Warriors vs. Lakers: How Curry, LeBron, & Doncic Shape the West
Breaking down key matchups and playoff implications
Tonight marks the end of a grueling six-game road trip for Stephen Curry and the Warriors, who visit LeBron and the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles, currently the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings, hold just a two-game lead over the Warriors in a tightly contested playoff race.
The Dubs are 0-3 this year against LA, with a couple brutal losses. One of which came on Christmas Day, when Austin Reaves put in a last second layup to stymie Steph Curry’s 38-point outing.
In their last meeting, which came before the debuts of Jimmy Butler and Luka Doncic, LeBron and Steph put on a scoring clinic, dropping 42 and 37 points, respectively. The two aging stars are both averaging 24.4 PPG this year.
But this matchup presents a different look, with the arrival of Butler and Doncic. Let’s take a look at the top three considerations as Golden State visits Los Angeles.
1. The Warriors struggled with Anthony Davis. will they struggle with Luka?
Anthony Davis has historically eaten against the Warriors. In his last appearance against GS, Davis dropped 36/13/3, along with 3 steals and a block. On top of that, he averaged 21.5 PPG and 14.5 TRB in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals against the Dubs.
The Warriors are not built to stop big men like Anthony Davis, which is also evident in their struggles against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. With Draymond Green and Kevon Looney roaming the paint, they lack the verticality and athleticism to make these types of bigs uncomfortable. So, wouldn’t it be logical to assume that no AD, means an easier time with LA? Unfortunately, Luka Doncic poses a variety of different threats, both on the perimeter and interior.
However, in the 2022 Western Conference Finals, we saw that the Warriors had a solid game plan in slowing down Luka, holding him to a 38.5 FG% and under in three of the five games. This was in large part due to the defense of Andrew Wiggins though.
2. How will the injury report and personnel changes affect this matchup?
On the Golden State Warriors injury report, Jonathan Kuminga is questionable with a right pelvic contusion and Gary Payton II is out with a partial tear of his left thumb.
For the Lakers, LeBron is questionable with a left groin strain, and Maxi Kleber is out due to surgery recovery on his right foot.
Obviously, LeBron’s injury status is the biggest wildcard. But to me, Kuminga’s injury is vital for the Dubs.
With the departure of Andrew Wiggins, Golden State needs the energy of a wing like Kuminga to slow down Luka. Butler clearly can aid in these defensive efforts, but it’s been clear over the past few seasons that if you guard Luka full-court and continue to play physical, he gets flustered.
3. The Warriors’ Success Hinges on Steph’s Shooting
As we saw in Steph’s 52-point explosion against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, the Warriors go as Steph goes. In recent matchups, Steph has shot a high volume against LA, shooting 35 FGA and 20 3PA in their last matchup on February 6.
With no big for LA, Steph might have an easier time getting the rack and the line. But, Jared Vanderbilt will likely chase Steph around, and we’ve seen him have success against the guard in years past.
Final Thoughts: A Game with Major Playoff Implications
This matchup could honestly alter which teams make it to the Finals. If the Lakers win, they’ll have a three game cushion on the Warriors, plus they already have the tie-breaker. For GS, they would immediately send themselves back to the 6th seed with a loss.
If the Dubs win though, they’ll be a game closer to the three seed, and only 1.5 GB of Denver (who they play tomorrow).
Basically, 36 hours from now, the Warriors could be, at best, 1 GB of LAL and .5 GB of Denver. Or, at worst, they could slide to the eight seed, behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Tonight could be huge in answering the question: Is Steph Curry’s championship window closed?
