3 ways Steph Curry and Warriors could upset Lakers’ playoff hopes

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors could stand in the way of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers' title hopes.

3 ways Steph Curry and Warriors could upset Lakers’ playoff hopes

Steph Curry and Warriors are a threat to LeBron James and Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers won the first three contests against the Golden State Warriors. Those wins were without either Luka Doncic or Jimmy Butler in their respective lineups. This fourth game featured both of them and Steph Curry and LeBron James continued to show they are still some of the best players in the league.

But tonight’s contest went the Warriors’ way. They shot the ball a lot better and even though Steph Curry exploded for a game high 37 points, it was the way their team performed that helped make the difference at the end.

The Lakers know their shooting woes are going to either make or break their season. But at the same time, the Warriors displayed how a team can bring in various methods to crack down on an opposition. In this case, they knew the Lakers had everything to sweep them in the regular season.

To counter that, they came up with a brand of team basketball that positioned their three most important players in certain roles. Then the rest came together to help the team collectively win the game. But they also know, come playoff time, situations can change. However, the Warriors could be a thorn the Lakers might want to avoid.

Western conference standings

Up until a few days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers were comfortably in fourth place. If they were to finish in that position, and the Memphis Grizzlies finished in fifth, it would be the most preferable clash for the men in purple and gold.

The Lakers have the Grizzlies number and would have breezed through the first round. But the Grizzlies lost to the Warriors and dropped a spot. Now with this win, the Warriors are within a game of the Lakers. Tomorrow, they will play the Denver Nuggets.

It will be difficult to win against them, but in case they do break their losing streak, and let’s say the Lakers win against the Pelicans, the table shifts to favor the Warriors. Now, they have both the schedule as well as the form to leapfrog both the Nuggets and Lakers to move up to third in the standings.

The Lakers have the toughest remaining schedule among the three, and if they happen to drop down to fifth, they could end up having to face their Kryptonite Nuggets again in the first round. Nikola Jokic and his teammates might want revenge for the two losses in these past two months.

First round playoff shenanigans

In the event the Denver Nuggets hold on to their third place in the Western Conference, and both the Lakers and Warriors finish in either the 4th or 5th positions, it means both of them would face off in the first round.

If today’s game is anything to go by, the Los Angeles Lakers should be worried. The Golden State Warriors displayed a complete team effort. Whereas the home team’s bench struggled mightily. Just as LeBron James and Luka Doncic are intelligent enough to dissect opponents, so are Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.

Going by Butler’s history, he is a force in the postseason. Therefore, the Lakers should be worried if they face off against the Warriors in the first round. Other than the Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors possess both the personnel and the skills to defeat the Lakers.

Steph Curry wants that fifth title

Draymond Green received a lot of flak for talking about a fifth championship. Some felt it was going to put unnecessary pressure on the team. However, later on Steph Curry confirmed that the fifth title has been on his mind even before preseason started.

This means, Green was not speaking out of context. Along with them is another leading superstar who has not won a title. If three of the leading stars are driven to win that title, the Lakers will have a tough task stopping them.

No matter where they meet, Curry and his teammates seemingly want it more than the Lakers. LeBron James’ team’s title hopes are not as high this season. They have various roster issues to fix, and the team is still trying to figure each other out.

Therefore, this will likely play out badly if they end up facing the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. The Bay Area squad have given enough proof that they can win it all. The Lakers should hope their form kicks in to counter this threat.