SUMMARY
- The Lakers will be playing against the Warriors during their return game following the All-Star break.
- LeBron James has been ruled out of the Warriors vs. Lakers game.
The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to make a serious comeback during the second half of the season. LeBron James and his squad are currently ranked ninth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record. Before the NBA All-Star Weekend commenced, the Lakers went on an impressive 7-3 run which included wins against the Boston Celtics and their upcoming opponents, the Golden State Warriors.
In February,
The Lakers are the only team with 4 players averaging 20+ points.
They are also the only team with 4 players averaging 5+ assists.
LeBron – 24.2 PPG, 8.3 APG
AD – 24.5 PPG, 5.0 APG
Dlo – 20.3 PPG, 8.2 APG
AR – 20.3 PPG, 6.9 APGpic.twitter.com/4z933aWQi0— Jordan Miranda (@TJmiranda) February 15, 2024
The Warriors also seemingly picked up great pace before the All-Star break took place. Stephen Curry led his team to an 8-2 run before heading into All-Star Weekend. Despite having rough starts to the season, both teams currently have records above .500, which is a good sign. Both teams will meet at the Chase Center for the second time this season. LA has a win over the Warriors from a game that took place in January.
LeBron James is ruled out for the Warriors vs. Lakers game
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have both been playing through injuries since the start of the season. Despite being diagnosed with left ankle peroneal tendinopathy in December 2023, James utilized the All-Star break to get treated. The 4x NBA Champion claims he will continue with treatment moving into the second half of the season. Unfortunately, the Lakers have ruled him out for tonight’s return game against the Warriors.
Lakers’ LeBron James (ankle) is listed out vs. Warriors on Thursday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 22, 2024
Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report:
- Cam Reddish (Questionable)
- Max Christie (Questionable)
- LeBron James (Out)
- Anthony Davis (Probable)
- Christian Wood (Out)
- Gabe Vincent (Out)
- Jarred Vanderbilt (Out)
Los Angeles Lakers Expected Lineup:
- D’Angelo Russell
- Austin Reaves
- Taurean Prince
- Rui Hachimura
- Anthony Davis
Golden State Warriors Injury Report:
- Gary Payton II (Questionable)
- Chris Paul (Out)
Golden State Warriors Expected Lineup:
- Stephen Curry
- Brandin Podziemski
- Andrew Wiggins
- Jonathan Wiggins
- Draymond Green
THE CHAMP IS HERE.
Incredible performance, @StephenCurry30 ☔️ pic.twitter.com/Hf6cVdloQj
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 18, 2024
The Warriors will mostly be picking up where they left off before the All-Star break. Steve Kerr decided to bench Klay Thompson ahead of the break due to his underwhelming presence on the floor. But, his presence in the second unit only gives them more reliability and depth. CP3 has been taking part in full fledges drills and is expected to return soon.
The Warriors have an edge over the Lakers in LeBron James’ absence
Without LeBron James, the Lakers have maintained a 4-3 record. Unfortunately, his presence on the floor is extremely important to the lineup. He is their most consistent scorer averaging 24.8 points per game. But now, the Lakers will have to rely on Davis and perhaps Russell to alleviate the offensive void.
The Warriors’ small ball lineup has proven to be lethal many times in the past. Benching Thompson was probably in their best interest even though Podziemski averages fewer points than him. The Warriors will have a boost on the bench as Thompson averages 17.3 points per game. Plus, his productivity increased while being a bench player. He erupted for 35 points against their opponent’s second unit in their last matchup.
Klay Thompson came off the bench and made a big-time impact tonight 🔥
35 PTS | 6 REB | 7 3PM pic.twitter.com/mILnbVbyP3
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2024
This will be the Warriors and Lakers’ second meeting this season. Their last game was an absolute thriller as both teams pushed to second over time. The only issue during that game was the Lakers’ abysmal perimeter shooting. They averaged 33.3% on 27 attempts while the Warriors shot 39.7% on a whopping 58 tries. This could give the Warriors an edge against the Lakers this time.