10:34 AM
Unknown
The Lakers and Warriors have the simplest and most explanatory rivalry in the NBA. All though the Lakers don't think of the Warriors as much, probably, you can be assured that you're in for a treat when you have tickets to this game. The Lakers underestimate the Warriors, and the Warriors play with shining brilliance: until of course the end, when forget what basketball is.
The Lakers have successfully assembled a superteam, but what does that mean? The Warriors' big three is arguably not that far away from the Lakers, skill wise. Let's have a quick comparison.
1. PG: Steve Nash, Steph Curry: Both excellent free throw shooters, smart players, three point god's, and PG's. Last time Curry and Nash matched up, Nash was forced into 5 TO's. That's pretty good for a youngster playing with the big boy. The Warriors lost that game to the Suns, unfortunately. I think that with the skill level these two have, the matchup is about equal. That's why it comes down to veteran ship. Winner: Lakers
2. SG: Really? I wonder who the winner is here. The Black Mamba strikes at the perfect time, deadly and unexpected. He can hit 3 threes in a row, easily. In every game, there are times where he shows glimpses of himself in his prime. That's tough to matchup against, but he's getting older. Young star Klay Thompson is going to get burned a few times when matching up with Kobe. All he has on Kobe is height advantage, which could lead to a few interior victories. Most likely, Metta World Peace will guard Klay Thompson. Winner: Lakers
3. SF: My hypothesis is that the hot shooting of Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson are going to really anger Peace. He'll be running all over the place. Although Peace can deliver a clutch shot, or make a clutch play, his skill level isn't equal to that of Harrison Barnes. Barnes is a smarter player, and he can get the job done without throwing a punch. Sorry, Metta! Winner: Warriors
4. PF: Oh, yes. This is the only matchup that's actually hard to pick a winner. Gasol is always rated as one of the best PF's in the league, but many forget that he has Kobe to make him look good. Gasol is a good, smart player, but Lee isn't any worse than he is. Lee has high efficiency, and a similar arsenal of scoring as Gasol. The only thing Gasol has on Lee is height. Otherwise, they're pretty much equal. Hate me if you must, but I'm not overlooking the fact that Gasol is no better than Lee. Winner: Nobody
5. C: Don't worry, Magic fans, you're not the only one out there who hates Dwight Howard! Howard's everlasting drama about which team he would 'take his talents to' really angered a lot of fans. It was classless and embarrassing for the NBA. That doesn't, however, effect his playing style. Although Andrew Bogut is one of the top 5 Centers in the NBA, Howard is just a little better. They're both strong, tough, and aggressive, and post up well. The difference is that Howard knows how to score on the inside a little better. This'll be another interesting matchup. Winner: Lakers
Bench Productivity: Winner: Warriors
You cant win an NBA title without bench play. The Warriors' whole second unit looks like they could take on the Lakers. The Warriors definitely have the Lakers down in this area.
NBA Commissioner David Stern’s no fool. He knows full well what’s in store for the 2009-2010 NBA season.
