NBA restart preview: Team-by-team capsules of what you need to know
The 2019-20 season resumes Thursday with a pair of games, including the Lakers vs. the Clippers in the nightcap.
Here is a team-by-team look at the 22 clubs that will resume play with seeding games before 16 advance to the playoffs in late August. (All schedule times PDT.)
___
WESTERN CONFERENCE
___
1. LAKERS (49-14)
Remember these guys? Anthony Davis (26.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg), LeBron James (10.6 apg).
What do you need to know? The Lakers were the best team in the West nearly wire-to-wire this season, and the four-month break to get James and Davis back at 100% will help. Losing Avery Bradley (personal reasons) and Rajon Rondo (thumb injury, return to be determined) will impact the Lakers' depth, but new faces Dion Waiters and JR Smith to pair with Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope still leave the Lakers with a lot of options. No two players in the league are as dynamic as James and Davis combined, and as long as they're on the court, the Lakers should be too.
Schedule: 7/30 vs. CLIPPERS 6 p.m., TNT; 8/1 vs. TOR 5:30 p.m., ESPN; 8/3 vs. UTAH 6 p.m., ESPN; 8/5 vs. OKC 3:30 p.m., ESPN; 8/6 vs. HOU 6 p.m., TNT; 8/8 vs. IND 3 p.m., TNT; 8/10 vs. DEN 6 p.m., TNT; 8/13 vs. SAC TBD.
___
2. CLIPPERS (44-20)
Remember these guys? Kawhi Leonard (26.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Lou Williams (5.7 apg).
What do you need to know? Led by Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers are built for the playoffs. They have depth, veterans who have played big games, young players who have been up for the challenge in big moments. But questions persist. They still haven't been whole in Orlando (and thanks to some delicious wings, Williams will miss some games). The Clippers have taken the big-picture approach all season. As the time gets shorter, can they find a new gear
