D’Angelo Russell calls Tracy McGrady the GOAT

The fact that Bryant is so confident in this year’s group of players isn’t surprising due to his headstrong belief that he can lead any team to success, but the real question is whether the 17-time All-Star’s vision is actually realistic.

With a win, the Clippers, who lost in the second round of the playoffs last season to the Houston Rockets, a.k.a. James Harden, can continue their dominance in recent years over their city rival and claim ownership to bragging rights that once consistently belonged to a dominant Lakers organization. The Lakers’ two best players are Kobe, a 36 year-old whose last three seasons ended with major injuries, and Hibbert, whose last team gave him away for a second-round pick. This game will also bring intriguing matchups for rookies Russell and Julius Randle as they match up against two of the best at their respective positions in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and should serve as a measuring stick for how the two are coming along in their development.

With 21 appearances on national TV, Anthony Davis will become a household name among NBA fans. He’s a budding superstar, they needed to get him out there. We all recall the “soft as Charmin” tirade from 2014 where he lashed out at his teammates during a practice. They do not catch any breaks with this new schedule. San Antonio is one of eight teams that will not play four games in five days. Each of them possesses a level of skill that has Laker fans salivating for the start of the new season.

Given his ability to slash, drive-and-kick, handle the ball in the pick-and-roll and whip passes to open shooters on the perimeter, the former Ohio State Buckeye has all the tools necessary to help the Lakers rebound a year removed from losing a franchise-worst 61 games.

However, Byron Scott does not believe starting Kobe Bryant at small forward will present a problem in Los Angeles. Yes, Miami and even Milwaukee may be far more interesting and entertaining, but people watch the Lakers and the business is to deliver viewers to the advertisers.

One scheduling concession for both teams is the absence of the annual Grammy Awards road trip. “I think he’s done a lot for the game and he has a true love for the game of basketball”, Jordan said at the Michael Jordan Flight School basketball camp in California, as reported by sportingnews.com. And maybe nowhere are people as unhappy as Detroit, something Andre Drummond summed up this way.