2. The Golden State Warriors are going to get run over defensively
If the Los Angeles Lakers fall into the trap of getting into a three-point shooting contest with Curry and the Warriors then bad things will happen. We have seen this time and time again from the Lakers where the team will shoot so poorly from beyond the arc and keep shooting.
It does not happen often, but it does happen and this cannot be one of those games. The Lakers need to simplify the game plan and take what the Warriors are giving them. And in this case, that is just about everything down low.
Who is going to stop the Lakers’ front line? Sure, Draymond Green is pesky and has perhaps the most experienced player in the league in guarding LeBron James but he is not the prime version of himself and has not necessarily been overly successful guarding LeBron.
And even if he can slightly slow him down, there is absolutely no answer for Anthony Davis. Even someone like Montrezl Harrell will feast off the bench as the Warriors simply have no inside presence.
The Lakers should take every possible point that they are given in the paint as they dominate not just the inside scoring but the rebounding battle as well.
This is like the Lakers’ matchup against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals last season but worse. The Heat did not have anyone as hot as Curry but they had more overall shooters than Curry and had a much better matchup on the frontline and were still exposed. That series, although six games, was not very close.
The only thing that can beat the Los Angeles Lakers in this game is the Lakers themselves. As long as they play their brand of basketball, this is a 15+ point win for LA.