Cleveland at L.A. Lakers
Time: 8 PM CT (ESPN)
Spread: CLE -2
Total: 229
Odds c/o 5dimes
The Cleveland Cavaliers and L.A. Lakers will square off for the first time since the teams’ major February trade which sent Isaiah Thomas to the L.A. Lakers and Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance, Jr. to the Cavaliers. LeBron James and the Cavs are 2-point favorites over the red-hot Lakers.
The Lakers have been surging lately, but are still seven games behind No. 8 L.A. Clippers in the standings, and unlikely to make the postseason this year. Nevertheless, as winners of six of its past 10, the Lakers will try to defend its home court where it has posted an above.-.500 record this season at 16-15.
The Lakers will be in hot pursuit of James this offseason as a free agent, perhaps impressing the King with a victory at Staples Center would be the start of a good sales pitch.
CLEVELAND
Much ado about the fate of free-agent-to-be LeBron James: Teams are already posting billboards and beginning their recruiting campaigns, while this season wanes and it could possibly be LeBron’s last in his home state. James got his way at the trade deadline when the Cavs basically restructured its entire team, but the results have been mostly mediocre. It may be the time in James career when he finally realizes that he cannot win without two superstars (like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) by his side.
While that is no knock on Kevin Love, James’ Cavs this year are less talent than the teams he played with in Miami, and though he did win a title two years ago, few are expecting a return to the Finals, never mind an improbable win over the stacked Golden State Warriors.
It is no fault of James, though, really. He has played excellent basketball and is still arguably the most dominant offensive force in the league. His stats obviously support that, as he is averaging 27 points, eight rebounds and nine assists per game while posting an extra-worldly PER of 28.0.
Love has been a solid second-fiddle with 17.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, but in order for Cleveland to really contend, he would nearly have to revert to the form he once showed as a Minnesota Timberwolf. The Cavs did make a couple nice additions at the trade deadline by adding former Cavalier legend Larry Nance’s son, Larry Jr., as well as Jordan Clarkson.
The Cavs also parted ways with the declining Wade, sending him back to Miami to finish his career. Perhaps the most clutch additions were those of George Hill and Rodney Hood, but neither has been outstanding since coming to Cleveland. The Cavs now have the odd task of adding so many players and trying to gel and reach form in a matter of a month and a half before the postseason.
One-time MVP Derrick Rose is firmly out of the picture, and perhaps now Cleveland is done adding washed up veterans in hopes to keep LeBron afloat. Maybe the Cavs just let LBJ walk and rebuild their team around Hood and Nance, and whatever lottery picks they obtain with the pick it picked up at the deadline.
To be certain, it would require a near-miracle for James and company to usurp the Warriors’ title hopes, and few are picking Cleveland in any respective series against Toronto or Boston. The ship has simply sailed for the Cavs; most likely, anyway.
Lakers Notes:
The L.A. Lakers had its five-game win streak snapped the last outing with a 103-108 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Since that juncture, L.A. has split games against the Orlando Magic (108-107 win) and Denver (a 125-116 loss).
Even so, the Lakers have been playing their best ball of the season. The Lakers hung 131 points on the defensive-oriented Miami Heat in a 131-113 win, as Isaiah Thomas recaptured some of his mojo in scoring 29 points on 11 of 20 shooting.
Power forward Julius Randle also had a big game against the Heat, scoring 25 points and grabbing six boards while starting and playing 34 minutes. Former starter Kyle Kuzma came off the bench behind Randle to hit 6 of 10 from the floor in 28 minutes en route to 16 points. Randle had 25 points and three assists in 33 minutes in the 116-112 win over San Antonio.
The Lakers did start Lonzo Ball at the 1-spot, and the rookie came through with eight points, six steals, seven assists and six rebounds while posting a team-best +24 in his 34 minutes on the court against the Heat. Ball does so many of the small things, and he is really making an impact as the numbers reflect the Lakers playing better ball with the former UCLA guard on the court. Ball has averaged 7.5 points and six assists in three games since returning from injury, but his game against the Heat was probably his best since returning from injury. Against San Antonio, Ball had 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds while shooting 6 of 10 from three-point range, a supposed weakness of his, but an aspect that has been coming along.
After the Heat contest, Miami guard Dwyane Wade was impressed, and called himself a “fan” of Lonzo Ball, and Luke Walton said he was “the best player on the court, though he only shot five times,” adding, “He is a unique player who can impact the game all over.”
The Lakers may have a long-shot to make the postseason, but with the pieces coming together and the way the team is playing, the future is probably far brighter far sooner than most have anticipated. Ball is the real deal, even if the hype from his father has cast a light on him far brighter than he wanted to deal with.
