Luka should be back but this will be tough clash of styles for Lakers

December 7, 2025 at 8:02 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers head into Philadelphia looking to close a tough Eastern Conference road trip the right way and avoid their first back-to-back losses of the season.

The legs will be heavy as this will be their third game in four days, but help is on the way with Luka Dončić rejoining the team after traveling to Slovenia for the birth of his second daughter. The Sixers won’t be an easy out, riding a three-game winning streak, yet they also aren’t an upper-tier opponent. In many ways Philly is the definition of league-average this season, sitting 15th in net rating, 15th on offense, and 12th on defense. The challenge for the Lakers is that despite their 16–6 record, their point differential places them right in the same neighborhood as the Sixers, only one spot above them, so they should not take any game lightly.

LeBron James is listed as questionable for the Lakers, as are Joel Embiid and Paul George for the Sixers. If I had to guess, Paul George is likely to play, while with Embiid it always feels up in the air until the last moment.

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Lakers (16-6) @ 76ers (13-9) game facts
Rest: LAL on 1 day of rest; PHI on 1 day of rest

Ranking: LAL 14th in Point Diff (+2.4), PHI 15th in Point Diff (+1.5)

LAL vs PHI 2024-25 record: 1-1

LAL injuries: LeBron James (questionable), Marcus Smart (OUT)

PHI injuries: Joel Embiid (questionable), Paul George(questionable), Kelly Oubre Jr. (OUT), Trendon Watford (OUT)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Austin Reaves (G), Rui Hachimura (F), LeBron James (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

LAL key reserves: Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber

PHI projected starting five: Tyrese Maxey (G), VJ Edgecombe (G), Dominick Barlow (F), Paul George (F), Joel Embiid (C)

PHI key reserves: Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona, Jabari Walker, Justin Edwards

PHI rotation:

Key storyline: Can the Lakers catch up to Tyrese Maxey?
With Embiid dealing with physical struggles, the Sixers have officially become Tyrese Maxey’s team. The 6’2” speed blur is the league’s third-leading scorer at 31.6 points per game while also averaging 7.1 assists. Maxey might be the fastest downhill guard in the NBA, and containing his drives will be one of the Lakers’ biggest challenges. If LeBron James plays, Austin Reaves will likely take the opening assignment, with Gabe Vincent the designated Maxey defender off the bench while Marcus Smart remains out.

Speed has been one of the Lakers’ most glaring issues, so their help schemes will need to be sharp against Maxey. Philadelphia is not only about one explosive guard either, as VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Jared McCain give them a dangerous and fast perimeter group. Regardless of the surrounding talent, winning the non-Maxey minutes will be critical since the Sixers have been outscored by 9.2 points per 100 possessions this season when their leading scorer sits.

Lakers on offense | 76ers on defense

If Embiid plays, the key thing to watch will be how Dončić and Reaves attack two slow-footed bigs, Embiid and Drummond, in pick-and-roll actions. Nick Nurse prefers to keep both centers in a drop, but that is a risky strategy against the pick-and-roll and mid-range mastery of the Lakers’ two primary ball-handlers.

Nurse has historically been one of the more proactive and innovative coaches, especially when defending Dončić, and we have already seen the Sixers blitz elite pick-and-roll operators like Cade Cunningham and James Harden this season. He also has more mobile big options in Adem Bona, Jabari Walker, and Dominick Barlow, players in his rotation who are better suited for this type of aggressive scheme.

In my 20-game check I wrote about how the Suns surprised the Lakers and Dončić by moving away from the blitz-heavy schemes he had been seeing earlier in the season, so it will be interesting to see how this tactical matchup unfolds.

The Sixers have been a better, top ten defensive team since George returned to the lineup, but with slower centers and undersized guards like Maxey, Edgecombe, and McCain, there should be plenty of opportunities for the Lakers to attack. The key will be staying focused, disciplined, and taking care of the ball. Turnovers have been a well-documented Lakers problem this season, and this is another game where they cannot afford to give away easy transition opportunities. They have little chance of catching the much faster Sixers in the open court.

76ers on offense | Lakers on defense

This is the other part of an interesting stylistic and tactical battle, and it gets tricky for the Lakers. Their bigger ball-handlers will present problems for the Sixers, but on the other end the Lakers will have a hard time chasing Philadelphia’s much faster perimeter players.

The Sixers run a guard-heavy, isolation-heavy offense, and when teams send help on Maxey’s downhill attacks, they usually place another fast guard in the opposite slot. That player will immediately stamped-drive from the 45-degree angle to punish any attempt to shrink the floor against Maxey. The Lakers defense has been in a free-fall lately, and trying to contain Maxey, Grimes, Edgecombe, George, and McCain will be a difficult task.

The Sixers often play two-big lineups, pairing one of their centers with Barlow, who is a 24 percent three-point shooter. That could make the Lakers help and collapse schemes around Maxey a bit easier to execute.

Player spotlight: LeBron James and Joel Embiid
The two superstars and former MVPs, both working to regain the level of play we have seen from them in the past, enter this game listed as questionable. Both teams look different when they are on the floor, and both have spent recent stretches trying to re-integrate huge pieces into lineups that found success while they were out.

James has not yet looked close to where he was physically last season, but his playmaking and passing still make him easier to integrate into the Lakers lineup even when he is not at full strength. Embiid is different, as his success depends on receiving the ball around the free-throw line area, which makes re-integrating him more complex. Both players have struggled defensively because of their physical limitations, and Embiid in particular could be a target for Dončić and Reaves to attack in pick-and-roll actions. Even so, both still command double-teams when matched with smaller defenders and can swing the game with their presence — or swing it the other way if their struggles continue, or if they become defensive liabilities.

Final thoughts
This could be a fun clash of styles and a showcase for three of the best scorers in Dončić, Maxey, and Reaves. Adding the uncertainty around three veteran stars in James, Embiid, and George, each trying to prove their value, only adds more intrigue to the matchup. The Lakers have shown a goldfish-memory all season, bouncing back quickly from losses on several occasions, and they will hope to do it again to close this road trip in style, just as they did on their last trip with a strong performance in Milwaukee.

Comments

LakerTom says

December 7, 2025 at 8:02 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers head into Philadelphia looking to close a tough Eastern Conference road trip the right way and avoid their first back-to-back losses of the season.

The legs will be heavy as this will be their third game in four days, but help is on the way with Luka Dončić rejoining the team after traveling to Slovenia for the birth of his second daughter. The Sixers won’t be an easy out, riding a three-game winning streak, yet they also aren’t an upper-tier opponent. In many ways Philly is the definition of league-average this season, sitting 15th in net rating, 15th on offense, and 12th on defense. The challenge for the Lakers is that despite their 16–6 record, their point differential places them right in the same neighborhood as the Sixers, only one spot above them, so they should not take any game lightly.

LeBron James is listed as questionable for the Lakers, as are Joel Embiid and Paul George for the Sixers. If I had to guess, Paul George is likely to play, while with Embiid it always feels up in the air until the last moment.

digginbasketball is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Lakers (16-6) @ 76ers (13-9) game facts
Rest: LAL on 1 day of rest; PHI on 1 day of rest

Ranking: LAL 14th in Point Diff (+2.4), PHI 15th in Point Diff (+1.5)

LAL vs PHI 2024-25 record: 1-1

LAL injuries: LeBron James (questionable), Marcus Smart (OUT)

PHI injuries: Joel Embiid (questionable), Paul George(questionable), Kelly Oubre Jr. (OUT), Trendon Watford (OUT)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Austin Reaves (G), Rui Hachimura (F), LeBron James (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

LAL key reserves: Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber

PHI projected starting five: Tyrese Maxey (G), VJ Edgecombe (G), Dominick Barlow (F), Paul George (F), Joel Embiid (C)

PHI key reserves: Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona, Jabari Walker, Justin Edwards

PHI rotation:

Key storyline: Can the Lakers catch up to Tyrese Maxey?
With Embiid dealing with physical struggles, the Sixers have officially become Tyrese Maxey’s team. The 6’2” speed blur is the league’s third-leading scorer at 31.6 points per game while also averaging 7.1 assists. Maxey might be the fastest downhill guard in the NBA, and containing his drives will be one of the Lakers’ biggest challenges. If LeBron James plays, Austin Reaves will likely take the opening assignment, with Gabe Vincent the designated Maxey defender off the bench while Marcus Smart remains out.

Speed has been one of the Lakers’ most glaring issues, so their help schemes will need to be sharp against Maxey. Philadelphia is not only about one explosive guard either, as VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Jared McCain give them a dangerous and fast perimeter group. Regardless of the surrounding talent, winning the non-Maxey minutes will be critical since the Sixers have been outscored by 9.2 points per 100 possessions this season when their leading scorer sits.

Lakers on offense | 76ers on defense

If Embiid plays, the key thing to watch will be how Dončić and Reaves attack two slow-footed bigs, Embiid and Drummond, in pick-and-roll actions. Nick Nurse prefers to keep both centers in a drop, but that is a risky strategy against the pick-and-roll and mid-range mastery of the Lakers’ two primary ball-handlers.

Nurse has historically been one of the more proactive and innovative coaches, especially when defending Dončić, and we have already seen the Sixers blitz elite pick-and-roll operators like Cade Cunningham and James Harden this season. He also has more mobile big options in Adem Bona, Jabari Walker, and Dominick Barlow, players in his rotation who are better suited for this type of aggressive scheme.

In my 20-game check I wrote about how the Suns surprised the Lakers and Dončić by moving away from the blitz-heavy schemes he had been seeing earlier in the season, so it will be interesting to see how this tactical matchup unfolds.

The Sixers have been a better, top ten defensive team since George returned to the lineup, but with slower centers and undersized guards like Maxey, Edgecombe, and McCain, there should be plenty of opportunities for the Lakers to attack. The key will be staying focused, disciplined, and taking care of the ball. Turnovers have been a well-documented Lakers problem this season, and this is another game where they cannot afford to give away easy transition opportunities. They have little chance of catching the much faster Sixers in the open court.

76ers on offense | Lakers on defense

This is the other part of an interesting stylistic and tactical battle, and it gets tricky for the Lakers. Their bigger ball-handlers will present problems for the Sixers, but on the other end the Lakers will have a hard time chasing Philadelphia’s much faster perimeter players.

The Sixers run a guard-heavy, isolation-heavy offense, and when teams send help on Maxey’s downhill attacks, they usually place another fast guard in the opposite slot. That player will immediately stamped-drive from the 45-degree angle to punish any attempt to shrink the floor against Maxey. The Lakers defense has been in a free-fall lately, and trying to contain Maxey, Grimes, Edgecombe, George, and McCain will be a difficult task.

The Sixers often play two-big lineups, pairing one of their centers with Barlow, who is a 24 percent three-point shooter. That could make the Lakers help and collapse schemes around Maxey a bit easier to execute.

Player spotlight: LeBron James and Joel Embiid
The two superstars and former MVPs, both working to regain the level of play we have seen from them in the past, enter this game listed as questionable. Both teams look different when they are on the floor, and both have spent recent stretches trying to re-integrate huge pieces into lineups that found success while they were out.

James has not yet looked close to where he was physically last season, but his playmaking and passing still make him easier to integrate into the Lakers lineup even when he is not at full strength. Embiid is different, as his success depends on receiving the ball around the free-throw line area, which makes re-integrating him more complex. Both players have struggled defensively because of their physical limitations, and Embiid in particular could be a target for Dončić and Reaves to attack in pick-and-roll actions. Even so, both still command double-teams when matched with smaller defenders and can swing the game with their presence — or swing it the other way if their struggles continue, or if they become defensive liabilities.

Final thoughts
This could be a fun clash of styles and a showcase for three of the best scorers in Dončić, Maxey, and Reaves. Adding the uncertainty around three veteran stars in James, Embiid, and George, each trying to prove their value, only adds more intrigue to the matchup. The Lakers have shown a goldfish-memory all season, bouncing back quickly from losses on several occasions, and they will hope to do it again to close this road trip in style, just as they did on their last trip with a strong performance in Milwaukee.

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