Lakers vs. Warriors Second Round Preview

by Ben Cooper

After defeating the Grizzlies in six games, the Lakers will take on the defending champion Warriors in the second round. Golden State went to seven games with the Kings but dominated in Game 7 to advance to the second round and matchup against LA.

This will mark another matchup with LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry, who matched up four times against each other in the NBA Finals. 

They also played against each other in the play-in tournament 2021, where James hit a three to win the game and advance to the postseason. It has been the rivalry of the modern era, as James and Curry have combined for eight of the last 11 NBA championships.

Curry is coming off a legendary Game 7 against the Kings, where he finished with 50 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. It was the most points scored in a Game 7 in NBA history.

He will be a handful for the Lakers as they face off. In the regular season, LA went 3-1 against Golden State.

It will start with Anthony Davis, who is the key to how far the Lakers will go. The Warriors don’t have an elite big man but have good defensive players with Kevon Looney and Draymond Green.

Looney and Green will likely have the task of defending Davis. While they are good defenders, Davis needs to take advantage of the matchup, as they are both smaller than him.

The Lakers will also need James to have a good series, who will likely be defended by Andrew Wiggins. This is a matchup of two teams that have title experience. Golden State won the title last season and has the core of Curry, Green, and Klay Thompson, who have won four titles together.

LA has James and Davis, who won a title as a duo in the 2020 season.

The Lakers will need their other players around James and Davis to play well in this series. LA started the season 2-10 and was the 13th seed for the majority of the season. The trade deadline transformed the roster with a ton of moves to put a better team around James and Davis.

Curry commented on the upcoming matchup against the Lakers, saying, “They’re playing unbelievable. All the pieces fit. It’s going to be a huge test for us.”

D’Angelo Russell had a great closeout in Game 6 against the Grizzlies, where he had 31 points. They will also need guys like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and others to step up.

The defense of Vanderbilt and Dennis Schroder will be pivotal in this series. They will have the tall task of defending Curry, the greatest shooter in NBA history.

The series starts on Tuesday night in Golden State and will be legendary. This could be the last matchup of James vs. Curry and will be one for the ages.

Look for this to be a tremendous second round series, and the Lakers need to bring their best to advance to the Conference Finals.

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