The Los Angeles Lakers are the biggest disappointment this season in the NBA. LeBron James and his star-packed squad were projected as one of the top contenders to win the championship this season but instead, they are in the bottom half of the standings. Unlike them, the Warriors are second in the West.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a lot of issues this season. They made huge roster changes in the offseason in order to surround LeBron James with as much talent and experience to have a chance to win another championship before he retires.
James is on top of his game despite the fact he turned 37 in December. James is the third-leading scorer in the league averaging 29.3 points per game and adding 7.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
Still, the Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with a 27-33 record which puts them 8.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets who are in sixth place, the last one that leads straight to the playoffs. It seems like the Lakers will not be able to avoid the play-in tournament but as they are unable to pick up their form, they would be lucky if they even keep this spot in the standings.
Entering the second part of the season, without making any roster changes prior to the trade deadline, the Lakers fans hoped that the week off will allow the Lakers to regroup and lift themselves up. Unfortunately, the Lakers lost the two games following the break. First, they failed against the city rival Clippers in a 105-102 loss but things went even worse in their last game losing 123-95 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Anthony Davis has already missed the majority of the season and will be sidelined for at least three more weeks with an ankle injury. There is no player that can replace him but the power forward position is not the weakest dot in the Lakers team.
Russell Westbrook is having a terrible season and he has not just lost the trust from coach Frank Vogel, but from his teammates as well. Reportedly, LeBron James asked the Lakers front office to trade the former MVP for John Wall but GM Rob Pelinka decided to steak with the “triple-double” king.
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Golden State Warriors
After a couple of losing seasons, the Golden State Warriors are back among the top teams in the league. Steph Curry is still doing miracles on the court and is among the top 5 candidates to win the MVP award this season. Curry, who became the all-time leader in made three-pointers this season, is averaging 25.7 points per game, 10th in the league, 6.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds on 37.6% from deep.
A major reason for the Warriors’ successful season so far has Klay Thompson who returned to court after more than 2 years of recovering from injuries. Thompson is still not as consistent as he was but has boosted his team just with his presence on the court. Given the fact that he is a “catch and shoot” guy, he will be able to have a huge impact on Warriors’ offense.
But the Splash brothers are not the only reason why the Warriors are dangerous this season. Andrew Wiggins has finally shown why he was a top draft pick and took advantage of the situation in Golden State to become an All-Star.
Jordan Poole is another player who is having a huge impact night in and night out. The guard is providing 16.1 points per game off the bench and is one of the frontrunners for both the Sixth Man of the Yaer award and the Most Improved Player Award.
The Warriors are currently second in the Western Conference with a 43-18 record. They have lost 5 of the last 7 games which is the second time this season they are going through a difficult span. In the last game, the Warriors blew out a 19-point lead to lose 107-101 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Our tip for the Lakers vs. Warriors game
Both teams are going through a difficult part of the season but the Warriors do not have reasons to worry about. Unlike them, the Lakers are sinking deeper and deeper and at times it seems like they are unable to defeat anybody. They lost both games against the Warriors this season and things will not look much different when these two team meet on Saturday night.
LeBron James is the only reliable and consistent player for the Lakers this season as Anthony Davis is out and Russell Westbrook simply doesn’t fit in the Lakers’ lineup. Carmelo Anthony is doing his part coming off the bench but the Lakers need a huge night from youngsters like Malik Monk and Talent Horton-Tucker to have a chance.
The Warriors also have injury issues as Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green and James Wiseman are out but the rest of the team is playing well together and they will show that against the Lakers. Steph Curry will go over 30 points and lead the Warriors to a comfortable win in LA.
Prediction: Golden State Warriors to win
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- Over 50,000 events per month
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Odds:
Bucks: TBA
Nets: TBA
Spread: TBA
Over/under: TBA