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Reigning NBA champions LA Lakers will continue their road trip in the East with a visit to the New York Knicks' Madison Square Garden on Monday. The LA Lakers have won two of their first three games on their road trip, coming off a solid victory over the mighty Brooklyn Nets in their last outing.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are coming off a win at home against the Toronto Raptors and had previously beaten the Memphis Grizzlies at MSG in overtime.
The New York Knicks and the LA Lakers will lock horns for the first time this campaign, with their second matchup of the campaign scheduled at the Staples Center on May 11th.
LA Lakers vs New York Knicks prediction
The reigning NBA champions are shorthanded, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis out with a high ankle injury and calf strain/Achilles tendinosis, respectively. However, the rest of the team has found ways to stay competitive, especially in defense, as they have taken a few surprise wins. Recently, the Lakers beat the Brooklyn Nets on the road on April 10th by 25 points.
Of course, the LA Lakers' offense has struggled since James went down with his ankle injury on March 20th. They are 29th in the league in Offensive Rating since James got injured. But Frank Vogel's team remains a great defensive unit without their two best players, ranking second in Defensive Rating since March 21st and first overall.
The LA Lakers have a 33-20 record this season (fifth in the West) and are 5-5 in their last ten outings. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks have starred in defense, which is expected from a Tom Thibodeau team.
The New York Knicks are 22nd in Offensive Rating but third in Defensive Rating this season. That explains their 27-27 record on the season and eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
At home, the New York Knicks are generally favored to win. But the LA Lakers are well-rested, while the Knicks will be playing on consecutive nights, which should tilt the scale in favor of the reigning champions.
On that note, let's take a look at a hypothetical combined starting five of the New York Knicks and the LA Lakers.
LA Lakers vs New York Knicks combined starting 5
Point Guard - Dennis Schroder | Shooting Guard - RJ Barrett | Small Forward - Julius Randle | Power Forward - Montrezl Harrell | Center - Andre Drummond.
Dennis Schroder has been key for the LA Lakers this season, even more so in the absence of James and Davis. Since LeBron James' injury against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20th, Schroder has averaged 16.5 points, 7.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game with 42/43/88 shooting splits.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks' RJ Barrett has stepped up for the team this campaign. He is performing at a higher level compared to that of his rookie season. Barrett is averaging 17.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and three assists per game with 45/38/74 shooting splits, which is much better than his last year's tally of 40/32/61.
Julius Randle has been the New York Knicks' best player this year, and he has certainly been impressive throughout the season. The left-handed forward has put up 22.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and six assists per game so far and is tied for seventh this season with five triple-doubles.
The LA Lakers' paint was a point of criticism during the early stages of the season, especially concerning center Marc Gasol.
However, Montrezl Harrell, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has provided great energy off the bench this campaign. Meanwhile, the addition of two-time All-Star Andre Drummond has enhanced the LA Lakers potency in the paint.
Harrell is averaging 14.6 points and 6.8 rebounds this season, doing so with a 63% field-goal percentage. He has appeared in all of the LA Lakers' 53 games this campaign. Meanwhile, Drummond has averaged 17 points and 12.9 rebounds in the season (25 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and three with the LA Lakers).
In his three games with the LA Lakers, Andre Drummond is averaging 13 points and eight rebounds. He is coming off a great night against the stacked Brooklyn Nets, producing 20 points and 11 rebounds in only 22 minutes.
Also Read: 5 must-win matchups for LA Lakers to stay afloat till LeBron James and Anthony Davis' return.
Guess the Lakers players!
