A Frustrated Lebron James Takes On Atlanta

By Sam Batz

The Los Angeles Lakers (nba.com/lakers) will travel to Philips Arena Friday, Dec. 30 to play the Atlanta Hawks (nba.com/hawks). It is the fourth game in a five game road trip for the Lakers, who have gone 1-2 in their last three contests, losing to the Miami Heat 98-112 in their most recent matchup. Meanwhile, the Hawks will look to get things back on track after losing two-straight. Both teams are dealing with injuries that may change their respective game plans. It will be interesting to see how they fare against each other without their impact players on the floor.

The Lakers star power forward, Anthony Davis, is nursing a stress fracture in his foot and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. He has been ruled out indefinitely until then, meaning the Lakers will have to get by without him for a while. Simultaneously, Hawks star point guard, Trae Young, and starting center, Clint Capela, are both dealing with calf injuries. They missed Atlanta’s game against the Nets on Wednesday, but have been listed as day-to-day since then, meaning they have a chance to play Friday against the Lakers.

Atlanta is having an underwhelming season. They are the 9 seed in the East with a 17-18 record, falling below .500 after losing 107-108 to the Nets in their last contest. Trae Young leads Atlanta with 27.3 points and 9.9 assists per game. Young will be sorely missed if he can’t go against the Lakers, as the Hawks rely heavily on him to both score and distribute the ball. Capela, another key figure in Atlanta, is averaging a double-double with 12.0 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. If neither of them are fit for Friday’s matchup, the Lakers chances to win sky-rocket, so it is worth monitoring Young and Capela’s status.

Lebron James is playing phenomenal for a guy that is about to turn 38. He is averaging 27.8 points per game and is essentially the Lakers only bright spot in a season rife with disappointment. The Lakers are 13th in the West with a 14-21 record. Lebron recently told reporters he wants to win another title in Los Angeles before his career is over, but at the current rate of play, doesn’t see that happening anytime soon. The Lakers are in shambles without Anthony Davis on the court to compliment Lebron, and it is increasingly likely that they will miss the playoffs for a second straight year.

Lakers vs Hawks Odds

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Lakers vs Hawks All-Time Series

The Lakers and Hawks have played a total of 336 regular season games. The Lakers have the advantage with 194 wins, while the Hawks trail with 142 wins. Friday’s game will be the first time Los Angeles and Atalnta have played this season. They split the series 1-1 last year, with each of them winning on their home courts.

Betting Trends

The Hawks are 2-3 ATS in their last five games
The Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games
The Hawks are 8-9-1 ATS at home this season
The Lakers are 5-13 ATS on the road this season
The Hawks are 3-4-1 ATS against the West this season
The Lakers are 6-8-1 ATS against the East this season
The Hawks have gone OVER in three of their last five games
The Lakers have gone OVER in four of their last five games

Keys Aspects For This Matchup

Without Anthony Davis, Los Angeles is 3-7 this year. Against teams with a good center, the Lakers have no defensive answer. If Atlanta center Clint Capela plays, he will be in for a huge game against Los Angeles. In LA’s last 10 games, they have given up an average of 120.8 points to the opposition. Conversely, they have scored 118.3 points per game, but can’t seem to stop anyone on the defense end. It is a glaring issue for LA, especially for Friday’s matchup against an Atlanta Hawks offense that is averaging 117.6 points through their last 10 games. The Lakers need to see higher production from anyone other than Lebron James. LBJ is averaging 31.2 points in his last 10 games but hasn’t seen much help from his teammates. Players like Russell Westbrook, Lonnie Walker IV, and Dennis Schroder all need to step it up if the Lakers have any hope of not just winning on Friday, but turning the entire season around.

The Hawks are no defensive masterminds either. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games while allowing 118.8 points to the opposition over that same stretch. However, Atlanta has a decent home record of 11-7 and they nearly beat the 23-12 Nets on Wednesday, even without two of their top players, Trae Young and Clint Caplea. If the Hawks get those two back for Friday’s game, Atlanta will be in a strong position to break their two-game losing streak. The Lakers will need their support players to start scoring in order to keep up with Atlanta. Regardless, if the Hawks can slow down Lebron James, they have a clear path to victory.

Prediction

The Atlanta Hawks will win this game against a struggling Lakers team. LA does not travel well and their current five-game road trip has not treated them kindly. They are 6-13 on the road and will have a tough time slowing down a fast-paced Atlanta offense. Neither team plays great defense and this will be a high scoring game. Nevertheless, the Lakers only scoring option as of late has been Lebron James while the Hawks have a more well-rounded lineup, granting them more versatility, and thus greater options on the offensive end.

Prediction: Atlanta Hawks moneyline and the over.

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A Frustrated Lebron James Takes On Atlanta | Lakers vs Hawks | OSB