The Golden State Warriors began the season against the LA Lakers, and they have met twice since.
The LA Lakers have won all three of the match-ups between the two teams, on the way to elevating themselves to the number two seed in the Western Conference.
The Golden State Warriors have rallied strongly since the All-Star break, moving from 10th place into seventh.
Both teams look like locks to make the playoffs, having revamped their rosters at the trade deadline, and have their eyes on the ultimate prize.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has vowed the team will win the title this season, a confident statement amid a stacked Western Conference led by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Warriors won the title in 2022, more recently than the Lakers in 2020, and their recent addition of Jimmy Butler has restored confidence.
During a segment on ESPN’s First Take, it was discussed who whether Stephen Curry leading the Warriors to a late playoff run would be more impressive than LeBron James and the LA Lakers.
Stephen A. Smith answered instantly, arguing it would be more impressive if Curry and the Warriors make it deep.
He explained: “It would be Steph, because look at look at the team right now, no matter how much they’ve improved, they’re not considered to be better than the Lakers.
“Steph is not the combination of LeBron and Luka. The Lakers are playing as a top defensive team over the last six and a half weeks. You see the size. Yes, they don’t have a big man per se but Dorian Finney-Smith is a legit six seven. Jared Vanderbilt is a legit six eight. LeBron is a legit 6’8-6’9, Luka is a legit six seven, stuff like that.
“There is an expectation that they have a chance to come out of the West. Even with Jimmy Butler, you’re still looking at Golden State, and you’re saying, ‘that’s an uphill climb’.
“The collection of parts surrounding Steph Curry is not the same as what surrounding LeBron James, right.
“So I think that if the Steph ended up making a deep playoff run, it would be even more impressive.”
The opposite side of the argument is that LeBron James and the Lakers putting up a big run and ultimately winning it all, would be a more impressive achievement.
And that is because of the simple fact that LeBron James is 40-years-old. Winning the NBA title would be a truly stunning achievement.
LeBron is playing at a level high enough that could make you believe it is possible, producing a stretch of play where the numbers are comparable to his elite best at his peak.
Both players have won four titles across their careers, each looking for a fifth, with time running out. For either superstar to manage to accomplish the feat would be special, and even reaching the finals would be a statement.
