An anonymous Western Conference assistant coach outlined the biggest challenge for the Golden State Warriors ahead of the marquee second-round playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, the coach said Golden State would have to watch out for the disparity from the charity stripe.
“Probably the biggest obstacle for them is overcoming the likely free throw disparity. The Lakers just kill teams going to the line a million times. Golden State’s rim protection isn’t great. The Lakers are going to take a ton of shots at the rim, and when they shoot it well, they usually win.”
The Lakers led the free-throw attempts per game with 26.6 during the regular season. To lend more perspective, the Warriors had 20.2, and this difference could be one of the major factors that could determine the winner of the series.
That said, the Warriors are still firm favorites to take the contest purely due to their offensive firepower that will test the Lakers’ defense. The one way they can edge the Warriors out is by accounting for every shot.
Stephen Curry Shares His Thoughts On Playing The Los Angeles Lakers
While the Warriors come off a solid 4-3 win against the Sacramento Kings, they have their work cut out when they host the Lakers at the Chase Center on Tuesday, and the latter come to the contest with a better win record in the first-round against the Memphis Grizzlies.
And Stephen Curry is all too aware of the threat LA pose. “They’ve obviously been a different team since the trade deadline…They’re playing unbelievable. All the pieces fit. It’s going to be a huge test for us.”
The Warriors will not take this contest lightly though they do have the advantage in terms of matchups, if the free throw disparity rears its head again, then they could be in a spot of bother. All said, they are still the ones carrying the momentum after the win against the Kings, and it remains to be seen if they can continue to feed off it.
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