The two best teams in the NBA are scheduled to collide on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers will look to bounce back from their loss against the Indiana Pacers during a matchup with reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. The crew from the Cream City is coming off a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday and both teams currently own records of 24-4.
When Los Angeles and Milwaukee tip-off, all eyes throughout the Association will be on this marquee event that could potentially be an NBA Finals preview. In anticipation of this heavyweight showdown between the two teams with the best records in the league, below are 23 questions about the Lakers and Bucks heading into game.
No. 23: Who wins the battle of LeBron vs Giannis?
LeBron has optimized his game to lead the league in assists this season while helping Anthony Davis make a smooth transition to the west coast. In most years, that would be enough to win an MVP. But Giannis hasn’t done anything to lose the title he secured last season. He is averaging 31.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and five assists while attempting a career-high five 3-pointers per game. It will be interesting to see which superstar comes out on top this Thursday.
No. 22: How do the Bucks guard both LeBron and Anthony Davis at the same time?
Giannis is a monster. With his size and strength alone he can slow down LeBron or A.D. for stretches. But he can’t slow down both of them at the same time. Which Bucks defender is assigned to guard whoever Antetokounmpo doesn’t between James and Davis? Do they use Ersan Ilyasova to potentially defend either of the two Laker superstars? Do the Bucks call Brook Lopez’s number? That matchup could decide the game.
No. 21: Who shoots better from three as a team?
The Milwaukee Bucks are shooting 35.8% from 3-point range as a team. Khris Middleton and Kyle Korver are knocking them down for Milwaukee but they will need more consistency from the rest of the roster as the season goes on. Meanwhile, the Lakers are shooting 35.7% from deep. The edge in this one might come down to whoever shoots better from distance.
No. 20: Which unsung hero makes most plays that impact winning?
Does Donte DiVincenzo hit two momentum shots in a row during a critical stretch of the game on Thursday? Does Dwight Howard block four shots off the bench while recording 10 points and 10 rebounds? Whichever team’s unsung hero can make the biggest impact will go a long way towards winning.
No. 19: Which superstar shoots better from the free throw line down the stretch?
Giannis was 11-of-16 from the free throw line against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday and is shooting 60% on the season. LeBron is shooting 67% from the charity stripe and connected on just 4-of-8 FT’s against Indiana. This game could be decided in the 4th quarter by the superstar who shoots it best when nobody’s guarding him.
No. 18: Can Kentavious Caldwell-Pope keep it going?
At 38.4% shooting from 3-point range, Caldwell-Pope is one of the leading marksmen from long range for the Lakers this season. He’s averaging nine points, two assists and two rebounds. During the month of November he shot it 44% from deep while averaging 10 points per night so far in December. Will he have that same impact during a potential Finals preview in Milwaukee?
No. 17: What can we say about Dwight Howard at this point in the season?
Nothing bad yet. For those who were waiting to criticize Howard for being a locker room headache you will need to keep waiting. Dwight has fit in with this team while averaging seven points and seven rebounds to go along with just over one block per game off the bench. He’s everything that Rob Pelinka and the Lakers were hoping for when they signed him this summer. Even though Dwight’s contract isn’t fully guaranteed until January 10, he is certainly holding up his end of the bargain so far.
No. 16: How does JaVale McGee matchup with Brook Lopez?
JaVale McGee and Brook Lopez are two NBA centers who have been putting in work for a long time. McGee has managed to bring a championship pedigree acquired during his time as an older veteran with the Golden State Warriors to this Lakers group. Brook, meanwhile, has transformed his game to become an inside-out threat while averaging 9.6 points and five rebounds. The center battle will be an interesting matchup to observe especially early in the contest.
No. 15: What’s next in the Kyle Korver story?
Last time out against the Dallas Mavericks Kyle Korver scored 17 points. He was a contributing member of Allen Iverson’s Philadelphia 76ers when he first broke into the league and now Korver is a 38-year-old sniper who continues to be a threat from behind-the-arc. The former teammate of LeBron’s with the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to stay hot against L.A.
No. 14: Does the 14-straight road wins streak ending matter for L.A.?
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks and extended their road winning streak to 14 games. However, on Tuesday they fell to a gritty Indiana Pacers team and said streak is no longer. Will there be any hangover to the streak ending? Can Los Angeles start a new streak in Milwaukee?
No. 13: How is the health of Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley?
Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley had their minutes restriction increased to 25 on Sunday. They then played around 25 minutes each against the Pacers on Tuesday. Could they potentially extend those minutes against the Bucks? If not, will that mean more opportunities for Alex Caruso? We should hear the latest on from the injury report leading up to the game.
No. 12: Caruso is not a starter, but is he living up to the hype?
If you thought Alex Caruso could be the starting point guard for the Lakers during the offseason does it mean he’s falling short of expectations since he hasn’t started a game yet? Quick answer is no. He needs to shoot it closer to 40% from distance but Caruso is positively impacting winning so far when he’s out there.
No. 11: When will Frank Vogel meet any adversity on the court?
Things have gone pretty well for Frank Vogel this season. He has gotten along with LeBron and there have been no issues in the locker room throughout his short tenure. He’s also stacking more wins than most Lakers fans expected even with the less-than-stellar strength of schedule to open the year. Does he need to out-coach Budenholzer to keep the good times rolling?
No. 10: Who wins the Budenholzer vs. Vogel matchup?
These are two coaches that people were really high on during their first tour of duty on the sidelines in Atlanta and Indiana, respectively. After achieving success in those stops, they are now looking to win even bigger this second time around. Both seem to have learned from whatever didn’t work before and present a formidable matchup on the dry erase board.
No. 9: Is Anthony Davis negatively impacted by the ankle injury that kept him out against the Pacers?
Anthony Davis did not play against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Will the ankle injury that kept him out in Indiana slow A.D. down against Giannis and company? If there is any threat that might happen it’s better the Lakers keep him on the shelf to heal before coming back–regardless of how many people will be watching on Thursday.
No. 8: Does LeBron go over or under 11 assists against Bucks?
If LeBron dishes out 12 assists I think the Bucks are in trouble. The Lakers are at their best when the ball is moving and if LeBron is dishing out a high volume of dimes than his teammates are hitting shots. When that happens, L.A. is very dangerous.
No. 7: Does LeBron go over or under 26 points?
Does King James score more than his season average of 25.9 in Milwaukee? If he has a double-double with at least 26 points I’d say that’s a good indicator of a Lakers win. So to answer the question directly–yes, he does go over 26.
No. 6: Could both A.D. and LeBron outplay Giannis statistically in this game?
Sure, it could happen that Giannis scores 26 points while A.D. and LeBon combine for 60. They combined for 70 already this season. But if both of the superstar Lakers do outscore Antetokounmpo that could send a message throughout the Eastern Conference.
No. 5: What does it mean if Giannis totally dominates all phases of this game?
If Giannis is head and shoulders the best player on the floor this Thursday, does that put him on a crash course for a second-straight MVP? If he outplays both LeBron and AD while turning in a well-rounded stat line on his way to big a win that would look pretty compelling in the race for most valuable player.
No. 4: Who will win more MVP’s during their career—LeBron or Giannis?
LeBron James has won four MVP awards. He won his NBA MVPs in 2009-10 and 2012-13. LeBron was 24 when he secured his first most valuable player award. Giannis turned 25 last season when he brought home his first trophy. Could Thursday be a legacy game of sorts in terms of determining this season’s award and ultimately who finishes with more?
No. 3: Will Giannis be a two-time MVP?
It’s almost like a confirmation vote on the fact that you were right the previous year. Steve Nash, LeBron James and Stephen Curry are a few of the players who have been back-to-back MVP award winners. Could Giannis become one of those MVP’s this season?
No. 2: Back to the game on Thursday—who wins?
Lakers by 3.
No. 1: Do they win because of LeBron?
The outcome will be decided by more of a 55-45 split between LeBron and A.D. The Lakers superstar duo is the difference, though, during the biggest matchup of the NBA season to date. LeBron also helps bolster his case for a fifth MVP award while getting the better of Antetokounmpo by the slightest of margins.
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