Copyright thenassauguardian
With star players LeBron James and Luka Dončić out of action with various injuries, the Los Angeles Lakers need their new center to step up now more than ever to stay relevant in a tough Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). DeAndre Ayton got off to an inconspicuous start to the season, but has picked it up in the last two games, evening the Lakers off in the standings. They have won two and lost two in their first four games of the season. Ayton has been a double-double machine in his career, but the Lakers need him to be even more of a presence, particularly in this next stretch of the season. Dončić will miss at least another week of the season with a finger sprain and lower leg contusion, and James is expected to be out until mid-November with a right-sided sciatica injury, which affects the lower back and legs. Additionally, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber are out, and veteran guard Marcus Smart is listed as day-to-day with a right quadriceps contusion. As for the Bahamian, Ayton appears to be progressing as the season is moving along. He had his best game of the season against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, scoring 22 points and adding 15 rebounds in a 127-120 victory for his team, and followed that up with a 16-point, eight-rebound effort against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on Monday. The Lakers lost that game, 122-108. On Sunday, Ayton was 10-for-17 from the field, and in the second game of a back-to-back on Monday, he finished 8-for-15 from the field. He played 36 minutes both nights. “This is a time for us to show togetherness,” said Ayton to reporters following the game on Monday. “... it’s just having a next man up mentality. We just have to continue to be ready. We were able to see some things that we need to work on, with our primary guys and primary ball handlers not in the game. Right now, it’s just about how quick we could get into our offense and execute.” The Bahamian big man has averaged a double-double in each of his first seven years in the league — the first five with the Phoenix Suns and the last two with the Blazers. This is his first year in the purple and gold of the Lakers, and through four games, he is at 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Ayton appeared to be shaky in his first two games of the season, but turned in respectable performances in his last two games. Meanwhile, Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield has gone in the opposite direction for the Golden State Warriors. The Bahamian shooting guard had 17 and 11 points in his first two games of the season, but just two and five in his last two games. He had missed nine three-pointers in a row going into the Warriors’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers last night. The Warriors hosted that game at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, but the result was unavailable up to press time. The Warriors had a 3-1 win/loss record going into that game. Bahamian Valdez ‘VJ’ Edgecombe couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. He is on a historic pace, leading all first-year players in scoring and assists, and he’s second in rebounds. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined for 182 points in the first three games of the season for the Sixers — all victories. It’s the most by any starting backcourt through a team’s first three games of a season since starters were first tracked in 1970-71, according to ESPN Research. Edgecombe is averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in three games, while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range. He had 26 points, seven assists and four rebounds on Monday, helping the 76ers beat the Orlando Magic, 136-124, at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “I got confidence in myself and I got confidence in my work and I trust the people that I work with within the team,” said Edgecombe. “I’d say I’m a student of the game, so I know where my buckets are going to come from. I watch a lot of basketball, I watch a lot of film, especially when I’m playing with great players like Tyrese and Joel. I know where the shots are going to come from, and I’ve been able to capitalize on that.” Sixers’ big man Joel Embiid missed their game on Monday night, after playing on a minutes restriction in their first two games of the season. The other Bahamian on the Sixers’ roster, Eric ‘EJ’ Gordon, played his first game of the season on Monday night. He had eight points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field, 2-for-3 from deep, in the win over the Magic. The Sixers played the Washington Wizards at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, last night, but the result was unavailable up to press time. As mentioned, Hield and the Warriors faced the Clippers last night, and the result of that game was unavailable up to press time. Ayton and the Lakers travel to face the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That game is set for a 9:30 p.m. start tonight.
