After capping off their longest road trip so far this season with a win in an emotional spot for Anthony Davis over the New Orleans Pelicans to earn their ninth straight, the Los Angeles Lakers are back home to host a very interesting Washington Wizards squad, who also played a part in Davis joining the Lakers.
Before we discuss the connection to the Davis trade, the most interesting thing about this Wizards team is their incredible offensive performance this season. According to Basketball-Reference, the Wizards have the No. 2 ranked offense in the NBA. While they’ve been led by their star Bradley Beal, they have five other players averaging 12 points or more.
One of those five other players is former Lakers big man Mo Wagner, who was sent to Washington with Isaac Bonga as part of the Davis trade. In addition to Wagner, there’s tons of former Lakers making an impact in Washington including starting center Thomas Bryant and while Isaiah Thomas has worked his way into the team’s starting line-up.
Despite their offense, they’re just on the outside of the East playoff picture because they have the league’s worst defense. They aren’t a very good rebounding team and they foul a lot, in addition to playing at a top-four pace.
In sum, the Lakers could find themselves in a tough game if they have a turkey hangover on the defensive end because this Scott Brooks’ Wizards squad can fill it up with the best of them.
