Two teams that finished on both ends of the contending table were the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers suffered one of the most disappointing campaigns in NBA history, as they missed the playoffs (and play-in tournament) despite boasting a Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. Each one of these stars made the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and are surefire Hall of Famers once they hang it up. But somehow, they did not lead the team into the playoffs.
- Starting Lineups
- Bench
- Darvin Ham vs. Steve Kerr
- Los Angeles Lakers Advantage
- Golden State Warriors Advantage
- The Lakers Might Improve, But Warriors Are Years Ahead Of Them
- Next
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Obviously, the reasons are clear since LeBron James only played 56 games, Davis played 40 games, and Westbrook had arguably his worst season since becoming an All-Star in the NBA. Even when playing together, the trio could not defend as a unit and also looked out of place on offense. As expected, head coach Frank Vogel was fired at the end of last season, and the franchise brought in some new pieces, including Lonnie Walker, Thomas Bryant, and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Looking ahead to next season, the Lakers hope the team gels on the court as they aim to make use of LeBron’s presence as The King averaged 30.3 PPG last year at 37 years old.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors finished on top of the world last year. Led by their superstar Stephen Curry and the trio that includes Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Warriors played the best basketball. Their system is simply elite, and much of that goes towards Steve Kerr’s exceptional coaching and the talent of the players. Nonetheless, the Warriors finished with the 3rd seed in the Western Conference and eventually made it to the NBA Finals to win it all at the expense of the Boston Celtics.
Looking ahead to 2023, the Warriors are expected to be back in the mix yet again, with their star trio returning as the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole are looking to follow up their career years. Obviously, Golden State is a team nobody wants to come up against in the playoffs because of their elite shooting and championship experience. But they were reportedly in the mix for Kevin Durant, and it does not seem they will pursue it much longer. Will this be a decision that backfires? We have to wait and find out.
Nonetheless, the Lakers and Warriors are in two different spots right now, as it is time to discover the team comparison in every major facet. By looking at the starting lineups, benches, coaches, and key advantages, we can get an indication of which team will perform better during the 2022-23 NBA season.
Starting Lineups
On paper, the Los Angeles Lakers starters should be competing with the Golden State Warriors. Russell Westbrook and LeBron James are both former MVPs. Anthony Davis will certainly be a Hall of Famer, and the addition of Lonnie Walker and Thomas Bryant provides floor-spacing and defense. But unfortunately, matching Golden State is not realistic. For one, Westbrook is still on the team instead of Kyrie Irving, a player, the Lakers, are desperate to acquire in a straight-swap which could include some draft capital.
Westbrook does not fit well with James on the court because he is not a great shooter by any means and could be suffering from a loss of confidence. Davis is also extremely injury-prone and has played 60 games once with the Lakers, as that came in the 2020 championship season. If Davis (and James) can stay fully healthy and Westbrook accepts a lesser role, the Lakers could be a major factor with Walker bringing his Spurs training to benefit the team alongside a solid three-point shooting center in Bryant.
But no doubt, the Warriors starters are far more championship-ready. Curry is the best point guard and best shooter in the NBA, and he is still in his prime and playing with a ton of confidence. Alongside him is Klay Thompson, a motivated two-way star who is still an elite marksman as well. Of course, Andrew Wiggins was exceptional for the Warriors as he started showing glimpses of what made him a No. 1 overall selection with his defense and even his rebounding ability. Of course, Wiggins also improved as a shooter.
Draymond Green is past his best, but his presence as a playmaker, defender, and vocal leader makes him irreplaceable in the Warriors lineup. As crazy as it might sound, the Warriors do not win a single championship without Draymond Green on the court. Kevon Looney has overcome his lack of offensive talent to instead be a fantastic system player that plays hard and defends with full focus. This starting lineup is championship proven, and that gives the Warriors an absolutely massive advantage heading into the 2022-23 NBA season.
Advantage: Golden State Warriors
Bench
Los Angeles Lakers: Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, Lonnie Walker IV, Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr.
Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, JaMychal Green, James Wiseman
The Los Angeles Lakers bench looks decent but relatively unspectacular. Austin Reaves was a major surprise and one of the single bright spots from last season, so he should return even better in 2023. As for the rest of the bench, the only name that sticks out is newly acquired Patrick Beverley. Horton-Tucker was considered untouchable just two years ago but was packaged in a deal with Stanley Johnson in favor of the defensive-minded point guard. No doubt, Beverley brings toughness and defensive edge that Horton-Tucker did not have and is also a better shooter than Stanley Johnson.
Trading a 21-year-old with some nice potential for a 34-year-old veteran is a massive gamble, but that could mean the Lakers will eventually go all-in by getting rid of draft picks to eventually move on from Russ. Otherwise, the Lakers will hope Kendrick Nunn can get back to playing his best ball after missing the entire 2021-22 season with an injury. Grabbing Toscano-Anderson from the Warriors could also prove to be a nice little pickup throughout the season.
But no doubt, the Warriors have a big advantage when it comes to bench play. For one, they have Jordan Poole, who averaged 18.5 PPG on 44.8% shooting from the field and 36.4% from three. Of course, he was exceptional from the free-throw line as he drained 92.5%, which led the NBA. Having a player who can score 20 PPG in the regular season is truly irreplaceable for a championship side. He will be a big factor in the postseason as well, as last year, he averaged 17.0 PPG in the playoffs.
Otherwise, Donte DiVincenzo was an excellent pickup because he is a guard that can play both ends of the floor and has solid playmaking skills. Veteran big man JaMychal Green is also a solid modern forward who can space the floor and play solid defense, so he was another smart pickup by the Warriors franchise. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman are all youngsters with very high potential, so hopefully, at least one of them will start showcasing what they can do on both ends of the floor. No doubt, the Warriors bench is far better and more talented than the Lakers bench.
Advantage: Golden State Warriors
Darvin Ham vs. Steve Kerr
Darvin Ham is considered to be a bright young coach with excellent ideas and some old-school toughness to his ideologies. Ham was a solid player during his time as a competitor and will have first-hand experience when it comes to placing his guys in the best positions to be successful. Ham has also said the right things when it comes to keeping Russell Westbrook in his good graces because it seems the point guard will be stuck on the Lakers roster for the entire season. Overall, Ham has said the right things and has a ton of respect from players and opposing coaches around the league.
But Steve Kerr is on another level as a head coach right now. Kerr is an elite tactician who knows how to make Golden State tick on both ends of the floor. Obviously, 4 NBA championships come as a result of that. Kerr, like Ham, was also a solid role player, except that he played on multiple championship teams that featured the GOAT Michael Jordan and the best power forward ever in Tim Duncan. Kerr has spearheaded the new era of NBA basketball, and Golden State does it better than everyone else. As a result, it is obvious the Warriors have the edge in the coaching department.
Advantage: Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers Advantage
The Los Angeles Lakers have something the Warriors do not have: LeBron James. Sure, The King will be 38 at some point next season, but he is simply the smartest basketball player alive. He makes every adjustment that is needed and has been through the trenches time and time again. Unfortunately, James is not 10 years younger because he might have had enough in the tank to lift this team into contention despite their issues. But even at age 38, James is a force in the league.
If Anthony Davis can somehow return to All-NBA form, he can be a massive factor in the league. The Warriors, or any team outside of the Philadelphia 76ers or Denver Nuggets for that matter, do not have a big player as skilled and dominant as Anthony Davis. A big man with exceptional scoring ability and defensive versatility, Davis, at his best, causes a ton of matchup problems that cannot be overlooked. The Warriors will even have trouble stopping the big man on both ends of the floor if he is at his best.
Golden State Warriors Advantage
The Golden State Warriors have a ton of momentum after winning the 2022 NBA championship and also have the best point guard in the NBA in Stephen Curry. Of course, Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole are elite shooters who want to follow up on their excellent campaign from a year prior. Next year, most of the key players are in their primes, and that bodes well for their championship chances.
The Warriors, as things stand from what we saw last year, might be the most effective offensive team in the league. They started the era of three-point shooting and do it better than everyone else. The Warriors will outshoot the Lakers any day of the week, and that means they have a massive advantage in terms of perimeter offense. Not to mention, they added some nice pieces to surround their core while guys such as Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and hopefully James Wiseman can all start showing flashes of their excellent potential.
The Lakers Might Improve, But Warriors Are Years Ahead Of Them
Overall, the Lakers have a ton of work to do to catch up with the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James is still a top-10 player in the world, at least, and that is a massive factor in what the Lakers will do next year. The King is an elite passer and leader, and even if he is not at the level he used to be at, he is a game-changer when the rest of the roster follows suit. Expect James to return to his usual 27-7-7 form, which is obviously a positive for the Purple and Gold. But the biggest X-factor is Anthony Davis, and that has been the case since he was traded to Los Angeles. Davis holds the keys to the Lakers’ championship hopes because he should be leading the team in scoring and rebounds at this stage of his career. Instead, Davis has been inconsistent on the court in terms of availability, and he even shot putrid percentages from the court last year (18.6% 3-PT FG, 71.3% FT).
Of course, Lakers fans are praying that Darvin Ham can somehow work Russell Westbrook into the lineup as efficiently as possible. Westbrook and the word “efficient” do not normally go together, but the Lakers are hoping they can minimize turnovers and instead allow Russ to do what he does best, which is score inside and battle for rebounds. Even though Lonnie Walker and Thomas Bryant improve the Lakers from last year, the franchise needs to acquire Kyrie Irving to give their side a chance.
If the Irving trade does not go through, the Golden State Warriors completely blow the Lakers out of the water in every facet of the game. They are more unselfish, more talented, deeper, and more focused on winning NBA championships. Davis and Westbrook seem to be distracted by off-court endeavors, and LeBron will be 38 years old. Curry, Thompson, Green, and Steve Kerr are hungry for their 5th championship, and it does not seem like the Lakers are willing to do whatever it takes to win championships as badly.
Overall, the Warriors have the experience and head coaching advantage over the Lakers. They can shoot better, defend better, and have all the momentum in the world following last year’s triumphant Finals victory at the expense of the Boston Celtics. Next year, Golden State has every advantage in the book, even if they do not have a playmaker and leader on the level of LeBron James.
