Records: Lakers 39-36 Grizzlies 51-24
Offensive ratings: Lakers 107.7 Grizzlies 105.2
Defensive ratings: Lakers 106.6 Grizzlies 100.8
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Blake, Jodie Meeks, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard
Grizzlies: Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol
Injuries: Lakers: Steve Nash, Metta World Peace, Jordan Hill
Grizzlies: Tony Wroten

The Lakers Coming in: The Lakers are coming off one of their best and complete wins of the season over the Dallas Mavericks. The Shot distribution between their three main guys — Kobe, Dwight and Pau — was about where you’d like it to be. Kobe had 18, Dwight 13 and Pau 12, and they recorded 23, 24 and 14 points respectively. Instead of increasing his shot volume, Kobe did other things, and he did them very well. Kobe finished with 11 assists and 11 rebounds. Furthermore, other guys stepped up huge on a night where they were down to pretty much a seven-man rotation. Steve Blake had a solid night hitting his spot up jump shots as they became available and Earl Clark had a great night off the bench with 17 points and 12 rebounds. He was much more aggressive than he had been in recent weeks, and after seeing a few shots fall, seemed more confident in the game against the Mavericks than he had looked in the whole month of March.

The Grizzlies Coming in: The Grizzlies come in playing some good, but not their best basketball of the season. They’re coming into tonight’s game in Los Angeles with a four game winning streak with some decent wins. Their last game was in the Rose Garden where they won by 18 over the Trailblazers. Before that, they defeated the Spurs (minus Ginobili) at home, the Timberwolves on the road and the Rockets at home. In those four games, the Grizzlies were awfully stingy on the defensive end of the floor, only allowing 86.5 points per game during their four-game winning streak. On the offensive end of the floor, they’ve been playing a very calculated game and doing a great job of taking care of the ball, turning the ball over fewer than 12 times per game.

Grizzlies Blogs: Make sure you check out 3 Shades of Blue for all of your Grizzlies news and analysis. They do a great job over there.

Keys to game: For tonight’s game, the Lakers are really going to have to focus on rebounding the ball. The Lakers are third in the league in rebounds per game at 44.8 per game as a team, but the Grizzlies rebound much better at a much higher rate. The Grizzlies have the second highest rebound percentage (percentage of all rebounds grabbed per game) and have the league’s second highest rebound differential. So the Lakers may grab more per game, but there are more opportunities to grab rebounds in games that Lakers play in. In the two previous games that the Lakers and Grizzlies faced off in, the Grizzlies won the rebound battle by an average margin of 10 boards a contest — so crashing the boards against the likes of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol is going to be crucial.

Offensively, ball movement and player movement is going to be crucial as the Lakers don’t have a legitimate advantage in any one-on-one situation. Marc and Randolph match up with the Lakers front court of Pau and Howard as any team in the league, as they’re big, physical guys who aren’t afraid of contact and are disciplined within the scheme of the team defensive principles. On the perimeter, the Grizzlies now have two guys who they can rotate on Kobe — and they have to be two of the guys who have been the most successful on Bean over the years. The Grizzlies got rid of Rudy Gay and brought in Prince, whose length has bothered Kobe’s ability to get off his jumper for years. Tony Allen is one of the league’s best on ball defenders, mainly due to his physical nature, strength and lateral quickness. With every great defender, Kobe has had some great games against both of these guys, but the Lakers can’t game plan hoping that Kobe goes off. Guys like Antawn Jamison and Earl Clark are going to have to have big games by their standards for the Lakers to be successful as they’re the two best moving off the ball.

Defensively, keeping Mike Conley out of the paint is going to be crucial. Without Nash starting, the Lakers might be able to do a better job tonight as Blake is a slightly better on ball defender — and definitely more tenacious than Nash ever has been. And if they can’t keep Conley out of the paint, Kobe (and the rest of the perimeter defenders) is going to have to have another good night staying disciplined off the ball. Darius wrote about Kobe’s off the ball defense in Dallas, and the Lakers are going to need a repeat performance from Bean — who has been a good defender when he’s wanted to be. Outside of Conley and staying home on shooters, both Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph can hurt the Lakers anywhere from the rim to 15 feet out, so both Pau and Dwight will have to work hard and will have their hands full all night.

Where you can watch: 7:30 pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.

Records: Lakers 38-36 (9th in the West), Mavericks 36-37 (10th in the West)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.5 (8th in the NBA), Mavericks 103.6 (T 12th in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.8 (18th in the NBA), Mavericks 104.1 (20th in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Blake, Jodie Meeks, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard
Mavericks: Mike James, OJ Mayo, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Elton Brand
Injuries: Lakers: Steve Nash (out), Metta World Peace (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season); Mavericks: Rodrigue Beaubois (out), OJ Mayo (probable)

Mavericks Blogs: Check out The Two Man Game for very good analysis on this team.

Keys to game: Expect a buzz in the crowd tonight with Shaq’s jersey set to be retired and this game meaning so much to both teams in terms of the playoff chase. The Lakers and Mavs are currently 9th and 10th in the conference, both chasing the suddenly red hot Jazz for the final spot in the tournament. The Mavs are also trying to get back to .500, a milestone that will allow them to shave the gloriously hideous beards they decided to grow until they got back to an even record. So lots on the line (both trivial and not so much) in this game.

With all that said, a major key to this game will simply be playing with the requisite focus and energy. The Lakers have long been in “playoff mode”, but have suffered some setbacks in intensity and focus in the past couple of weeks. Tonight, they’ll need to recover the form they showed in the final three quarters of the Kings game, but put it forth for the entire contest. Every loose ball needs to be theirs; every hustle play needs to be made by them. That’s a bit of an exaggeration of course, but this game must feel that way for them to win.

From an execution standpoint, the Lakers are going to need to lean heavily on Kobe, Dwight, and Pau to play multiple roles. Kobe will need to be both a scorer and a distributor. With Steve Nash sitting this game out, Kobe will be the primary ball handler in the P&R and will need to balance his shot taking and distributing, getting his mates involved by picking them out for good shots. If Kobe can get Dwight the ball on the move the rim early in the game, it could go a long way in setting the tone of the offense by establishing the paint and forcing the Mavs to sink below the foul line defensively. This can open up the rest of the team’s perimeter game with Meeks and Blake benefitting from open shots when the D is forced to rotate.

Speaking of Dwight, he’ll need to be a force inside on both sides of the floor. The Mavs aren’t a great inside team, but they can threaten the paint via penetration out of isolations and in the P&R. If Dwight can shut those plays down, the Lakers can pressure the wings defensively and try to take away the jumpers that fuel their attack. If Dwight can block and alter shots inside, it can also lead to transition chances where he can run the floor and try to carve out early post position against Brand and Kaman. If Dwight can get some deep post touches, he should not only get some easy baskets but also draw plenty of fouls (and trips to the FT line) which can help sustain the Lakers’ offense if their shots aren’t falling.

As for Pau, he’ll have the most important role of the night because he’ll need to be a scorer, a facilitator, and a defender. He’ll likely be used as a finisher in the post and in the P&R, where he’ll need to be assertive in looking for his own shot to keep the defense honest. He’ll also serve as a passer from the elbow in the Lakers’ HORNS sets, picking out Dwight, Kobe and the shooters for open shots coming off various screen actions. But his most important role will be as a defender against Dirk all over the floor. The big German has found his game in the past few weeks, resembling the player who put the Mavs on his back en route to the 2011 title. He’s making his jumper, is posting up more, and is even putting the ball on the floor when his man crowds him. Pau will have his hands full, but if he can even slightly slow Dirk down, it will go a long way towards winning this game.

As for the rest of the team, they’ll need to think defense first while still hitting enough shots to not be a liability on the other end. One match up I’ll be watching closely is at shooting guard. Meeks guarding Mayo is a big key to this game with the results likely tilting the contest in the victor’s favor. If Mayo is hitting shots and attacking Meeks with good success, the Lakers’ defense will suffer as rotate and show help. That will open up shots for Dirk, Marion, and Brand — shots they can surely knock down. But if Mayo struggles, it will limit one of the Mavs’ more important offensive performers and have them searching for points from players who are less capable of providing them.

I really can’t stress how important this game is. With only 8 games left in the Lakers’ season, they need to win one more game than the Jazz do down the stretch and that makes every game one that needs to be one just to keep them moving in the right direction. The fact that they can also push the Mavs a game further back in the standings makes it even more valuable.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.

Records: Lakers 37-36 (9th in the West), Kings 27-46 (12th in the West)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.3 (8th in the NBA), Kings 103.0 (14th in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.7 (18th in the NBA), Kings 108.3 (29th in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard
Kings: Isaiah Thomas, Tyreke Evans, John Salmons, Jason Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins
Injuries: Lakers: Metta World Peace (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season); Kings: James Johnson (out)

Kings Blogs: Cowbell Kingdom and Sactown Royalty are both provide excellent coverage of the Kings.

Keys to game: We’ve been saying it for weeks but this is a must win game. The Lakers’ final 8 games are a gauntlet and with the Jazz pulling even in the win loss column (and thus ahead in the standings due to their holding the tie-breaker), wins aren’t about creating a cushion, they’re about getting back into the playoffs. This game against a team who’s actually below them in the standings is one of the last “winnable” games on the schedule.

But even with all that said, the Kings are playing some of their best basketball of the season coming off two good road wins over the Warriors and the Suns. Plus, in their last 10 games they are 6-4 with an offense that is explosive, efficient, and balanced. In this stretch they have 5 players averaging double figures and are getting excellent play from Isaiah Thomas, Tyreke Evans, and DeMarcus Cousins. Combined, that trio is averaging nearly 58 points a night, grabbing 18 rebounds, and dishing out over 13 assists. Add in the scoring punch that Marcus Thornton and Patrick Patterson are providing with solid contributions from Jimmer and Toney Douglas, and this team has potent weapons who can all do damage.

That may spell trouble for a Laker team that’s struggling on defense right now. For those who thought the Lakers would be better without Ron in the lineup, they only need to look at the 230 combined points the Lakers have given up in the two games he’s been out of the lineup. Ron had his issues on both sides of the ball, but his competitiveness and versatility on defense has been missed severely by a team that struggled to get stops even when he was in the lineup. Without him, teams have more defenders to pick on and have been doing so, attacking Meeks, Jamison, and even Clark whenever they enter the game. Add those guys to Nash, Blake, and Kobe (who all have had their woes) and that’s a lot of perimeter holes to plug and not enough backline support to pull it off on most nights.

Look for the Kings to exploit this perimeter defense through isolations and pick and rolls for Thomas, Evans, and Thornton whenever they’re in the game. Nash is questionable with a hip and hamstring issue and while the hope is that he’ll play, he’ll be severely tested when guarding Thomas all night. The ultra quick former Washington Husky can be a dynamic attack player as his recent numbers show. Nash will need to do his best to contain him, but will need adequate help behind him. As will Blake/Meeks when they’re on Thornton. As will Kobe when he’s on Evans (though hopefully not as much since guarding a dribble attack player usually engages Kobe). I think you get my point.

Dribble penetration usually opens up other parts of the offense too so the Lakers will also need to be aware of kick out passes to spot up shooters and the Kings attacking the offensive glass when shots are taken inside. The last time these teams met, Patterson had a field day spotting up for long two pointers. Avoiding a repeat performance will mean paying extra attention to him when he floats around the wing and recovering to him when kick-outs occur. And, as mentioned, the Lakers will also need to be extra attentive on the offensive glass. Cousins is one of the best offensive rebounding players in the league and when his totals are combined with Thompson and Patterson’s they average seven a game. Dwight, Pau, Jamison, and Clark will need to show help but recover the glass to avoid giving this team a lot of extra possessions. The guards will also need to balance covering spot up shooters with digging down to help on the backboards.

Offensively, with Nash and Kobe both banged up, I’m hoping to see a more controlled attack that features the Lakers’ big men more. Pau and Dwight have both been playing fairly well on offense lately and getting them the ball in the post against a Kings group who is not very good on defense should be a priority. I don’t care so much how these actions begin — they can be straight post ups or P&R’s that lead to delayed dump ins — but the bigs must get their touches and given the chance to control the tempo of the game. The Kings will want to push the tempo so controlling the pace of the game through a more power-centric game plan would be nice to see.

Dumping the ball inside would also, hopefully, help control the Lakers’ turnover issues. Kobe and Nash have had a propensity to turn the ball over when looking to make plays out of the P&R, so playing a more inside out game that’s based off the easy entry should help there. This isn’t to say that Nash and Kobe can’t be aggressive (or, if Nash doesn’t play, Blake) but they must make better choices and look to move the ball with purpose and to the clearly open man rather than forcing the issue. And Kobe, in particular, must also better balance his shot taking with moving the ball in general in order to keep the defense guessing. Late in games he’s been too predictable and while that comes down to other players being more assertive (Nash and Pau can’t just give up the ball to Kobe every possession), he must also fight the instinct to go into full on scorer mode and instead look to involves his teammates more late in the game. Especially if the contest is close.

This game may just come down to who can outscore who, but that simply means a key stop here and there will make a world of difference. The Lakers need this game sorely and the Kings would surely like nothing better than to blast one more hole in the hull of what looks to be a sinking ship. The Lakers will need to respond in kind or their night will end with them in an even worse  position than when they started.

Where you can watch: 7:00pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.

Records: Lakers 37-35 (8th in the West), Bucks 34-36 (8th in the East)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.4 (8th in the NBA), Bucks 100.8 (21st in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.6 (18th in the NBA), Bucks 102.3 (12th in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard
Bucks: Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, Marquise Daniels, Ersan Ilyasova, Larry Sanders
Injuries: Lakers: Metta World Peace (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season); Bucks: none

The Lakers Coming in: The Lakers were able to snap their three game losing skid with a win over the Wolves last night, but that win doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence considering how that game evolved. The Lakers did look better on offense, finding ways to incorporate Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol for most of the game while still showing balance with their perimeter attack. These are positive strides and shouldn’t be dismissed even if the Wolves aren’t the most stout defensive team.

However, the Lakers’ defense continued to struggle especially in the 2nd half where the Wolves put up 71 points. A lot of that was related to the sloppiness of the Lakers’ offense and subsequent fast break chances, but there were also more than a few breakdowns in the half court that need to be looked at. Gasol still looks a step slow in going after rebounds and was hesitant to leave the paint in closing out on Dante Cunningham’s mid-range jumpers. Giving up both of those gave the Wolves too many second chance opportunities and some clean looks that they hit at a respectable rate. Gasol will need to improve, but so will the guards chasing around screens and in the P&R as well as the other bigs stepping up to contain dribble penetration to help ensure that plays are bottlenecked early rather than allowing them to fully develop.

The Bucks Coming in: The Bucks have lost 4 straight games and have not been able to take advantage of the Celtics’ poor play in the race to avoid the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs out East. Their most recent loss was last night against the 76ers, a game that saw Brandon Jennings benched for the entire 4th quarter while his team struggled and only scored 14 points  to Philly’s 24. That 10 point difference sure does seem important when the Bucks only lost by 2, but I digress.

After the game Jennings was not happy and one has to wonder if that carries over to tonight or beyond. One of the reasons the Bucks are even in the playoff hunt (besides the East being a wasteland at the bottom of the standings) is on the strength of Jennings’ (and Monta Ellis’) recent play where he’d shot better and really distributed the ball well. The Bucks are already a solid defensive team but with improved offensive execution from their backcourt (and not just Jennings and Ellis, but J.J. Redick too) has helped them establish themselves firmly in the conference’s top 8.

But their recent play has fallen off and that will lead to frustration from everyone, including the head coach (who may end up benching a key player who’s playing poorly) and the players (who may lash out for seeing their minutes cut). For their sake, they need to turn this around and see if they can make one last push over their final 12 games to try and catch Boston. That seems unlikely, but being served up as a sacrificial lamb to the Heat in round one should be motivation enough to try.

Bucks Blogs: Bucksketball and BrewHoop both do very good jobs of covering this team. Give both a look.

Keys to game: The last time these teams met, there were two pretty big keys to the Lakers winning. First was that Kobe guarded Brandon Jennings all game, pressuring him full court and pretty much disrupting the Bucks’ offense whenever they shared the floor. Second was Dwight Howard having a pretty strong game by dominating the paint, scoring 31 points on 14-18 shooting and grabbing 16 rebounds.

Considering Kobe won’t be guarding Jennings tonight (now that he’s playing SF and Meeks is a starter, Kobe will have to guard a different player) it may be hard to duplicate the first part of that equation. But the second part — the Dwight dominating inside part — is very much possible again and should be a major part of the game plan.

For as great a defensive player as Larry Sanders is — and his excellent, not only at blocking shots but deterring them in the paint entirely — he lacks the bulk to bang with Dwight inside and can be exploited with power moves. Dwight will need his touches tonight, not only to try and get easy buckets, but to also establish the paint in a manner that forces the Bucks’ defense into hard decisions. If Sanders gets in foul trouble or if the Bucks decide they have to send help to Howard, it will open up the outside shooting that can turn a close game into one that’s clearly in the Lakers’ favor. So, go to Dwight early and often and see what they can get from it.

Besides pounding the ball into Dwight, the Lakers must do the same for Gasol against the Bucks’ power forwards. if Ilyasova starts at that spot, Pau will have a distinct size advantage and should be able to get shots inside just as he did against the Wolves last night. Pau will need to be assertive, however. He must fight for position in the post more often and must turn down his mid-range jumper in favor of putting the ball on the ground and using his dribble to get into post position. Once the post is established, he can initiate a move or kick the ball out to re-post and then go back to work. Either scenario is fine, but he and the wings must make a concerted effort to make it happen.

Kobe should also be able to create against some of the wing defenders he’ll see tonight. Whether he’s guarded by one of the smaller back court players (Ellis) or any of the Bucks’ SF options (Daniels or Dunleavy), Kobe can go to work both in the post or from the wing in isolation or in the P&R to get himself shots 15 feet and in. Kobe mustn’t settle for the long jumper too often in this one and instead force the defense to help (especially Sanders) which should lead to good shots or opportunities for the bigs to get involved through passes or on the offensive glass.

Defensively, the Lakers primary concern should be the perimeter game the Bucks bring to the table. Nearly every one of their best players — Jennings, Ellis, Ilyasova, Dunleavy — are threats from the wing and that will mean the Lakers defense will need to be sharp all over the floor and beyond the arc. Jennings and Ellis are especially dangerous in the P&R with both having the ability to step back and hit the long jumper or turn the corner and attack the paint. Ellis has been especially good at slashing to the rim lately so the back line defense will need to be prepared for him to dart into the paint and finish at the basket.

Ilyasova offers an interesting match up in this game as well. Much like Derrick Williams and Dante Cunningham last night, the Turkish forward has good range on his jumper and will look to draw Pau away from the rim and defend his jumper. If Pau doesn’t get out on the floor, he will yield jumpers to a capable shooter. So, the Spaniard will need to leave his safe zone in the paint and venture out to the wing and trust his help behind him by closing out hard and contesting shots when they go up. Pau is still not back to 100% in terms of mobility, but this is the only way to defend this team when they spread you out.

The Lakers haven’t won both ends of a back to back all season and tonight will be a tough game to do so. The Bucks are a scrappy team and typically play hard all night. That said, they’re only 18-17 at home and, like the Lakers, played a road game last night. And while Jennings should be fresh from not playing in the 4th quarter, the rest of the guys fought through the final buzzer trying to get that W. Fatigue should be an equal issue for both sides and a lot of this game will come down to the ability to stay disciplined mentally while playing to their own collective strengths. If the Lakers attack inside out, share the ball, and help each other on defense they have a very good chance in this game. If they don’t, they’ll likely play a close game with the home team having the advantage down the stretch.

Where you can watch: 5:00pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.

Records: Lakers 36-35 (8th in the West), Timberwolves 25-44 (12th in the West)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 105.3 (8th in the NBA), Timberwolves 99.6 (25th in the NBA)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 103.5 (18th in the NBA), Timberwolves 102.8 (14th in the NBA)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard
Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio, Luke Ridnour, Andrei Kirilenko, Derrick Williams, Nicola Pekovic
Injuries: Lakers: Metta World Peace (out), Jordan Hill (out for the season); Timberwolves: Kevin Love (out), Brandon Roy (out), Malcolm Lee (out)

The Lakers Coming in: We told you yesterday that Ron is out indefinitely with a torn meniscus. Today Mike D’Antoni was asked if he expected Ron to return before the regular season ended and he said “no”. Today we learned that Ron will be out at least six weeks, so we know where that pessimism came from. D’Antoni also said that Jodie Meeks would start in Ron’s place with Kobe sliding up to small forward. This was one of the expected outcomes so it’s not that big a surprise. I’d still like to see more Earl Clark, however, if only because defense is still important and Clark offers more versatility on that end than Meeks (or Blake). We’ll see how the rotations play out tonight, though.

What Meeks starting does do is put more pressure on Kobe, especially from a minutes and defense standpoint. And while the minutes matter in the big picture, where Kobe will be tested most is on defense. With neither Ron nor Clark in the lineup, the task of guarding the best perimeter opponent will now likely fall to Kobe. This should engage him more on that end and that can be a good thing. This has the potential to go badly if Kobe takes plays off when working off the ball as the player he’d be leaving would have a greater ability to hurt the team’s defense. Also, if the plan is for Kobe to guard the other team’s main perimeter threat, it will also require he expend more energy on that side of the ball which can have an adverse affect on his offense. One of the reasons Kobe stopped guarding PG’s was, presumably, because he voiced his concerns about carrying such a heavy load on both sides of the floor with the result being a decline in his play.

What this means long term we don’t yet know for certain, but the writing on the wall says Kobe is in for a lot of heavy lifting and at this point in the year (and his career), that may be too much to ask. I’m not doubting he can do it, but I am concerned.

The Timberwolves Coming in: The Wolves are as healthy as they’re likely to be for the rest of the year as Chase Budinger has finally returned from his knee ailment and Kirilenko is also back in the lineup. They’re still without Kevin Love, but recent reports have him acknowledging that he may not play for the rest of the season as he nurses his broken hand. With little left to play for this year, it may be best to sit Love out even if he is capable of getting back on the floor, but that’s a different discussion for a different day.

With better health has come better play, at least last night. The Wolves dispatched the Pistons by over 20 points, using an efficient offensive attack, balanced scoring, and disruptive defense to do the deed. With a nearly full allotment of players, the Wolves were better able to spread the floor on one end and pressure the ball on the other. Add to that the attacking style of Ricky Rubio (who looks to be nearly fully recovered from his ACL surgery) and Luke Ridnour from the top of the floor and the Wolves look closer to the team they were supposed to be this season. Nothing can replace having Kevin Love in the lineup, but this group today is better than their record.

Timberwolves Blogs: Go read A Wolf Among Wolves. You won’t be disappointed.

Keys to game: Even though the Wolves played last night, blowing out the Pistons kept their starters’ minutes relatively low which should remove the prospect of fatigue playing a major role tonight. Plus, the Lakers have beaten this team 21 straight times and that should erase any lack of motivation from their end. Getting a win against the Lakers would provide too much satisfaction for the Wolves to be anything other than ready for this contest. Add in the Lakers’ injury woes and the prospect of burying them even further surely appeals to Minnesota.

Forget motivation, though. This Wolves team is well equipped to get this W, simply off the strength of their roster now that everyone is healthy. When looking at the match ups, they have the types of players who can attack the specific weaknesses of the players who will be guarding them. Consider the following:

• Rubio has quickness and has been much more assertive in going to the rim. He’ll pressure Nash’s defense all night by attacking him in the open floor and looking to penetrate in isolation and in the P&R.
• Luke Ridnour can make spot up jumpers and can also penetrate off ball reversals or in the P&R. Meeks has a tendency to lose his man off the ball and make poor decisions when closing out. Ridnour will test his discipline all night.
• Kirilenko does his best work off the ball as a slasher and then working off the dribble against sloppy closeouts. If Kobe plays his typical roaming style, there’s a good chance AK47 will beat him on cuts and get into the lane for quick shots before the defense can respond.
• Derrick Williams is a stretch PF who can shoot the jumper but also has enough athleticism to attack in space and elevate for lobs. Gasol has looked slow since returning to the lineup and chasing around a superior athlete could mean trouble.

Add in Barrea’s creation off the dribble, Shved’s streaky shooting ability, Budinger’s all around game (though he’s been showing rust in his return), and Dante Cunningham’s mid-range attack off the Wolves’ bench and the Lakers will have a tough night of defense ahead of them. Slowing dribble penetration will be key, but so will off ball awareness both in closing out on shooters and in dropping down to the paint to help on the glass against Pekovic when Dwight is forced into help situations.

Offensively, the Lakers must find a balanced attack as well as a style that they can stick to for the entire game. Against the Warriors early post ups were later abandoned in favor of P&R’s and neither action found enough traction to be successful. I’d like to see Kobe find more opportunities closer to the rim instead of isolating or running countless high P&R’s but that will be difficult against Kirilenko and Budinger (who both offer good size on the wing). That said, running him off the occasional screen or working him on cuts from one side of the floor to another could be useful in getting him clean looks.

Starting Meeks should enable the Lakers to spread the floor a bit better and hopefully that will open up more driving and passing lanes into the middle of the floor. If Meeks takes up residence on the weak side, he should see a fair amount of open looks on three pointers. If he’s able to knock them down, the defense will respond accordingly and should mean that Dwight and Pau can get more touches going to the basket. It should also mean that Kobe and Nash have a bit more room to attack coming out of the P&R.

Tonight’s also a game where the bench will need to put up some points. Barrea, Budinger, Shved, and Cunningham are all scorers and will look to impact the game by getting buckets. Jamison, Blake, and Clark need to try to keep pace with Blake and Clark (especially) also providing enough on defense to slow their men. If the Lakers’ bench can balance scoring with playing solid D, it will go a long way towards getting this win.

There’s really no need to discuss how important this game is. But, understand the Lakers are only one game up in the loss column on both the Jazz and the Mavericks. This game was likely penciled in as a win long ago, but times have changed recently. The Wolves are healthier, the Lakers are less so and have lost three straight games. Righting the ship is important and that happening would be better tonight than not.

Where you can watch: 5:00pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.