The Los Angeles Lakers will try to sustain the good vibe this preseason, as they gun for their second straight victory against the Denver Nuggets Friday 10:30 p.m at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Preview:
After opening their pre-season buildup with a 103-84 win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, the Lakers attempts to keep their immaculate record intact against a Nuggets team that's also coming off a huge preseason win against the Toronto Raptors 108-106.
The regular-season may be roughly three weeks from now, but NBA fans will have their first look at D'Angelo Russell-Emmanuel Mudiay rivalry.
Russell, the no.2 overall pick and the first guard selected in the 2015 NBA Draft, is expected to have a big year this season as the starting playmaker for the Lakers. Mudiay, on the other hand, was pushed to the starting lineup ever since he was selected 7th in last year's draft.
Many analysts view these two players as the future of point guard play in the NBA, so expect a feisty competition every time these promising court generals square off on the hardcourt.
Team News & Rumors:
Nuggets: ESPN NBA writer Zach Lowe stated the Nuggets' intention of trading power forward Kenneth Faried. The 6-foot-8 power forward averaged 12.5 points and 8.7 boards last season, but has become a despinsible piece following the arrival of Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic.
Last June, the Nuggets were rumored dangling Faried as a centerpiece of their trade package for Atlanta Hawks power forward Paul Milsap. Denver covets Milsap's floor-stretching ability, which Faried, prototypical power forward, cannot offer.
Lakers: Rookie winger Brandon Ingram has recently abandoned the 5000 calorie-per-day diet to avoid the same fate Ben Simmons suffered while bulking up for the rigors of the NBA.
Simmons suffered a broken foot after adding 33 pounds since being drafted to the Sixers. Ingram instead plans to reach the ideal 190-pound frame in a slow and gradual process to avoid risk of an injury.
Nuggets vs. Lakers live stream can be watched on NBA League Pass. Follow scores, boxscore stats and highlights on NBA GameCenter.