After a disappointing end at the hands of Houston from a high at the Warriors game, LA will face Atlanta Hawks next. The two teams have already been in constant communication regarding the Dejounte Murray-D’Angelo Russell trade. The Lakers’ struggles became just way too apparent in Houston’s game. The young team decimated the veteran core, targeting LeBron James in particular.

As the Lakers prepare for the face-off later tonight, all eyes will be on D’Lo and Murray, to see how the two perform. So far, there’s been nothing that says Russell will miss the eagerly anticipated clash. Unfortunately for the fans, Murray is on the Hawks’ injury report. He is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury. Along with him, Atlanta has a list of injured players that are ‘out’. Bruno Fernando, Vit Krejci, De’Andre Hunter, and Mouhamed Gueye will not suit up on Tuesday.

On the LA side, only Anthony Davis seems somewhat doubtful about playing against the Hawks. While nothing official has been announced yet, AD had sat out the entire fourth quarter in Houston because of his persistent groin injury. The GSW game also saw him make a brief exit. LeBron James, for his part, said that he plans on playing the back-to-back tonight.

Hence, aside from Cam Reddish and Gabe Vincent, we can expect a full Lakers roster on the floor. While it is a downer for the crowd, Murray’s potential absence can prove to be advantageous for the Lakers.

Murray’s absence could be beneficial for LA

The Lakers‘ backcourt struggled pretty badly against the Rockets. Austin Reaves, particularly, had only eight points on three-of-eight shooting. If the Purple & Gold’s backcourt isn’t going to be in their best form, they might just kiss another road win goodbye. And that’s where Dejounte‘s absence could be fruitful.

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A Young and Murray shield is not an easy wall to break or get around. ‘Ice Trae’ is a major reason why the Hawks rank fourth in points per game in the league. Averaging 27 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 10.9 assists per game this season, Trae will be hard to stop, especially for a Lakers team playing back-to-back games.

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Then again, Los Angeles does have a weak point that they can exploit – defense. Not having a point-of-attack defender or anybody who can go against the Lakers’ wings is a glaring hole. So, if they can exploit this weakness, they might just get a minuscule relief.

Who is your favorite to win this game? Let us know in the comments!

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