Antonio's Opening Night rotation.
Doncic (hamstring) recently stated he is "100% healthy again," Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
Knecht could receive a larger offensive opportunity following LeBron James' departure, as the Lakers have significant scoring to replace, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports.
LaRavia could see an expanded role following LeBron James' departure, though the Lakers' additions of Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Sandro Mamukelashvili should create added competition for frontcourt minute, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Vanderbilt should continue to provide defensive value after LeBron James' exit from the Lakers, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Jones Garcia (ankle) agreed to a two-way contract with the Spurs on Wednesday, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com.
Kaluma agreed to a two-way deal with the Lakers on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Thybulle agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Lakers on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Lee recorded nine points (3-6 FG, 3-5 3Pt), seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block across 26 minutes in Saturday's 86-81 Las Vegas Summer League win over the Suns.
The Spurs' Devin Vassell is coming off a no-show game at New Orleans, scoring five points in 27 minutes. But he has been incredibly consistent this season, always bouncing back from a low-scoring performance with at least 15 points. This is a good matchup for Vassell as the Lakers rank bottom-5 against spot-up shooters. Vassell scored 15 against the Lakers earlier this season despite shooting 5 of 14. He has cleared this number in seven of his last nine overall and averages 17.0 ppg (on 45.7 percent shooting) on the road.
Returning to Crpyto.com from a challenging road trip that ended 2-1, the Lakers have to feel pretty good about their NBA Cup chances in tonight's quarters vs. the Spurs. As LA was generating momentum earlier in the season, it beat the Spurs 118-116 on this floor back on November 5 when Luke Doncic scored 35 and LeBron James was still out. Wemby was also on the floor and was SA's leading scorer that night, but tonight he's out (as he's been the past few weeks; calf) and LeBron is back in action. The Spurs might have some defensive issues minus Wemby as recent losses at Cleveland and Minnesota suggest, plus a close 135-132 shave on Monday vs. the Pels in New Orleans. Play Lakers.
Luka Doncic has been terrific at home this season. He is averaging 38.1 points per game and shooting 50.2% from the field in Los Angeles. On the road, he has averaged 31.5 points and shot 43.4%. In nine home games, he has scored at least 33 points eight times. That included a 35-point performance versus the Spurs in November. In an important NBA Cup game in which starters should play a ton, Doncic has a favorable opportunity to hit this over.
FanDuel. Dylan Harper is averaging 17.4 points plus assists this season, clearing this line in 9/12 full games he’s played. His usage since returning from injury has bumped upwards, with at least a 25% over the last six games. With Victor Wembanyama still sidelined, and Stephon Castle shaking off some rust from his own injury, I’m expecting another high usage effort from Harper, in his standard 20-24 minutes (with upside for more). The Lakers have struggled against ball-handling guards of late, and I like this game to have some decent pace to it.
