The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are booked for a head-on collision in the second round of the NBA playoffs. More importantly, LeBron James and Stephen Curry are once again battling it out after the regular season to continue an all-time great rivalry that has captivated fans around the globe. We are treated to this showdown after the Lakers took care of business against the inexperienced Memphis Grizzlies, while Stephen Curry’s 50-point performance in Game 7 against the Sacramento Kings thrust the Golden State Warriors into the second round.
This matchup won’t be easy by any means since the Lakers and Warriors have a ton of championship experience and will want to win this series at all costs. Los Angeles has LeBron James and Anthony Davis to steer the ship under rookie head coach Darvin Ham while Golden State has the trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green returning, with Andrew Wiggins nearly back to full force under head coach Steve Kerr. This will be an iconic matchup for the ages, and we all can’t wait for Game 1 on Tuesday to happen.
When looking at both teams, it is clear that either side can win depending on some circumstances, but there can only be one winner. Specifically, if the Lakers are healthy, they have a massive advantage over the Warriors. Golden State has the best point guard in the world in Stephen Curry, and a ton of experienced members, including Thompson, Green, Wiggins, and Kerr, but Los Angeles will have the most confidence entering that matchup.
With the second round of the playoffs upon us, here are the five major reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers will defeat the Golden State Warriors and progress to the Western Conference Finals of the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs.
5. Energy And Defense
The Lakers have completely changed their roster since the trade deadline, meaning they have what it takes to get the job done in the biggest stages. They took out Memphis in the first round this year despite the fact that the team finished second in the West and even manhandled them in the closeout Game 6. No matter the circumstances since the trade deadline, the Lakers have proved they can get the job done, and a lot of that boils down to their energy and defense.
Against the Warriors in an exciting showdown, it is almost certain that Los Angeles will show up at their best. With LeBron James on the roster leading the pack, the Lakers can make adjustments to the circumstances, and that means Golden State will be up against a team filled with energy and defensive leadership.
D’Angelo Russell is an energy bundle who is posting 16.7 PPG and 5.8 APG in the playoffs and is a perfect fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a spot-up shooter and ball-handler. He will put pressure on the Warriors’ defense without a doubt. Jarred Vanderbilt is an elite defender who will likely see plenty of Stephen Curry. Reaves is 24 years old and can compete hard on both ends as he relishes the challenge against the experienced Warriors. Rui Hachimura, Dennis Schroder, Malik Beasley, and Wenyen Gabriel are all young and play hard with speed and tenacity. The Lakers also have Anthony Davis down low, and he is a dominant defender, as we saw against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
The Lakers can defend multiple positions at an elite level and have the personnel to truly make lives difficult for the Warriors players. The extra days of rest afforded to the Lakers for closing out Memphis on the weekend will also come into play since the Warriors will only have one day of rest. Energy and defense are keys in this series, and the Lakers have those advantages heading into the second-round matchup.
4. The Lakers Have Added Legitimate Firepower To The Roster This Season
The focus of Los Angeles is always on LeBron and Anthony Davis, but their roster is stacked with talent. The additions of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt have shocked the world because the massive roster changes that happened before the trade deadline were beyond superb. Who would have thought that Russell Westbrook leaving would be this important for the Lakers?
The likes of Dennis Schroder is also a major addition, as he has played his role extremely well alongside the developing Austin Reaves. Even if Reaves isn’t an All-Star player per se, he is having a strong year averaging 13.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 3.4 APG in the regular season and posting 16.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 5.0 APG in the playoffs. His growth greatly improves the team since he is a capable scorer, ball-handler, and playmaker. He certainly belongs in Los Angeles, and he seems to want to stay there for his entire career if the money is right.
The Lakers have a ton of size and talent at every position, which gives them a major advantage against a Warriors side that has cut its rotation in the playoffs. With the Lakers having a deep squad, the Warriors could struggle to compare. Unless Curry goes off for 50 points, the Warriors will struggle to find a consistent way to burn the Lakers. When Los Angeles is zoned in on defense, they are a handful.
Outside of leading scorer Stephen Curry (33.7 PPG in the playoffs), the Warriors haven’t had much else outside of Klay Thompson (20.6 PPG) and Andrew Wiggins (18.1 PPG). Draymond Green is another recognizable name on the roster, but he’s only averaging 9.5 PPG, although he is a great playmaker (8.0 APG). Kevon Looney has been a beast on the boards (15.1 RPG), but he is offensively limited which means the Lakers have a lot more depth than the top-heavy Warriors do.
3. Los Angeles’ Size Will Cause Problems For Golden State
The Golden State Warriors struggled on defense this season, and they even showed lapses on defense in the first round against the Sacramento Kings. They were ranked 21st in OPPG, allowing 117.1 PPG from the opposition which is an extremely high number. At the same time, the Warriors were ranked 17th in defensive rating which is a signal of a below-average side. If it wasn’t for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson’s scoring (29.4 PPG and 21.9 PPG respectively), the Warriors would have been a far worse team in the Western Conference.
Golden State’s primary issue is its defense and size has been an issue. Only Kevon Looney is a capable big man at 6’9” and has had to carry a heavy load in the playoffs by averaging 15.1 RPG quite shockingly. James Wiseman had proved to be a flop so far with the Warriors which is why he was moved before the trade deadline. No other player brings size for the Warriors, and Draymond Green, at 33 years old, is the team’s best defender. Importantly Jordan Poole has not met the level on defense and has struggled in the playoffs, and the Warriors are lacking true aggression on defense, which could come down to their lack of size.
On the flip side, the Lakers have plenty of size to punish the smaller Warriors players. LeBron James is a locomotive when he attacks, and nobody will be able to stop him when he drives to the basket. Anthony Davis is 6’10” and weighs 253 lbs, so he is another forceful presence who brings guard skills as well. Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Wenyen Gabriel are all 6’8” and above, and that means even more size to throw at Golden State.
Los Angeles won their 2020 championship thanks to their size and they could use that formula again against a side that prefers shooting over brute force. The key to Los Angeles’ size is their versatility combined with size because their big players can defend all positions and also prove their worth on offense.
2. LeBron James Is The Best Floor General And Leader
Even with the Lakers falling in the Western Conference standings, they are close to unbeatable when The King is healthy and playing at a superstar level. LeBron James is still the smartest and best all-around player in the world, and he is motivated to prove to everyone that father time is a myth to capture his 5th NBA championship. If LeBron ever wants to close the gap in the GOAT debate, he needs another ring, and he wants it desperately.
The Lakers are likely the best team in the Western Conference when fully healthy and they have proven that by holding the best record in the NBA since the trade deadline. The Lakers have it all: size, defense, scoring, and leadership in all areas. The floor general and key playmaker for the team is LeBron James because he brings everything together. Quite frankly, the Warriors do not have anybody who can match up with him on both ends of the floor due to his powerful stature and supreme athleticism, even at 38 years old.
James has seen it all in terms of what the Warriors will do to defend him and even how they operate on offense. The King and his photographic memory will be critical in the Lakers’ chances of progressing into the next round and he is still the best leader in the league by a vast margin. At 38 years old, there isn’t anything that James hasn’t been through, and his clutch performances throughout the year have proven that.
Los Angeles, when LeBron James is healthy, is a massive threat to make the NBA Finals. That means even the greatness of Stephen Curry won’t stand a chance, so Warriors fans better pray for an all-time great performance by their franchise star to have a chance to make the Western Conference Finals against an elite Lakers side that has LeBron leading them.
1. Anthony Davis Is The Difference-Maker
The absolute X-factor in the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors is Anthony Davis. In fact, Davis has been the difference-maker all year for the Lakers in every big game. If he shows up as the best player on the team, the Lakers have a great chance to win against anybody. If he fails to deliver and is nothing more than a supporting player, the Lakers struggle to win games. This won’t manifest itself more than in the upcoming series against the Golden State Warriors.
Anthony Davis had an excellent season this year by averaging 25.9 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 2.0 BPG, as he was a dominant two-way force who could be in the mix for an All-NBA Team selection. In the playoffs so far, the 8-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer is averaging 20.8 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 4.3 BPG. Obviously, even if Davis isn’t scoring at the clip he was in the regular season, his impact as a dominant big man has been spectacular. Averaging 4.3 BPG through the first round of the playoffs is an example of what Davis can be.
If Davis continues putting up those offensive and defensive numbers, the Lakers will have no issues sending Golden State home. The problem is the player’s inconsistency as he goes and comes depending on his mood and mental block when it comes to playing through a pain barrier. Every time the big man goes down, Lakers fans hold their breaths because an injury is never far away from the player. So far, Davis has been healthy and has been the best two-way player on the team.
Golden State simply cannot match up with Davis because he is too big and skilled for Draymond Green or Kevon Looney. Green is an irritant and will make life difficult for Davis, but it won’t be easy to stop him because Davis can shoot over Draymond at any time. Looney is quite a big guy at 6’9” and 222 lbs, but he is also smaller than Davis, which means the Lakers star can use his quickness and skill to create space and shoot over him. Davis is the undeniable difference-maker in the series, as he has been all year long, and if he shows up, it is game over for the Golden State Warriors.
