The Lakers will face the Pelicans on April 2, once again falling back to the eleventh place in the West and facing another tough battle. This win or loss is very critical, if lost, then the Lakers basically have no hope of catching up with the Pelicans, can only compete with the Spurs for tenth place in the West, and are at a disadvantage. In this battle, James and Thick Brow are expected to return, and the Lakers will impact a number of milestones.
First, James has made 2137 three-pointers to rank 11th all-time, and Pierce has made 2143 two-pointers to tie for ninth place in history with Lillard. James only needs to shoot 6 more three-pointers in this game to equal Pierce.
Second, James has grabbed 10,202 rebounds in 39th place in history, and with just 7 more rebounds, he can surpass Zach Randolph and rise to 38th all-time.
Third, Howard has played 1237 games in 37th place in history, and as long as he plays in this game, he will catch up with Olajuwon and tie for 36th place in history.
Fourth, Westbrook has shot 7158 two-pointers to rank 50th in history, Eddie Johnson has made 7165 two-pointers to rank 49th, and Westbrook has made eight more two-pointers to surpass Eddie Johnson and rise to 49th.
Fifth, Howard has made 7,012 two-pointers to rank 54th all-time, and Jeff Malone has made 7,013 two-pointers to rank 53rd all-time. Howard only needs to shoot two two-pointers to overtake Jeff Malone.
Sixth, Ariza has shot 1605 three-pointers to rank 32nd all-time, and Jason Richardson has made 1608 three-pointers to rank 31st in history. Ariza only needs to shoot three three-pointers to equal Richardson. Ariza started last game but didn't shoot a three-pointer. With James and Thick Brow expected to return, it is unclear whether Ariza can still enter the rotation lineup.
The Lakers lost to the Pelicans on March 28, a battle that the Lakers could not afford to lose. However, whether the Lakers can win depends on the chemistry between James and the thick eyebrow brother and the team. Vogel's platooning is also very important, and if you continue to use the five small, the center position is restrained, and you may still lose.
Previously, in the case of the health of the thick-browed brother, Vogel had abandoned howard and other interior players and used the thick-browed brother to play the center, but for a team with a big center like the Pelicans, the Lakers obviously can't use too many small lineups.