Lakers vs. Grizzlies Preview: Injury Report, TV Stream, How to Watch

The Lakers look to complete their difficult five-game road trip with a win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. This is the first of two meetings between these teams within a week.

Start time and TV program

WHO: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies

When: 5:00 p.m. PT, November 6th

Where: FedExForum

Regard: Spectrum SportsNet

The Lakers' disheartening loss to the Detroit Pistons last Monday will go down as one of, if not the worst, defeats of the season. They were supposed to be concerned with rebuilding the Pistons team, but instead the purple and gold players were stretched thin and clearly unprotected.

What was even more concerning about this frustrating loss was that LeBron James and Anthony Davis had to play 40 and 39 minutes, respectively, and the Lakers still lost by 12 points. It was disappointing that AD only managed 37 points by the end. The worst part is that we're not even sure if he'll progress due to an ankle injury he suffered late in the game.

With seven games in the books, the glaring concern with this team is that JJ Redick and Co. have not yet found a solution to their deficiencies. It's as if with each game it becomes more and more apparent that they lack the bench, their perimeter and transition defenses are poor, and they rely too much on Davis. The strategy to beat the Lakers is well known and LA hasn't done enough to counter it.

All in all, this tough five-game road trip could have gone better. After starting the season in a perfect position at home, the Lakers have now lost three of their last four games. It's definitely not ideal, but the least they can do is finish the trip well with a win in Memphis on Wednesday. Here are two key factors that will determine whether they succeed or not:

Can the Lakers contain Ja Morant?

The fact that the Lakers guards struggled against Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey makes me very nervous about how they will handle Morant. The Grizzlies may be without two of their perimeter guards in Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane, but that also means more use and touches for a fast and athletic guard in Ja.

Morant is currently keeping the Grizzlies afloat by averaging 20.7 points per game, so it will be very important for the Lakers to make sure he doesn't break a sweat and score more points than his average.

Otherwise, we all know how this will turn out. It is the duty of D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent to bring his production together.

Will the Lakers' defense show some life?

Even though Memphis is struggling, they are still a pretty good offensive team. They are currently averaging 117.1 points per game, which is eighth-best in the league. They have a top-10 offense and can be productive across the board.

In addition to Morant, the Lakers can't forget Jaren Jackson Jr., rookie Zach Edey and, ironically, former South Bay Lakers players Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jay Huff, who are actually playing some decent basketball right now and making the most of the playing time they're given.

More importantly, this Grizzlies team loves to run, averaging 35.3 points per game in transition, the highest in the league. As I type this, I'm already worried about the Lakers' transition defense on Wednesday. You really have to make an effort here.

Speaking of improvement: The Lakers also need to improve in rebounding, where they were significantly inferior to the Pistons (62-49). Guess who rebounds better than the Pistons? The Grizzlies, who are currently averaging 47.0 per game, ranked seventh best in the league.

The thing about this Memphis team is that while they have a 4-4 record and are relatively unhealthy, they excel at a lot of things that the Lakers have a hard time keeping under control. So this game will be dominated by the Lakers' defense, which is currently ranked in the bottom five in the league.

If Los Angeles wants to finish their road trip on a high note, their defense will have to show some life. This will help them play their best basketball game yet while their road trip has been disappointing so far.

Let’s see if the Lakers can do just that on Wednesday against the Grizzlies.

Notes and updates

• Austin Reaves (right ankle sprain) and D'Angelo Russell (right foot contusion) are likely. Anthony Davis is officially listed as questionable with a bruised left heel.
• Of note, Christian Koloko is not on the injury report, meaning he should be available for the Lakers on Wednesday.
• Jarred Vanderbilt (recovering from a right foot injury) and Christian Wood (recovering from a right knee injury) remain out, while Jalen Hood-Schifino (G League action), Maxwell Lewis (G League action), Quincy Olivari ( Two in the G League) and Armel Traore out (G League Two-Way) will all be in action for the South Bay Lakers.
• Desmond Bane, GG Jackson, Marcus Smart, Cam Spencer and Vince Williams Jr. are out for Memphis. John Konchar is doubtful and Luke Kennard is questionable.
• We'll be live on playback for this game, so be sure to join us!

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglanI.