If there’s one thing basketball experts and enthusiasts clearly witnessed during the Christmas Day meeting between the Golden State Warriors and the L.A. Lakers, it’s that the Warriors appeared very vulnerable. It was a huge, blowout win for the Lakers, which dominated the Warriors in the final quarter to win by 26 points. And the Lakers did it with LeBron sidelined due to a groin injury.
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| Image source: nbcsports.com |
In any case, this season has so far been erratic for the vaunted Warriors franchise, with many teams managing to beat them both on the road and at home. There seems to be a lack of synergy among the death lineup of Curry, Thompson, Durant, Iguodala, and Green. Worse, their shooting has been largely inconsistent. The Warriors keep sliding up the down the top spot of the Western Conference while teams in the East (the Raptors and Bucks, in particular) are sporting a better record.
More importantly, there’s no guarantee this year that the Warriors will be in the top four in the West, as the win-loss records of other teams in the conference are not that far behind. Some critics blame the Warriors’ woes on the hole in the center spot, but this should be addressed once DeMarcus Cousins starts playing.
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Image source: express.co.uk
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As for the Lakers, the stellar play of its young players Ball, Kuzma, Ingram, Hart, and Zubac is being complemented by the veteran smarts of Rondo, Stevenson, and, of course, LeBron. McGee is a solid threat in the middle alongside Chandler. In short, the Lakers is showing that it’s the deeper team when compared to the Warriors.
Unless the Warriors begin to play more consistently and address the lack of offense contribution outside Durant, Thompson, and Curry, the Lakers may be able to end the Warriors’ dynasty in just LeBron’s first year in the West.
Hello, my name is Dayanna Volitich, a college freshman at Fresno State University taking up English with focus on Creative Writing. I’m a huge fan of LA-based sports teams and an avid traveler. For more on my hobbies and interests, check out this page.
