Greatness Personified | NBA2K20 Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague

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NBA Power Rankings | Week Two
RK (LW)	Team	Record	Comment
1 (7)	Philadelphia 76ers	2-0	It was only a two-game sample, but there is a sense of mental toughness that is developing in Philadelphia. In the two wins against Boston and Detroit, the 76ers outscored their opponents by a combined 70 points. The win against Detroit showed how valuable the addition of Al Horford is to this team. Without Joel Embiid, Horford moved to the center position and tallied a double-double, 18 points and 16 rebounds.
2 (15)	Denver Nuggets	2-0	The Nuggets don't have the luxury of sneaking up on anyone this year but still handled their business opening week. A small taste of revenge against Portland, coming back from a 19-point deficit to win by a basket and then quite the opposite holding off a scrappy Phoenix team with Nikola Jokic recording his first 20-20 game of the season (27 points, 21 rebounds).
3 (18)	Atlanta Hawks	2-0	Trae Young averaged 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 11.0 assists over his first two contests. A big test comes early this week for Atlanta when Philadelphia comes to town Monday night.
4 (16)	Minnesota Timberwolves	3-0	The undefeated Timberwolves have so far achieved early success with superior play from their transcendant superstar Karl-Anthony Towns, starting his fifth season has put up monsterous numbers (40.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, 2.3 steals per game). Towns, who turns 24 in November will look to carry the Timberwolves to their second playoff appearance in the past three seasons.
5 (1)	Los Angeles Lakers	2-1	Dwight Howard proved that he can still be a force in the NBA. The eight-time All-Star journeyman is averaging 9.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game and wasa plus-24 in 19 minutes during the Lakers win over Charlotte on Sunday night.
6 (20)	Miami Heat	2-1	Beating Memphis on opening night by 42 points? Not all that notable. Beating Giannis and Milwaukee (on the road) after a dominant fourth-quarter comeback? Very notable. And this all without Jimmy Butler, who has been away from the team following the birth of his daughter. With a top-heavy East, there's a lot of room in the middle, and with more weeks like this one, the Heat will generate much more chatter.
7 (6)	San Antonio Spurs	2-0	The four-year, $64 million extension that Dejounte Murray signed might turn out to be quite the team-friendly deal. Murray, 23, missed all of last season because of a knee injury, already has proven himself as one of the NBA's premier defensive point guards. During the Spurs' 2-0 start he has looked like a drastically improved all-around player.
8 (9)	Portland Trail Blazers	2-1	After going the distance in last season's playoffs, "Game 8" between the Nuggets and Blazers didn't go Portland's way, as Denver made plays and hit shots in the 4th quarter to overcome a 16 point deficit. Portland bounced back against the shaky Kings and a clutch time win over Dallas, but this is the kind of thing the Blazers do. It's why year after year they keep making the playoffs and why they always win around 50 games. They will miss Zach Collins who suffered a dislocated left shoulder, but this will be an early test for the front line of the Blazers.
9 (2)	Houston Rockets	1-1	Russell Westbrook (20.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists per game) lived up to expecations with Houston splitting their first two games. James Harden however hasn't played up to his standards so far this season, making 4 of 14 3-point attempts.
10 (19)	Dallas Mavericks	2-1	Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic haven't done anything to diminish the hope that the Mavericks young franchise cornerstones can develop into one of the league's elite duos sooner rather than later. In their first three games Porzingis is averaging 24.3 points and Doncic is averaging 23.6. You can see the chemistry starting to form between them.
11 (4)	LA Clippers	2-1	The opening-night win over the Lakers felt like a statement beyond just general NBA contendership terms, but one localized directly at the supposed big brother across the hall. Follow that up with an impressive come from behind win over the Warriors and the Clippers are sending messages in bold. Then there's the slip-up to the Suns which is a reminder that while the Clippers are high-octane, they also have more yet to come as they await the debut of Paul George.
12 (5)	Toronto Raptors	2-1	The defending champs have started this season by winning two of their first three games, led by the NBA's Most Improved Player Pascal Siakam. Siakam, looking to make another leap, is averaging 25.6 points and 12.0 rebounds for the first week of the season. The Raptors are sporting a deep and veteran cast and could be poised for a stronger-than-predicted defense of their championship this season.
13 (10)	Utah Jazz	2-1	The first two games in a Jazz uniform for Mike Conley couldn't have been much uglier, as he misfired on all but seven of his 28 field goal attempts in his first two games. Conley looked more like himself against the Kings on Saturday, when he had 18 points and seven assists. The Jazz are hoping that the arrival of Conley will benefit Donovan Mitchell, and the early returns are positive, with the young star guard averaging 25.0 points in the first week.
14 (29)	Phoenix Suns	2-1	Suns fans couldn't have predicted a 2-1 start, which included handing the Clippers their first loss of the season. Devin Booker is averaging 23.6 points and 5.6 assists, but credit has to also go to new head coach Monty Williams for getting his team off to this stunning start. The excitement in Phoenix quited down, however, when the NBA announced Thursday that Deandre Ayton, last year's No. 1 overal pick would be suspended 25 games for violation of the NBA's anti-drug policy after testing positive for a banned diuretic.
15 (24)	Cleveland Cavaliers	1-1	The Cavaliers turned back the lock in their home opener against Indiana. The 10-point win saw Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson combine for 33 points and 24 rebounds. The challenge for new head coach John Beilein will be to continue to find the right mix of minutes for a roster focused on player development but leaning heavily on veterans with expiring deals. Six players are in the last year of their contract.
16 (26)	Orlando Magic	1-1	The point guard position has been a position of need for the Magic, and Markelle Fultz has played two solid games off the bench thus far to give them hope for the position moving forward. The former No. 1 overall pick has struggeld to find his shot since entering the league in 2017 with Philadelphia, but has hit 7-of-16 shots in the first two games of the season.
17 (11)	Milwaukee Bucks	1-1	The Bucks produced the best record and scoring margin in the NBA last season, and entered this season as the favorite in the Eastern Conference. They started with a tough road win in Houston and then suffered a surprising home loss to Miami, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo putting up monster numbers in both games. Once they find their rhythm, the Bucks project to be dominant on both offense and defense again this season.
18 (22)	Oklahoma City Thunder	1-2	It's not a big surprise the post-Westbrook era has started with some bumps, with the Thunders' first two games featuring a spotty offense that ranked last in the league. A blowout of the defenseless Warriors showed signes of what Oklahoma City is trying to move toward without a high-usage, ball-dominant player -- more passing, more cutting, more moving. The past four seasons, the Thunder were last in the league in passes per game.
19 (12)	Brooklyn Nets	1-2	Kyrie Irving's 30 point performance against the Knicks salvaged a split for Brooklyns' mini-two game homestand to start the season. An early Achilles heel for Brooklyn is the inability to close out games.
20 (8)	Boston Celtics	2-1	You could chalk up Kemba Walker's 4-for-12 performance against Philadelphia to opening-night jitters, but since the loss, Walker has shot 10-for-34 from the field, 4-of-17 from 3 and has averaged 13.0 points in the Celtics back-to-back wins against Toronto and New York.
21 (13)	Chicago Bulls	1-2	Lauri Markkanen has opened this season up averaging a double-double -- 16.0 points and 11.0 rebounds the first two games -- and could be averaging over 20-plus if he were shooting from the deep the way he had in previous seasons. The 7-footer shot 35% from 3-point range his first two seasons but is 6-for-19 in his first three games this season.
22 (21)	Washington Wizards	1-2	Washington started the season banged up and together a second unit of Who He Play For All-Stars, but they all play hard and play together -- basically the opposite of what we say with last seasons's team. And with it, Rui Hachimura has the look of an intriguing rookie who might even be better than already expected. If that's the case, the outlook for Washington, previously one of the darkest in the league, just got brighter.
23 (30)	Charlotte Hornets	1-2	Despite a 1-2 start, there's something to like about the Hornets after the first week: Head coach James Borrego has made a concerted effort to focus on their young players, primarily P.J. Washington, Dwayne Bacon, Miles Bridges and Devonte' Graham. All four logged over 20 minutes in the first two games.
24 (17)	Detroit Pistons	1-2	The Pistons won their opener against the Pacers but have since lost to Atlanta and Philadelphia. They have struggled on the defensive end, giving up 255 points in those two games combined. Detroit is playing without Blake Griffin, but Derrick Rose has been a pleasant addition and is already earning "M-V-P" chants from the home crowd while averaging 15.6 points through the first week.
25 (25)	Memphis Grizzlies	1-2	The Grizzlies win Sunday over the Nets might be a game that Grizzlies fans talk about for a long time. It was a coming-out party for the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, Ja Morant, who scored 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and also dished out seven assists.
26 (14)	Indiana Pacers	0-2	Indiana went winless during the first week of the season as they tried to acclimate three new starters around Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. New point guard Malcolm Brogdon was the star of the first week averaging 28.5 points and 6.0 assists. Indiana will try to remain in the playoff hunt while injured star Victor Oladipo continues to rehab from knee surgery last season.
27 (27)	New York Knicks	0-3	The Knicks could be given the benefit of the doubt with their lackluster second-half performance against Boston and could be attributed to youth, but that is not the case, as veterans Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Bobby Portis and Marcus Morris Sr. played a total of 20 minutes when New York was outscored 36-21 in the fourth quarter. The only bright spot is the play of No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett: In the Knicks' three losses, Barrett has averaged 14.3 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 8-of-22 from deep.'
28 (23)	Sacramento Kings	0-3	Sacramento lost their first two road games by an average of 5.5 points and new coach Luke Walton pulled his starters in the third quarter at Utah after they were outscored by 19 points. The offense is a work in progress: They've shot under 40% in two of the first three games.
29 (3)	Golden State Warriors	0-2	Gone is Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. Klay Thompson is out indefinitely because of a torn ACL. Newcomers Willie Cauley-Stein and Alec Burks and veteran forward Kevon Looney are injured and out. You add all that to Golden States' youth and their horrible start -- including 19-point blowout loss Sunday in Oklahoma City -- makes sense.
30 (28)	New Orleans Pelicans	0-3	It was a bad start for the Pelicans, mostly because of the knee surgery that has sidelined No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson for six to eight weeks. Brandon Ingram has been a bright spot, averaging 27.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists through three games, displaying the talent level that led to him being selected the No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 draft.

[Eaglerock562]

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (10/21 - 10/27)
	Karl-Anthony Towns | Center Timberwolves
	Height: 6'11	Shoots: Right
	Weight: 248	Age: 23 years old
	Season G MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK PTS 2019-20 3 104 42-68 20-36 17-22 43 6 7 3 121
	Opponent MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS @BKN 36 14-26 8-15 6-8 15 2 1 2 1 42 @CHA 32 14-22 5-12 3-4 11 1 3 0 2 36 vs. MIA 36 14-20 7-9 8-10 17 3 3 1 3 43

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (10/21 - 10/27)
	Giannis Antetokounmpo | Forward Bucks
	Height: 6'11	Shoots: Right
	Weight: 242	Age: 24 years old
	Season G MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK PTS 2019-20 2 65 20-38 2-10 14-26 20 11 3 8 56
	Opponent MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS @HOU 29 12-15 2-2 9-14 8 4 1 2 3 35 vs. MIA 36 8-23 0-8 5-12 12 7 2 6 0 21

[Eaglerock562]

NBA GAMETIME SCOREBOARD | October 28, 2019
@ Little Caesars Arena				Detroit, MI
	Indiana Pacers	(0-3)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Indiana Pacers 35 25 31 18 109 Detroit Pistons 26 34 29 25 114	(2-2)	Detroit Pistons
@ Madison Square Garden				New York, NY
	Chicago Bulls	(1-3)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Chicago Bulls 27 23 23 30 103 New York Knicks 27 30 27 27 111	(1-3)	New York Knicks
@ State Farm Arena				Atlanta, GA
	Philadelphia 76ers	(3-0)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Philadelphia 76ers 43 36 29 27 135 Atlanta Hawks 36 43 27 28 134	(2-1)	Atlanta Hawks
@ ScotiaBank Arena				Toronto, Ontario, CN
	Orlando Magic	(1-2)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Orlando Magic 11 28 25 16 80 Toronto Raptors 31 22 34 30 117	(3-1)	Toronto Raptors
@ Toyota Center				Houston, TX
	Oklahoma City Thunder	(1-3)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Oklahoma City Thunder 34 19 28 9 90 Houston Rockets 18 21 22 32 93	(2-1)	Houston Rockets
@ Fiserv Forum				Milwaukee, WI
	Cleveland Cavaliers	(1-2)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Cleveland Cavaliers 19 26 19 21 85 Milwaukee Bucks 21 26 36 35 118	(2-1)	Milwaukee Bucks
@ Smoothie King Arena				New Orleans, LA
	Golden State Warriors	(1-3)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Golden State Warriors 27 30 37 22 116 New Orleans Pelicans 41 26 19 24 110	(0-4)	New Orleans Pelicans
@ AT&T Center				San Antonio, TX
	Portland Trail Blazers	(2-2)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Portland Trail Blazers 32 24 24 34 114 San Antonio Spurs 24 30 27 38 119	(3-0)	San Antonio Spurs
@ Talking Sticks Resort Arena				Phoenix, AZ
	Utah Jazz	(3-1)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Utah Jazz 28 26 29 24 107 Phoenix Suns 26 13 27 30 96	(2-2)	Phoenix Suns
@ Golden 1 Center				Sacramento, CA
	Denver Nuggets	(3-0)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Denver Nuggets 21 44 33 24 122 Sacramento Kings 26 25 25 33 109	(0-4)	Sacramento Kings
@ STAPLES Center				Los Angeles, CA
	Charlotte Hornets	(1-3)	Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final Charlotte Hornets 28 24 18 29 99 LA Clippers 35 30 27 21 113	(2-2)	LA Clippers

[Eaglerock562]

Lakers vs Grizzlies: 3 Things You Need To Know (10/29/19)

Here is what you need to know before the Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies:

1. Double Stars = Double-Doubles
   
   The season is only in its infancy, but through three games the Anthony Davis-LeBron James pairing has looked as good as advertised.
   
   Both players have recorded a double double in at least one game so far, with LeBron averaging 22.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.6 assists per night and AD averaging 29.6 points, 19.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
   
   The numbers will fluctuate early on, but there is much reason for excitement, with both of L.A's stars making some early noise thanks to their shared propensity for versatile playmaking and overall physicality.


2. Defense is in lockdown
   
   The Lakers have won back-to-back games thanks to some stifling defense (that also got their fans Jack in the Box tacos along the way).
   
   Again, it's extremely early, but the initial results have been impressive. The Lakers have allowed just 89.0 points per game - second-best in the NBA - and have done a nice job of limiting 3-pointers. Plus, the rim protection has been excellent, with L.A. averaging a league-high 10.6 blocks.
   
   As expected, Davis has been at the core of this, putting up 4.0 swats by himself. Dwight Howard has also captured the spotlight, with 3.0 rejections per game and many more unheralded plays on both ends of the court. So far, the perimeter defense has been led by the likes of Danny Green and Alex Caruso.


3. The young Grizz look dangerous
   
   Memphis may have only one player over the age of 30, but youth didn't stop it from upsetting Brooklyn in a thriller on Sunday.
   
   In fact, it was a rookie who made that victory possible, as second-overall pick Ja Morant had 18 points and three assists. Morant's uber-athletic, high-flying game is no secret for fans of college hoops, as the one-man offense ranked seventh in the NCAA in scoring last season (24.5) and led the whole nation in assists (10.0).
   
   The Grizzlies will also rely on the services of explosive 19-year-old Jaren Jackson Jr. and low-post brute Jonas Valanciunas.

Injury Report
Lakers: Rajon Rondo (sore right calf) is questionable. Kyle Kuzma (stress reaction, left ankle), Talen Horton-Tucker (stress reaction, right foot) and DeMarcus Cousins (rehabilitation, right knee) are out.
Grizzlies: Ja Morant (right ankle soreness) is probable. Kyle Anderson (left calf soreness) is questionable.

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet locally, NBA TV nationally
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 Tu Liga
Unis: Gold Icon
Location: STAPLES Center - Los Angeles, California

[Eaglerock562]

Matchup Preview | October 29, 2019
	@
Memphis Grizzlies (1-2, 0-1 Away)	STAPLES Center Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles Lakers (3-0, 2-0 Home)
Starting Lineup #12 Ja Morant (Murray State) 6'3|175 lbs Point Guard #11 Avery Bradley (Texas) 6'3|180 lbs #24 Dillon Brooks (Oregon) 6'7|220 lbs Shooting Guard #14 Danny Green (North Carolina) 6'6|215 lbs #99 Jae Crowder (Marquette) 6'6|235 lbs Small Forward #23 LeBron James (St. Vincent-St. Mary HS) 6'9|250 lbs #13 Jaren Jackson Jr. (Michigan State) 6'11|242 lbs Power Forward #3 Anthony Davis (Kentucky) 6'10|253 lbs #17 Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania) 6'11|265 lbs Center #7 JaVale McGee (Nevada-Reno) 7'0|270 lbs Injury Report Ja Morant Sore Right Ankle (Questionable)   Rajon Rondo Sore Right Calf (Questionable) Kyle Anderson Left Calf Soreness (Questionable)   Kyle Kuzma Stress Reaction, Left Ankle (Out)     Talen Horton-Tucker Stress Reaction, Right Foot (Out)     DeMarcus Cousins Torn Right ACL (Out) Game Notes The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center on Tuesday.  The Grizzlies (1-2) got their first victory on Sunday and it came in spectacular fashion.  Memphis ended up getting a late fourth quarter push by Dillion Brooks, adding to the Brooklyn Nets misery.  What was really encouraging about that game was a career performance from Ja Morant.  The stud rookie tallied 26 points, three rebounds and seven assists and lines like that will become commonplace for the future superstar.  He and Jaren Jackson pair up beautifully for the future and this franchise appears to be headed in the right direction after ridding themselves of Marc Gasol and Mike Conley over the last two years.  The Lakers (2-1) had everyone worried after a poor showing in the operner against the LA Clippers but the last two results have quieted those notions.  A home win against the Utah Jazz was extremely impressive and it was followed up by a 32-point win over the Charlotte Hornets in their most recent game on Sunday.  That's the Lakers team that fans were expected to see out of the gate and it's pretty clear that this is one of the most talented teams in the league.  One huge surprise is the resurgence of Dwight Howard.  In the win on Sunday, Howard went 3-of-4 from the field to finish with 7 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks to lead the bench.  If they continue to get that sort of play from Howard, this could be the team to beat in the West.  That presence down low matched with the defensive prowess of Avery Bradley and Danny Green is impressive on its own but it's all about what King James and Anthony Davis bring to the table.  Memphis has actually won four of their last six games over Los Angeles dating back to last season.