met free Chapter 839 Los Angeles Derby
Chapter 839 Los Angeles Derby
Chapter 839 Los Angeles Derby
The game in Oklahoma City allowed people to see the demeanor of the two finals teams last season. The players of the two teams teamed up to dedicate a hearty game for everyone.They weren't the league stars of the night, though.
The derby between the two teams in Los Angeles is the focus of the NBA 2019-20 season opener.The appearance of the championship Thunder is more like an appetizer for the new season.Many fans cheered after the Thunder won the game, but only a small part of them cheered for the Thunder, and most of them were cheering for the upcoming Los Angeles Derby.
It is said that the tickets for this game were sold out in less than 1 minute!Staples issued more than 100 media cards, and the attention has almost caught up with the NBA Finals.
Looking back on last season, the Clippers made the playoffs as the eighth in the Western Conference by relying on the depth of the league's bench.Although they lost to the defending champion Thunder in the playoffs, they stopped in the first round.But this is good enough for the Clippers, who are considered to be rebuilding during the season.In contrast, the Lakers' performance last season was worse.Originally, the situation of the Lakers was very good.Although the strength of the lineup missed the championship, in February, the Lakers once broke into the top four in the Western Conference under the leadership of James.Then, James was injured in the Christmas game, and the Lakers' record fell all the way, missing the playoffs.
Relatively speaking, neither team was successful last season.But in this season, after the transformation of these two teams, they suddenly became the focus of the entire league.
In the NBA's arms race this summer, the Lakers and Clippers, the rivals in the same city, became the big winners.The Clippers have been on the rise in the past two seasons. This summer, while retaining Lu Wei, Beverly and Harrell and other main players, they successfully introduced Leonard and Paul George, becoming the biggest champion of the new season. popular.The Lakers introduced Anthony Davis this summer, coupled with the joining of Danny Green and Howard, the Lakers followed the Clippers and became the second favorite team to win the new season.
In fact, the Lakers and Clippers have coexisted in Los Angeles for many years, but the name of the Derby has only been shouted extremely loudly this year.The fundamental reason is that the strength of the two teams is equal.Only when the strengths are equal can they be compared.
In fact, the competition between the Clippers and the Lakers started a few months ago.
Since Davis proposed a deal to the Pelicans in January this year, the possibility of James and Davis joining forces has continued to increase.Although there were some twists and turns in the middle, the deal between the Lakers and the Pelicans came to naught, but Davis has made up his mind to go, and it will be a matter of time before the Pelicans send him away.The Lakers are also determined to win Davis. They took out enough bargaining chips that the Pelicans could not refuse and brought Davis to Los Angeles.
This is definitely a deal that is enough to change the league pattern.After having two top five players in the league in James and Davis, the Lakers began to actively recruit a third star player.This scares other championship-minded teams, especially the Clippers.They acted aggressively, directly including the Lakers' "aspirational" Leonard into the team, and then through a trade to get Paul George, who was "impossible" to leave Oklahoma.This series of operations is quite beautiful, not only directly preventing the reinforcement of the rival Lakers in the same city, but also making their lineup extremely strong.In the subsequent free market, the Clippers targeted the Lakers everywhere. Like the Lakers, they all have sufficient salary space and are strong enough to attract those outstanding free agents to join.
With the advent of the new season, the confrontation between the Lakers and the Clippers came directly from the competition stage to the arena.Both teams showed something in the preseason, so everyone is looking forward to the direct dialogue between the two teams.
Judging from the lineup on paper, the Clippers' advantage is that in addition to Leonard and Paul George, two top strikers with both offense and defense, they have the most impressive lineup depth in the league.The Lakers have an inside lineup that attracts the attention of the league. The penalty area guarded by Davis, McGee, and Howard will discourage many teams.
Judging from the preseason performance, the Lakers are far better than the Clippers.The Lakers players have been working with each other for a long time. They won all three preseason games against the Warriors. The combination of James and Davis has become more and more powerful, and the role players have also integrated.Paul George's shoulder injury on the Clippers side is a hidden danger.Because of Paul George's injury, the Clippers' roster hasn't really broken in.In the preseason, Leonard, Beverly, and Lu Wei didn't play much.
James and Davis are a match made in heaven. The pick-and-roll cooperation between the two is difficult for any team to defend.With James, the Lakers can help Davis open up space, and he will be more handy on the offensive end.Similarly, with Davis, the burden on James will be greatly reduced. He no longer needs to put a lot of energy on the offensive end, and will play a greater role at critical moments.
At the same time, the Lakers signed Danny Green and Bradley two strikers in the free market. No matter how many points these two guys can contribute, their defense is a very important part of the Lakers' game.Coupled with Pope, Rondo and Cook on the defensive line, McGee and Howard on the inside, and the "handsome and capable" Kuzma, the Lakers have outstanding combat effectiveness whether it is the starting lineup or the rotation lineup.This year, they not only completely completed the reconstruction, but also aim at the championship.
Of course, even if Paul George doesn't play in the opening game, the Clippers are still very strong.Except for Alexander and Gallinari, all the Clippers players from last season stayed on the team.This includes their true core combination Lu Wei and Harrell.Leonard and Beverley are both players who have been selected to the league's defensive first team, and Harkless, who was acquired through a trade, is also a defensive 3D player.Lu Wei, Harrell, and Shamet are not weak in scoring. Coupled with the new core player-Leonard, his personal ability is beyond doubt. They're all top players in the league.Therefore, before Paul George recovered from his injury, this Clippers team was at the top of the league in terms of defense and offense.
The encounter between these two teams is definitely a game where sparks hit the earth.Especially the two players Leonard and Davis, they will definitely go all out for this game.After all, this game was the regular season debut of both of them in the new club, but they were a bit uncomfortable after losing the game.
(End of this chapter)