The Reset - An NBA Fantasy Draft

[Dynasty4Kobe]

DEATH TO THE SUPER TEAM ERA



This is my first time jumping into the 2K Franchise/MyLeague world since 2K8, and needless to say, this mode and the game in general has drastically expanded since the last 10+ years. With the quality of roster edits and gameplay sliders done by CeltLG (Attention to Detail), I’ve actually found that the game plays CPU vs. CPU matchups pretty well. The approach I’m taking with this is focusing more on team construction from the GM/coaching point of view and having the games play out by the CPU (not directly Simmed). It’s a great way to see assess how the team plays, much like we all assess teams in real life, and at the same time, not playing the game frees up time for me to do other things while having the game on in the background. So let me set up the league for you guys:

Settings (PS4):
Rosters: ATD 2.0 No Injuries (CelticLG34)
Gameplay Sliders: ATD Sliders 2.0 (CelticLG34 + shadymike + youAldreadyKnow)
Draft Class: ATD Real DC 1 (CelticLG34 + DaInfamousNY)
MyLeague Sliders: BarnseyProgressions (Barncore)

Season: 29 Games
Playoffs: 3-3-3-5
Game Length: 12 minute quarters

Fantasy Draft:
I’ll be simming a fantasy draft of all the current NBA players. I’ve always loved the randomization element of it when starting the franchise mode (wish I could randomize the coaches and training staffs as well). I’ll of course be taking control of my home team, LA Lakers but I won’t actually be participating in the draft. I’ll let the CPU sim and then take the perspective of a front office “inheriting” whatever roster is set post-draft.

Roster:

Los Angeles Lakers Depth Chart – 2019
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Mike Conley (84)	Tony Parker (75)	Matthew Dellavedova (73)
SG	Austin Rivers (78)	Avery Bradley (77)	Jamal Crawford (75)
SF	Joe Ingles (80)	Andre Iguodala (77)	Kyle Korver (75)
PF	Pascal Siakam (80)	Mindaugas Kuzminskas (73)
C	Anthony Davis (93)	Aron Baynes (76)	Amir Johnson (75)

We used our high draft position to draft one of the best building blocks in the NBA. Anthony Davis opens up a win-now window and at 25 years old, also serves as a building block for the future. Another key aspect of Davis’ game is that he fills the five spot, which is probably the weakest position in the NBA. His versatility is perfectly complemented by Pascal Siakam at the power forward spot. I envision the combined length turning the team into one of the best defensive teams in the league. The trio is rounded out by a third two-way player in Mike Conley. Overall I’m very happy with these three going into this season, and looking at the rest of the league, I think we’d be in that “contenders” tier, thought I wouldn’t call us the favorites (if one even exists).

Where the roster shows some weakness is in the rest of the supporting cast, which is aging and lacks any real dynamic playmaking. Joe Ingles and Aron Baynes are nice as supporting players, but outside of that, Rivers, Bradley and the aging role players (Iggy, Parker, Crawford, Korver) could be worrisome when it comes to depth. In terms of line-ups, I figure having at least one of Conley, Siakam, or Davis on the court at all times would be safest to keep the game balanced.

Salaries:

Los Angeles Lakers Salaries
PLAYER	AGE	18-19	19-20	20-21	21-22
Mike Conley (84)	31	$30.52M	$32.51M	$34.50M
Anthony Davis (93)	25	$25.43M	$27.09M	$28.75M
Andre Iguodala (77)	34	$16.00M	$17.19M
Joe Ingles (80)	31	$13.05M	$11.95M	$10.86M
Austin Rivers (78)	26	$12.65M
Avery Bradley (77)	27	$12.00M	$13.00M
Matthew Dellavedova (73)	28	$9.61M	$9.61M
Kyle Korver (75)	37	$7.56M	$7.50M
Aron Baynes (76)	31	$5.17M	$5.43M
Tony Parker (75)	36	$5.00M	$5.25M
Pascal Siakam (80)	24	$1.54M	$2.35M
Amir Johnson (75)	31	$2.39M
Mindaugas Kuzminskas (73)	29	$1.51M
Jamal Crawford (75)	38	$2.39M
Larry Nance Jr. (TE)	TE	$1.47M
		TEAM OPTION	PLAYER OPTION	CAP HOLD

With big salaries committed to Mike Conley and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are well over the salary cap for the 2018-2019 season ($41M over). Both players are under contract through the 2019-2020 season, and it is likely that Mike Conley will opt into his $34.5M option for the 2020-2021 season. Anthony Davis also holds a player option for the 2020-2021 season, but would likely opt out if he isn’t extended before then. The Lakers are fully committed to locking up Davis for as many years as they can.

Surrounding Conley and Davis are the expensive contracts of Andre Iguodala, Austin Rivers, Avery Bradley, and Matthew Dellavedova. We’ll be hampered by the Iguodala and Dellavedova contracts at least through next season, though there will be some reprieve with the Rivers contract expiring and the team options on Avery Bradley and Kyle Korver not being picked up.

Joe Ingles has the longest term guaranteed contract on the books, deflating to $11M in the 2020-2021 season. Considering how valuable of a role player he can be, I’m not too upset over his contract. The real gem on the roster is Pascal Siakam, who will be earning below $2.5M in each of the next two seasons. After Davis, Siakam will be the long-term priority for the Lakers.

We’ll revisit the financial moves available to the Lakers as we get closer to the trade deadline and then the offseason.

TEAM SCHEDULE:

Los Angeles Lakers 2019 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Nov 2	at Utah Jazz (1-3)	WIN, 90-76
Nov 6	vs Atlanta Hawks (1-5)	WIN, 116-94
Nov 8	at New Orleans Pelicans (3-2)	LOSS, 99-107
Nov 11	at Orlando Magic (3-2)	LOSS, 78-85
Nov 22	vs Milwaukee Bucks (2-4)	WIN, 110-70
Nov 25	vs Sacramento Kings (5-1)	-
Nov 30	at Chicago Bulls (1-2)	-
Dec 16	vs Washington Wizards (2-2)	-
Dec 19	vs Memphis Grizzlies (0-4)	-
Dec 27	vs Toronto Raptors (1-3)	-
Jan 3	at San Antonio Spurs (0-2)	-
Jan 6	vs Houston Rockets (2-2)	-
Jan 9	at Minnesota Timberwolves (2-3)	-
Jan 11	at Denver Nuggets (2-1)	-
Jan 12	vs Cleveland Cavaliers (3-0)	-
Jan 20	vs Golden State Warriors (2-2)	-
Jan 25	at Los Angeles Clippers (1-2)	-
Jan 27	vs Brooklyn Nets (1-1)	-
Jan 31	vs Portland Trail Blazers (3-2)	-
Feb 9	at Detroit Pistons (3-1)	-
Feb 21	vs Boston Celtics (4-1)	-
Mar 11	at Charlotte Hornets (1-4)	-
Mar 16	at Miami Heat (2-1)	-
Mar 17	at Indiana Pacers (3-1)	-
Mar 26	vs Philadelphia 76ers (0-2)	-
Mar 28	vs New York Knicks (3-1)	-
Apr 3	at Phoenix Suns (2-1)	-
Apr 5	at Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0)	-
Apr 14	vs Dallas Mavericks (1-4)	-

[Dynasty4Kobe]

LEAGUE OVERVIEW (PRESEASON)

Power Rankings

Spoiler

Preseason NBA.com Power Rankings
RANK (LM)	TEAM	RECORD	CAP ROOM	BEST PLAYER	SECOND BEST	THIRD BEST
1 (-)	Golden State Warriors	0-0	+$5.58M	Victor Oladipo	Khris Middleton	Enes Kanter
2 (-)	San Antonio Spurs	0-0	+$9.15M	Kawhi Leonard	Marc Gasol	J.J. Redick
3 (-)	Los Angeles Lakers	0-0	-$41.20M	Anthony Davis	Mike Conley	Pascal Siakam
4 (-)	Oklahoma City	0-0	+$15.34M	Russell Westbrook	Gary Harris	Marvin Bagley III
5 (-)	Boston Celtics	0-0	-$26.16M	Paul George	Bradley Beal	Domantas Sabonis
6 (-)	Phoenix Suns	0-0	-$18.70M	Lebron James	Hassan Whiteside	De’Aaron Fox
7 (-)	Houston Rockets	0-0	+$35.50M	Karl-Anthony Towns	Caris LeVert	John Collins
8 (-)	Los Angeles Clippers	0-0	-$0.93M	Damian Lillard	Lou Williams	Bobby Portis
9 (-)	Cleveland Cavaliers	0-0	-$2.62M	Kyle Lowry	Kevin Love	Buddy Hield
10 (-)	New Orleans Pelicans	0-0	+$6.03M	Jimmy Butler	Lauri Markkanen	Malcom Brogdon
11 (-)	Chicago Bulls	0-0	-$42.91M	Stephen Curry	Steven Adams	Andrew Wiggins
12 (-)	Washington Wizards	0-0	-$30.48M	Chris Paul	Deandre Jordan	Dario Saric
13 (-)	Milwaukee Bucks	0-0	+$23.32M	Klay Thompson	Luka Doncic	Terry Rozier III
14 (-)	Minnesota Timberwolves	0-0	-$72.61M	Demar DeRozan	Al Horford	Harrison Barnes
15 (-)	Miami Heat	0-0	-$1.03M	John Wall	Devin Booker	Nikola Vucevic
16 (-)	Dallas Mavericks	0-0	-$61.64M	Rudy Gobert	Blake Griffin	Eric Gordon
17 (-)	Toronto Raptors	0-0	+$15.40M	Demarcus Cousins	Brandon Ingram	Julius Randle
18 (-)	Denver Nuggets	0-0	-$5.72M	Kevin Durant	Jamal Murray	Dwight Howard
19 (-)	Utah Jazz	0-0	+$29.34M	Ben Simmons	Goran Dragic	Kyle Kuzma
20 (-)	Indiana Pacers	0-0	-$4.60M	James Harden	Clint Capela	Otto Porter
21 (-)	Detroit Pistons	0-0	-$22.92M	Kyrie Irving	Deandre Ayton	Serge Ibaka
22 (-)	Orlando Magic	0-0	-$21.28M	Joel Embiid	Aaron Gordon	Lonzo Ball
23 (-)	Philadelphia 76ers	0-0	-$26.98M	Draymond Green	Lamarcus Aldridge	Eric Bledsoe
24 (-)	Sacramento Kings	0-0	-$21.88M	Andre Drummond	Jaylen Brown	Paul Millsap
25 (-)	Portland Trail Blazers	0-0	-$25.69M	Nikola Jokic	Jrue Holiday	Nikola Mirotic
26 (-)	Charlotte Hornets	0-0	+$17.26M	Kristaps Porzingis	Tobias Harris	Dejounte Murray
27 (-)	Memphis Grizzlies	0-0	-$11.30M	Giannis Antetokounmpo	D’Angelo Russell	Myles Turner
28 (-)	New York Knicks	0-0	+$14.10M	Donovan Mitchell	Gordon Hayward	Willy Cauley-Stein
29 (-)	Brooklyn Nets	0-0	-$21.83M	Kemba Walker	Zach Lavine	Jonas Valanciunas
30 (-)	Atlanta Hawks	0-0	+$6.39M	Jayson Tatum	C.J. McCollum	Spencer Dinwiddie

League Standings

Spoiler

NBA Standings - Updated: Nov 1, 2018
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
Boston Celtics	0	0	-
Chicago Bulls	0	0	-
Indiana Pacers	0	0	-
Cleveland Cavaliers	0	0	-
Miami Heat	0	0	-
Milwaukee Bucks	0	0	-
Philadelphia 76ers	0	0	-
Washington Wizards	0	0	-
Detroit Pistons	0	0	-
New York Knicks	0	0	-
Brooklyn Nets	0	0	-
Toronto Raptors	0	0	-
Atlanta Hawks	0	0	-
Charlotte Hornets	0	0	-
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
Los Angeles Lakers	0	0	-
San Antonio Spurs	0	0	-
Memphis Grizzlies	0	0	-
Golden State Warriors	0	0	-
Denver Nuggets	0	0	-
Phoenix Suns	0	0	-
Portland Trail Blazers	0	0	-
Los Angeles Clippers	0	0	-
Houston Rockets	0	0	-
New Orleans Pelicans	0	0	-
Oklahoma City Thunder	0	0	-
Dallas Mavericks	0	0	-
Utah Jazz	0	0	-
Sacramento Kings	0	0	-

League Leaders

Spoiler

TBD

Injury Report

Spoiler

Injury Report
Team	Player	Injury Note
Hawks	C.J. McCollum	Strained Groin (4-6 weeks, Hurt)
Grizzlies	D'Angelo Russell	Hyperextended Left Elbow (1-2 weeks, Out)
Jazz	Wendell Carter Jr.	Severe Left Ankle Sprain (1-2 weeks, Out)
Wizards	Kelly Oubre Jr.	Broken Right Ankle (6-8 weeks, Out)
Suns	Malik Monk	Left Knee Tendinitis (4-6 weeks, Out)
Pacers	Javale McGee	Bruised Right Hip (Day-to-Day, Hurt)
Nuggets	Evan Turner	Bruised Right Shoulder (1-2 weeks, Hurt)
Hawks	Kelly Olynyk	Bruised Right Hip (Day-to-Day, Hurt)
Raptors	Luc Mbah A Moute	High Right Ankle Sprain (1-2 weeks, Hurt)
Sixers	Nene	Bruised Right Forearm (Day-to-Day, Hurt)

[Dynasty4Kobe]

Matchup Preview | November 2, 2018
	@
Los Angeles Lakers (0-0, 0-0 Away)		Utah Jazz (0-2, 0-0 Home)
Stats Comparison N/A Points Per Game 109.0 N/A Field Goal % 47.2% N/A 3-Point % 34.5% N/A Free Throw % 68.0% N/A Rebounds 49.5 N/A Assists 32.5 N/A PPG Allowed 125.0 N/A Blocks+Steals 10.0 N/A Turnovers 17.5 Projected Starters Mike Conley (N/A) Point Guard Goran Dragic (5.5 PPG, 8.5 APG) Austin Rivers (N/A) Shooting Guard Rodney Hood (11.0 PPG, 57% 3P%) Joe Ingles (N/A) Small Forward Ben Simmons (20.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG) Pascal Siakam (N/A) Power Forward Kyle Kuzma (19.5 PPG, 52% FG%) Anthony Davis (N/A) Center Wendell Carter Jr. (14.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG) Injury Report Game Notes The Jazz have already started off the season 0-2 and their roster make up suggests that they will struggle this season. The twins, Ben Simmons and Kyle Kuzma, are nice young pieces, as is Wendell Carter Jr., but there is very little veteran talent on the team. Goran Dragic and Rodney Hood are average players and the bench is made up of journeymen such as Dion Waiters and Lance Stephenson. Utah could find some optimism in the fact that their first two games were on the road, and this being their home opener could tell a difference tale, especially considering Utah’s strong home crowd. Even so, I expect us to take care of this team due to the talent disparity. I expect Anthony Davis and Pascal Siakam to feast on the young Wendell Carter Jr. and the defensively-challenged Kyle Kuzma.

[Dynasty4Kobe]

First Half

The Lakers started the game imposing their size. Anthony Davis recorded 10 rebounds in the first quarter alone and caused Wendell Carter Jr. to start 0-6 in the game. The Jazz, as a whole, got off to an incredibly slow start, falling behind 30-15 in the first quarter. Ben Simmons had 8 of the team’s 15 points, but was then shut out in the second quarter. The second units of both teams went head to head in the second quarter and the Jazz went on a run to cut the lead to seven. But savvy pick and roll game by Tony Parker and Aron Baynes weathered the storm to keep the lead in double digits. The Jazz caught a second wind in the quarter, taking advantage of a Lakers cold-spell (thanks to some poor shot selection by Austin Rivers), and cut the lead to 39-36. The steady hand of Mike Conley provided a couple of jumpers and a nice assist to end the Laker half with a 45-39 lead. Considering that the Jazz shot a paltry 40% from the field compared to the Lakers 48%, the Lakers were disappointed to be up only 6 points. Davis finished the half with 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.

Second Half

Kyle Kuzma picked up three fouls in the first five minutes of the third quarter, which gave him four for the game. Coach Quin Snyder, desperate for offense, elected to keep him in the game. He responded with an immediate five points, but the Laker reserves put up a strong showing in the third quarter, producing timely buckets to keep the Jazz at arm’s length. Parker continued to display impressive pick and roll game for easy buckets, complemented by assists to Kyle Korver and Avery Bradley. The trio scored 13 points in the quarter to push the Laker lead to 70-61. In what was a perfect finish to a very balanced game for the Lakers, the team looked to veteran leaders, Joe Ingles and Conley, to finish off the game. Ingles was extremely quiet throughout the game, but drained three key jumpers in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 86-70 and finished with 10 points total in the quarter. Conley bookended Ingles’ run with a couple jumpers of his own and the Lakers cruised to the finish line with a 90-76 win. After putting in 16 points in the first half, Davis finished with 20 in the game (all in the paint). Help from the supporting cast on the offensive side freed up Davis to dominate other aspects of the game, as was evident by his 17 rebounds.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS at UTAH JAZZ
Nov 2, 2018	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Los Angeles (1-0)	30	15	25	20	-	90
Utah (0-3)	15	24	22	15	-	76

Los Angeles Lakers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	B+S	TO	+/-	PTS
Mike Conley	34	4-12	1-6	0-0	2	6	0	3	9	15
Austin Rivers	28	2-4	1-2	2-2	1	4	0	0	7	6
Joe Ingles	29	4-7	2-3	2-2	4	2	1	2	12	12
Pascal Siakam	34	6-7	0-1	2-2	9	1	0	0	14	15
Anthony Davis	35	10-18	0-1	0-0	17	2	3	2	20	19
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	B+S	TO	PTS	+/-
Tony Parker	14	4-7	0-0	2-2	1	2	0	0	10	-1
Avery Bradley	20	2-8	0-3	0-0	1	2	0	0	4	8
Andre Iguodala	18	1-5	0-0	0-0	2	3	0	0	2	5
Kyle Korver	12	2-5	1-2	0-0	2	0	0	0	5	-5
Aron Baynes	16	3-5	1-3	0-0	4	0	2	0	7	-4
Jamal Crawford	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	-
Matthew Dellavedova	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	-
Amir Johnson	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	-
TEAM TOTALS	48	38-78	6-21	8-8	48	22	6	7	90	+14

Utah Jazz
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	B+S	TO	+/-	PTS
Goran Dragic	31	6-13	1-2	0-0	3	2	1	0	13	15
Rodney Hood	30	6-11	0-0	2-2	2	2	2	0	14	6
Ben Simmons	31	6-14	0-1	0-0	6	5	0	1	12	12
Kyle Kuzma	29	5-13	3-5	2-2	8	2	0	1	15	15
Wendell Carter Jr.	31	3-10	0-1	0-0	2	1	2	1	6	19
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	B+S	TO	PTS	+/-
Lance Stephenson	21	1-6	0-4	1-2	1	2	1	0	3	-1
Dion Waiters	20	3-6	1-2	0-0	2	1	0	0	7	8
Shabazz Muhammad	15	0-5	0-1	2-2	1	3	0	0	2	5
Zach Collins	18	1-1	0-0	0-0	7	1	1	1	2	-5
Deyonta Davis	14	1-1	0-0	0-0	4	0	0	0	2	-4
Aaron Brooks	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	-
Jerome Robinson	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	-
Elie Okobo	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	-
TEAM TOTALS	48	32-80	5-16	7-8	41	19	7	4	76	-14

[Dynasty4Kobe]

Matchup Preview | November 6, 2018
	@
Atlanta Hawks (1-1, 1-1 Away)		Los Angeles Lakers (1-0, 0-0 Home)
Stats Comparison 99.5 Points Per Game 90.0 43.6% Field Goal % 48.7% 33.3% 3-Point % 28.6% 84.0% Free Throw % 100.0% 43.0 Rebounds 48.0 22.0 Assists 22.0 118.5 PPG Allowed 76.0 16.0 Blocks+Steals 6.0 15.0 Turnovers 7.0 Projected Starters Spencer Dinwiddie (13.0 PPG, 8.0 APG) Point Guard Mike Conley (9.0 PPG, 6.0 APG) C.J. McCollum (13.5 PPG, 31.0% FG%) Shooting Guard Austin Rivers (7.0 PPG, 4.0 APG) Jayson Tatum (24.5 PPG, 62.5% FG%) Small Forward Joe Ingles (12.0 PPG, 66.7% 3P%) Ryan Anderson (3.5 PPG, 14.3% 3P%) Power Forward Pascal Siakam (14.0 PPG, 85.7% FG%) Johnathan Williams (8.5 PPG, 2.5 BSPG) Center Anthony Davis (20.0 PPG, 17.0 RPG) Injury Report Game Notes The Atlanta Hawks entered the preseason at the very bottom of the Power Rankings and the obvious culprit is a very underwhelming frontcourt. Ryan Anderson and the little-known Johnathan Williams are expected to be heavily outmatched by the Lakers’ Pascal Siakam and Anthony Davis, who combined for 26 rebounds and shot a combined 16 for 25 (64.0%) in the season opener. The Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 40-point beat down at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. After opening the season with 34 big points in a surprising win over Lebron James’ Phoenix Suns, Jayson Tatum put up just 15 points in the last game. His running mate, C.J. McCollum, has yet to put up the big scoring games that he is known for. The Hawks are expecting an up and down season for the 20-year old Jayston Tatum, but are hoping C.J. McCollum can at least provide a solid 20 points, game in and game out, to keep the team competitive. What the Hawks do come equipped with, however, is a very deep bench that is capable of putting up big scoring numbers. The group is headlined by Carmelo Anthony, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kelly Olynyk. Through the first two games of the season, the trio has struggled, shooting just 35.6%, but each player is still capable of putting up 15+ point games. While I do fear that this Hawks team is much more capable offensively than the Utah Jazz were, the Lakers should be able to handle this team and come away with a win in their home opener.

[Dynasty4Kobe]

First Half

Anthony Davis finished with 21 points on 7-10 from the field (2-2 from three), 10 rebounds, and a whopping +18 plus/minus. And I’m only talking about the first quarter. I love the aggressive version of Davis and I’ve always kind of critiqued him for not showing it more often during his career. I always thought that by now he would be the undisputed best player in the league, but whether it was because of injury or lack of team success, he hasn’t been able to sustain Top 3 status in the eyes of the majority. But the first quarter I saw today was a perfect snapshot of how unstoppable this guy can really be. For context, the Hawks in the first quarter scored 19 points and grabbed 7 rebounds AS A TEAM. Davis had 21 and 10 by himself. The Lakers dropped 37 points as a whole in the first quarter on 65% shooting. The second quarter was largely uneventful, though Ryan Anderson did get hot to make it seem like the Hawks could claw their way back into the game, but the points in the paint were just being poured on by the Lakers (34 to 20 advantage). Davis finished the half with 25 points, largely slowed down by a lengthy rest on the bench during the second quarter. The Hawks lost C.J. McCollum for a portion of the first quarter due to injury. It seemed as though he pulled a muscle or suffered a strain in his lower body, but he did return in the second quarter, though he was not very effective shooting just 1 for 7 from the field. Jayson Tatum and Ryan Anderson led the Hawks in scoring with 12 and 10 points, respectively. As a team, the Haws were held to just 37% shooting, including 4/15 from three.

Second Half

The second half picked up right where the first half left off. Davis played the entire third quarter and added 10 more points to his total. Tony Parker also had a big quarter off the bench, scoring 9 points on 4 for 5 shooting. It’s amazing how even at this age, and coming off the injury he had, he has still been able to find his way into the paint for crafty little layups. Tatum continued to play well, scoring in a variety of ways that included ISO jumpers, a three pointer, and hard drives to the paint. Unfortunately, he lacked any real kind of support from his teammates. The Lakers finished the quarter up 23 points and we headed into the final quarter looking at extended garbage time. The fourth quarter started with the crowd chanting for Tacos, and with the Hawks sitting on 68 points, it looked like tacos were on their way. But for whatever reason, nothing gets an opponent going like the satisfaction of killing a promotion for opposing fans. The Hawks went on a 15-4 run to pull within 13 points. The Lakers had to put Davis and Mike Conley back into the game to avoid having the game get any closer. Order was quickly restored and the fans’ attention quickly shifted from tacos to Davis’ numbers as they implored him to hit the 40-20 mark. Davis obliged, putting the finishing touch on a masterpiece of a game. Davis exited the game for good with 41 points, 21 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, all while shooting 15-20 from the field. The Lakers got solid games as well from Parker, Conley, and Pascal Siakam, all of whom topped 15 points as the Lakers cruised to a 116-94 win.

ATLANTA HAWKS at LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Nov 6, 2018	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Atlanta (1-2)	19	23	24	28	-	94
Los Angeles (2-0)	37	21	33	25	-	116

Atlanta Hawks
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	B+S	TO	PTS	+/-
Spencer Dinwiddie	26	5-13	2-6	3-4	4	6	0	0	15	-6
C.J. McCollum	26	3-11	0-4	2-4	2	5	1	0	8	-22
Jayson Tatum	29	9-16	1-4	2-2	3	3	2	1	21	-30
Ryan Anderson	31	7-12	3-5	0-0	8	1	1	0	17	-6
Johnathan Williams	26	3-10	1-5	0-0	6	2	3	2	7	-10
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	B+S	TO	PTS	+/-
Bogdan Bogdanovic	22	0-5	0-3	1-1	3	3	0	0	1	-2
Kelly Olynyk	20	3-6	2-3	2-2	3	2	1	0	10	-12
Carmelo Anthony	19	2-7	0-2	0-0	3	0	0	0	4	-16
Tomas Satoransky	18	1-3	0-0	3-6	4	2	1	0	5	6
Bryn Forbes	17	2-5	2-4	0-0	1	1	0	2	6	-23
Milos Teodosic	2	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jordan Crawford	2	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sam Dekker	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	1	1	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS	48	35-90	11-36	13-19	43	26	10	5	94	-22

Los Angeles Lakers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	B+S	TO	PTS	+/-
Mike Conley	30	7-14	1-5	0-0	1	3	1	2	15	7
Austin Rivers	29	2-8	2-4	0-0	1	7	1	1	6	6
Joe Ingles	23	4-7	1-1	0-0	5	3	0	1	9	15
Pascal Siakam	32	7-11	1-2	0-0	10	0	1	0	15	7
Anthony Davis	38	15-20	2-3	9-10	21	6	3	3	41	20
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	B+S	TO	PTS	+/-
Tony Parker	16	8-12	0-1	1-2	4	5	0	0	17	15
Avery Bradley	15	1-2	0-1	0-0	1	2	0	0	2	16
Andre Iguodala	21	2-6	0-1	0-0	3	4	0	1	4	1
Kyle Korver	14	1-2	1-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	3	12
Aron Baynes	16	2-6	0-0	0-0	5	3	0	0	4	11
Jamal Crawford	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	0
Matthew Dellavedova	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0
Amir Johnson	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS	48	49-88	8-20	10-12	59	34	6	9	116	+22

[Dynasty4Kobe]

Lakers Injury Report - Andre Iguodala - Sprained MCL

Andre Iguodala suffered a sprained MCL in practice prior to the Lakers traveling to New Orleans to faceoff with the Pelicans. The team will likely give the veteran forward 1-2 weeks off rather than having him play through the injury. The 34-year old forward has transitioned his career into largely being a playoffs-only player at this point and the Lakers drafted him knowing this much. The team would rather have Iguodala healthy for a deep playoff run, and make no mistake, a deep playoff run this season is definitely the team’s ambition and expectation. The Lakers have a formidable defensive starting lineup, bolstered by Anthony Davis, , and Mike Conley. What the group lacks, however, is a perimeter wing defender with size that can hold his own in a playoff series with the top scorers in the league. This is what the Lakers envision Iguodala’s role being. We are several years removed from the peak performance of Iguodala’s career that culminated in him being the MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals, where he was the major catalyst in driving Lebron James to an uncharacteristically inefficient series. But still, most coaches would feel much more comfortable having Iguodala take key defensive assignments rather than the average NBA player. The graphic below gives a snapshot of what kind of perimeter players reside in the Western Conference, and considering the sheer quantity of tough matchups, it is a near certainty that Iguodala will play a pivotal role starting in May. Until then, the Lakers will monitor this MCL injury, and look to Avery Bradley and Kyle Korver to fill in the bench minutes until Iguodala is ready,

Western Conference Stars

[Dynasty4Kobe]

Matchup Preview | November 8, 2018
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Los Angeles Lakers (2-0, 1-0 Away)		New Orleans Pelicans (1-0, 1-0 Home)
Stats Comparison 103.0 Points Per Game 108.0 52.4% Field Goal % 50.0% 34.1% 3-Point % 39.1% 90.0% Free Throw % 83.3% 53.5 Rebounds 49.0 28.0 Assists 24.0 85.0 PPG Allowed 91.0 6.0 Blocks+Steals 19.0 8.0 Turnovers 11.0 Projected Starters Mike Conley (12.0 PPG, 4.5 APG) Point Guard Malcolm Brogdon (7.0 PPG, 10.0 APG) Austin Rivers (6.5 PPG, 5.5 APG) Shooting Guard Jimmy Butler (22.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG) Joe Ingles (10.5 PPG, 57.1% FG%) Small Forward Bogdan Bogdanovic (13.0 PPG, 75.0% 3P%) Pascal Siakam (14.5 PPG, 72.2% FG%) Power Forward Lauri Markkanen (21.0 PPG, 35.0% FG%) Anthony Davis (30.5 PPG, 19.0 RPG) Center Jarren Jackson Jr. (6.0 RPG, 4.0 BSPG) Injury Report Andre Iguodala, Strained Left MCL (1-2 Weeks) Game Notes The New Orleans Pelicans come in looking like a solid team, with some Power Rankings even having them ranked first in the Preseason. The team’s starting lineup if incredibly well-balanced, led by Jimmy Butler and Bojan Bogdanovic on the wings and surrounded by young, emerging talent in Malcolm Brogdon, Lauri Markkanen, and the versatile Jaren Jackson Jr. This will be the first matchup that the Los Angeles Lakers see where the opposing front court matches up size wise with the Lakers’ Anthony Davis and Pascal Siakam. The pair continue to scorch the league, shooting 65.8% and 72.2%, respectively through the first two games. Davis, of course, put up when the of season’s early notable games in the last outing, dropping 41 points and 21 rebounds in the Lakers’ blowout win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Pelicans come in winning their first and only game thus far, behind Butler’s 22 points and 10 rebounds. Markkanen shot a frigid 7 for 20 in the game for 21 points, but the team will continue to encourage him to shoot and hopefully establish him as an offensive force in the league. The Pelicans got strong performances off the bench from Elfrid Payton (18 points on 9 of 11 shooting) and Taj Gibson (10 points in 19 minutes).