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There has been a lot of talk about what the Lakers should do heading into Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs. Should they bank Rajon Rondo? Put Anthony Davis in center and go small to match the Rockets? Stay big cause those lineups actually did better than many seem to think?
Whatever your plans after studying the Game 1 movie and talking about adjustments, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel made it clear after the team’s voluntary practice Saturday that he wasn’t going to give a sneak peek to the media.
“I will keep my views on our lineups close to my vest at this time,” Vogel said. “We got off to a good start to the game, so the starting lineup had a plus-minus positive, but we will continue to assess how best to beat the Houston Rockets. And we’ll leave it at that. “
Part of the problem for the Lakers in this series is that they cannot force the Rockets to abandon the way they play. No matter how big the Lakers are, the Rockets will still be small, because those are basically the only types of players they have on their roster.
“They don’t really have the option to go big. They made an organizational decision to create this style of play and I think they will sink or swim with it, ”Vogel said. “I think you will see this style regardless of how the results look.”
The possible benefit for the Lakers there, however, is that if they discover something that works, the Rockets only have so much they can do to try and stop it. They’re committed to the microliter with the zeal of a deranged cultist, which could backfire if the Lakers find ways to take advantage of their size advantage.
How LA will try to do it is the biggest question currently facing this series. We will see the answers for the first time in Game 2.
Notes and updates
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Anthony Davis (sprained left finger), LeBron James (pain in right groin) and Rajon Rondo (back spasms) are all LIKELY to play in Game 2. These are the same injury designations they had before Game 1 So expect them to play, at least until we hear different.
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Davis is willing to play center against the Rockets if asked. It is not clear if that is the correct decision or not.
- The Lakers only played one game in the 10 days leading up to the second round. They thought the rust hurt them in Game 1.
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The Lakers have family in the bubble now. They are trying to balance that relief without being distracted from their championship goals.
Game 2 will begin at 5:30 pm PST and will be televised on ABC.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Stapler or Google Podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.
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