NBA Western Conference Round 2 Preview: Warriors vs. Lakers

When it comes to sports, we have a tendency to take things for granted.

If a team or player dominates for too long, we yearn for something new. Something different.

So when LeBron James and Steph Curry met in the NBA Finals for four straight years from 2015 to 2018, the novelty of the two future Hall of Famers doing battle began to fade by the end.

It’s fair to say that when they both hang up their sneakers, only then will we truly appreciate how special those Finals were. Two of the most influential players to ever play the game of basketball, squaring off on the sport’s biggest stage four straight times.

But fear not basketball fans, for we have been gifted another chance. With the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers both managing to survive Round 1, Curry versus LeBron is once again a thing.

And as Sportsnet’s Michael Grange writes, let’s make sure to appreciate it. Because it very well could be the last time we see these two greats face off in a best-of-seven, winner-take-all series.

The supporting casts may be slightly different, and the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy won’t be handed out at the conclusion of this series, but the main characters remain the same. And that’s what really matters.

To get you set for what is arguably the marquee matchup of Round 2 and maybe even the playoffs as a whole, we look at one burning question for each team, and one series X-factor who could swing the series.  

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Series Overview

Regular season series: Lakers won season series 3-1

Odds to win series: Warriors -156 | Lakers +118 (via Sports Interaction)

Series Schedule:

Game 1: Tuesday, May 2 @ Golden State, 10 p.m. ET
Game 2: Thursday, May 4 @ Golden State, 9 p.m. ET
Game 3: Saturday, May 6 @ Los Angeles 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: Monday, May 8 @ Los Angeles 10 p.m. ET
*Game 5: Wednesday, May 9 @ Golden State, TBD
*Game 6: Friday, May 12 @ Los Angeles, TBD
*Game 7: Sunday, May 14 @ Golden State, TBD

Prediction: Lakers over Warriors in seven games

Burning Question — Los Angeles Lakers: Will the real Anthony Davis please stand up? 

Until he retires, James will be the figurehead of any team he plays on. He’s earned that. He’s also still one of the top players in the league at age 38, which has never been seen before, and most likely will never be seen again.

But make no mistake about it, the Lakers are at their best when Anthony Davis is engaged and the most dominant player on the floor for Los Angeles.

The only problem is, for as talented as Davis is, there are games he just seems to disappear. Whether that is for lack of effort on his part, or the ball just doesn’t seem to find him for whatever reason, there are times when you can forget he is on the floor.

Thankfully for the Lakers, Davis looked engaged for the better part of Round 1. He had one off night in Game 2 when he finished with 13 points and nine rebounds while shooting 28.6 per cent from the field against Memphis. And for those keeping track at home, you’re right to assume that the poor Davis game translated to a Lakers loss.

He doesn’t need to score 30 a game to drive the Lakers, but he will need to control the boards and continue to be a shot-altering nightmare on the defensive end if the Lakers are going to knock off the defending champs. Davis only averaged 20.8 points per game against the Grizzlies, but he was still the Lakers’ best player.

He averaged an astounding 4.3 blocks per game in Round 1, a full two blocks ahead of the next closest player. He was also the leader in defensive rebounds in the opening round at 10.8 per contest. The Lakers need him to continue doing those type of things.

The big man will most likely see a heavy dose of Warriors centre Kevon Looney, who is the only player averaging more total rebounds per game than Davis in the playoffs. If the Warriors ever decide to go small, the ever-agitating Draymond Green will most likely be assigned to Davis.

Davis should actually be licking his chops at the possibility of seeing Green, as when the two battled in the 2015 playoffs, a then 22-year-old Davis averaged 31.5 points on 54 per cent shooting. And that was against Green in his athletic prime.

Therefore, the Looney and Green matchups are ones that Davis can and should dominate. But if he doesn’t? Well, anyone who bought tickets for later in the series could be looking for some refunds.

Burning Question — Golden State Warriors: Will a lack of a true second option behind Curry be their undoing? 

Fresh off one of the greatest playoff performances we have ever seen in Game 7 against the Sacramento Kings, Steph Curry comes into this series playing maybe the best basketball of his legendary career.

The Lakers’ main defensive game plan this series will be simple — contain Steph. They will never be able to stop him completely, but if they can limit the explosion games, Darvin Ham’s squad will be happy. Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder will all most likely spend time chasing Curry around, but it’s going to require a full-team effort.

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So with all this focus on Curry, the Warriors are going to need one, or even multiple players to score the basketball. Banking on a 50-point masterpiece from Curry every night is a recipe for disaster.

But when you look at this version of the Warriors, who really is their second-best player?

Klay Thompson is still a dangerous weapon, but after two major injuries in back-to-back seasons, he lacks the consistency he once had. He looked lost in Game 7 against the Kings, finishing with 16 points on 21.1 per cent shooting.

Canada’s Andrew Wiggins was the second-best player on last season’s championship-winning team, but he’s still getting back into playing shape after missing over 20 games late in the regular season.

Looney may very well have been their second-best player in Round 1, but he will be in tough to replicate the same kind of success he did against an undersized Kings team.

Maybe it will be Jordan Poole, who thrusts himself into the spotlight in this heavyweight showdown.

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Whoever it is, the Warriors’ supporting cast must give Curry some help. Asking him to single-handedly beat what is now a deep and cohesive Lakers team is too much, even for the greatest shooter the league has ever seen.

Series X-Factor: Austin Reaves

Raise your hand if at the beginning of this season, you predicted Austin Reaves would be the Lakers’ third most important player come the post-season.

If you have your hand raised, you must be a basketball savant.

Because while a solid player for the team last year, Reaves has come a long way from the wide-eyed kid who saw himself turn into a meme in his first season with LeBron.

Now, if James wants to add a fifth title to his resume, Reaves will play a huge role in making that happen.

Offensively, the undrafted 24-year-old has shown he has the ability to take some of the scoring load off of James and Davis and create his own shot. According to Cleaning the Glass, Reaves finished in the 99th percentile for his position at points per shot attempt.

The guy can clearly score the rock, and his emergence has bolstered the performance of the Lakers’ dynamic duo as well. In the regular season, lineups that included Reaves, James and Davis outscored teams by 14.3 points per 100 possessions.

Davis and James will drive the Lakers in this series, but when they need a hand, Reaves will be the first player they look to. And if he can step up to the challenge just like he did against Memphis, it will go a long way in helping the Lakers move one step closer to their ultimate goal.

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