The Golden State Warriors won all their preseason games, and two of them came against the stalwart team they’re up against on opening night.
The Los Angeles Lakers not just lost all of their preseason games, but they haven’t won their season opener since the time LeBron James joined the team.
The Golden State Warriors kick off their season against the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. ET. Here are three things to look out for.
That said, the Warriors have failed to make the playoffs twice in as many years, while the Lakers won a championship and made a case for another one before the Phoenix Suns drowned them. Gone are the days when the preseason games are looked at as mere warm-ups.
This applies even more strongly for the Warriors who, by the scrimmage, ticked off the boxes that would help gear up for an NBA 2021-22 edition that shows semblances of normalcy, especially when compared to a pandemic-riddled previous season.
In the previous season, before Stephen Curry went…Stephen Curry, the mindset was all about developing a squad that would help them be the dynasty outfit they were. Rookie James Wiseman was a starter and Kelly Oubre Jr. had ample opportunities to cement himself as one of the core components of the team.
Then it all went south. Wiseman and Oubre were injured, and following the former’s injury, they dipped 14-5.
It depends on what Steve Kerr wants on Tuesday night — preserving his best duo throughout the season or just letting them go all-out and make a mark against the Lakers who are still tipped to be one of the favorites to win the title.
Ahead of tip-off at the Staples Center, we take a look at three things to look out for when the Dubs play the Lakers.