The NBA has seen some great teams over the past few years. We have seen the Golden State Warriors super team led by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry win two straight NBA titles, and also the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis win the title last year. That is why it might be interesting to pit some of the great superstars against each other in the greatest superstar showdown ever.
Specifically, it will be exciting to match up Team Lakers led by LeBron James against Team Golden State led by Kevin Durant. The secondary superstars will battle it out as well, as Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis look to help their leaders take over the game. Completing the lineups are Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Dwight Howard for the Los Angeles Lakers. For Golden State, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Zaza Pachulia complete an all-time great superteam. Here is how the game plays out.
Stephen Curry vs. LeBron James
This point guard showdown will relive some memories for NBA fans. Curry and LeBron went head to head for 4 straight NBA Finals, with Curry winning 3 of them. Stephen Curry’s shooting will be extremely key for Team Golden State because he will be the one running off screens and being the primary perimeter scorer alongside Kevin Durant.
With LeBron handling the ball, the Lakers shooters will have free shots and nice looks at the rim when cutting. LeBron James will have the passing advantage over Curry because he is the best passer in the NBA, and he will control the pace of the game for the most part. Curry will obviously not guard LeBron, but he will do his part to get to his spots when James defends him on the other end.
Klay Thompson vs. Danny Green
Klay Thompson is arguably the second-best shooter in the NBA and that alone gives him the advantage over Danny Green. Klay is an All-Star in his own right and will have a major impact on Golden State. With the amount of talent around him, Klay can resort to wide-open shots and finding space as the third option on offense. Thompson is one of the greatest knockdown shooters ever and will have a field day playing next to Curry and Durant.
Danny Green is not a pushover on defense and will do his best to bother Klay and Steph as much as possible. Green will be an important figure on defense for the Lakers alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on the perimeter. Green is an experienced defender and that will be helpful, although his inefficient shooting will hinder the Lakers in comparison to Klay Thompson.
Kevin Durant vs. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
This will be the most lopsided matchup in this game because Kevin Durant is the scariest factor on the team. At 6’11”, Caldwell-Pope will have no chance of stopping Durant in any way. Durant will pull up for shots, attack the basket, and play off the Splash Brothers as much as possible. Durant made the Golden State Warriors completely unbeatable in 2017, and there is no reason why he won’t have the same impact against LeBron James and the Lakers.
Caldwell-Pope will not be the only one defending Durant as Danny Green and even LeBron will take turns on Durant whenever possible. Caldwell-Pope will hit some outside shots thanks to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but his impact will be minor compared to Kevin Durant’s.
Draymond Green vs. Anthony Davis
Possibly the most interesting matchup will be between Anthony Davis and former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green. Anthony Davis is a far better scorer and offensive player, and he will be a major factor for the Lakers in this game. Davis has a height advantage over Green and will be able to make some big shots over him.
Draymond Green won’t back down and his hustle and defense are how he made his name. Draymond Green will bother Anthony Davis as much as possible, but Davis will have a strong game on offense. What Green will bring to the game is his excellent rebounding and fast break passing, which will provide dividends in the end.
Zaza Pachulia vs. Dwight Howard
This is the evenest matchup in this game because both Pachulia and Howard play similar roles. Pachulia and Dwight will be tasked with grabbing boards, playing defense, and blocking shots around the rim. Pachulia will have to help out Draymond Green when defending Anthony Davis, and his height will be an important factor for Golden State. Similarly, Dwight Howard will be a rock in the paint and will be asked to slow down Durant’s drives as much as possible.
Howard will have a bit of trouble defending Curry when switched onto him on a few occasions, and Pachulia won’t be much of an offensive threat. Howard and Pachulia won’t put up big numbers but they won’t be required to.
Golden State Warriors Bench vs. Los Angeles Lakers Bench
The Golden State Warriors bench is top-heavy and so is the Los Angeles Lakers bench. Leading the way off the bench is former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, who is one of the best defenders in the NBA. He can hit big shots, play the best defense possible on LeBron James, and is a very unselfish player. Iggy’s defense will be critical in helping Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant guard LeBron James, despite not putting up noticeable numbers on the box score. The likes of Shaun Livingston and Jordan Bell will come in and play some important minutes in stretches, with Livingston’s scoring ability a key off the bench.
For the Lakers, it will be all about Rajon Rondo. Playoff Rondo is one of the best players on the team and will be the third-leading scorer for the Purple and Gold off the bench. His playmaking and high basketball I.Q. will be critical in setting up the Lakers shooters and defending Stephen Curry. Kyle Kuzma will also be a good addition off the Lakers bench, as he will have a big Game 2 that helps the Lakers even up a tough series. Andre Iguodala and Rajon Rondo will be the key performers throughout the series, however.
Series Analysis
The first 2 games will be a bit of a back and forth between Steph and Davis. Curry’s long-range shooting and Davis’s ability to create his own shots will cause the games to start very fast, with the games tied at 1-1 after 2 games. Durant, Klay, and LeBron will begin to contribute offensively as they will turn it up in the remaining games of the series. Curry finished with 35 points in a Game 1 victory while Davis drops 29 and 12 in a Game 2 Lakers win.
Game 3 is where LeBron James and Kevin Durant take turns getting buckets. The Finals MVPs turn it on both ends of the floor, with their dominating play dictating the outcome of Game 3. Durant drops 38 points in the game and also dishes out 5 assists, while LeBron gets a triple-double with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. Durant will have too much help and his 38 points take Golden State up 2-1.
Game 4 is much of the same, except the Splash Brothers light it up and nobody besides Rajon Rondo and Anthony Davis show up for the Lakers alongside LeBron. The Warriors take Game 4 and a commanding lead in the series when Curry and Klay combine for 60 points.
Game 5 is a dominating display by LeBron James, as he drops 42 points and 13 rebounds to get the Lakers back in the series. Davis was tremendous as well, dropping 28 points and 9 rebounds while Rondo has 15 points. The Warriors other than Draymond Green didn’t show up, as Draymond has his best game in the series with 18 points, 9 assists, and 9 rebounds.
Game 6 is a hard-fought game until the end. With the scores tied 86-86 entering the fourth, Golden State showcase their tremendous offense that might be the greatest ever.
The fourth quarter starts with Kevin Durant draining 2 jumpers with 2 Lakers distracted by Curry’s off-ball movement. Curry’s smart passes to Durant gives Golden State a 6 point lead that will be held until 5 minutes left in the quarter. With the score 92-86, LeBron James finds Caldwell-Pope for a three-pointer and finishes with an And-1 of his own.
Both teams go scoreless for two straight minutes, and with 2 minutes and 30 seconds left, Curry nails a deep three over Danny Green. The Lakers respond with a Davis alley-oop, but Draymond Green catches Davis and Howard napping with a quick pass to Durant for an easy flush. Green misses an open three, and Durant drains a three in transition to seal the deal.
In the end, the Golden State Warriors possess too much talent and offense. They can switch every time on defense, run in transition, and have two offensive superstars. The Lakers lacked a bit of help with the role players, as Draymond Green and Klay Thompson provided the edge over the entirety of the game. With Durant and Curry leading the way, Golden State defeats the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 to win the series.
Final Result
Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
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