Blue Man Hoop
Fansided

How the Golden State Warriors fare against each NBA Playoff contender

By Tony Pesta

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors on December 25, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors on December 25, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 8
Next
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

2. Los Angeles Lakers

Due to a miracle, the Los Angeles Lakers have managed to pair together two of the best players in the league. LeBron James and Anthony Davis could go down as an all-time great duo. Furthermore, they just so happen to be the Golden State Warriors kryptonite.

The Dubs have been struggling to defend James and Davis since their run began. Out of all the players they have faced in the postseason, no other individuals have consistently played better against the Dubs than Davis and James.

Career Playoff averages versus the Warriors:

  • LeBron James: 33.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 9.3 assists per game
  • Anthony Davis: 29.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks per game

This is for a few reasons, but mainly, their size. The Dubs struggle to slow down the incredible athleticism of James and Davis. When the Warriors try to run their patented death-lineup, it becomes difficult to compete with the size of Davis. Meanwhile, James is a master at picking apart defenses regardless.

The Lakers definitely have a more top-heavy team than the Dubs, but Golden State still has the advantage in depth. LAL sacrificed a chunk of their roster in order to acquire Davis. Now, they have nothing but a few aging veterans making up their second unit.

Stephen Curry, D’Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green should be able to topple the duo of Davis and James. Still, this will be a legendary matchup if it occurs.

Home/Warriors News