89-year-old head coach-turned-longtime ABC/ESPN commentator Hubie Brown spoke with Jamie Hancock of The Dallas Morning News about his expectations for your injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers when they face off against the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas Day, which he will broadcast.
“There are plenty of great games, great people and great associations, but it’s always special,” Brown said of the NBA’s marquee slate of Christmas games. He has supplied commentary for the Yuletide contests since 2004. “The building [on Christmas games] is always electric. It’s always two excellent teams, playing with the real stars of the league.”
“If [Anthony] Davis didn’t get hurt [out indefinitely with a stress injury in his right foot], [Mavericks-Lakers] would have been one of the super games with Davis and LeBron and Doncic going head to head,” Brown noted. “Even though Davis is not going to play, they still have LeBron and [Russell] Westbrook, and they won and Westbrook had a triple double [December 16].”
“So if you’re a real fan, you’re looking for Westbrook to play well, LeBron to have a great game, but Doncic and Dallas to rise to the occasion and play the perfect game and get it going here right now,” Brown observed.
“[Dallas has] had difficult injuries. Losing [Maxi] Kleber is very big,” Brown added. “So that’s going to hurt your front line until he gets back because he’s an excellent team player, as well as a great frontcourt rebounder, shot blocker, defensive player.
“So [the Mavericks are] without some key guys. And [the Lakers are also] without key people,” Brown concluded. LA will of course be missing starting center Anthony Davis as he deals with a stress injury in his right foot, and could be missing his understudy Thomas Bryant, who had to exit last night’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets with an injury of his own.
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