1. The Los Angeles Lakers have the weapons to stop Chris Paul and Devin Booker
The Los Angeles Lakers did an excellent job in containing Stephen Curry in the play-in game. Box score watchers are going to think this is a ludicrous statement as Curry scored 37 points but anyone that watched this game knows that with how much Curry was being used, he could have dropped 50 plus.
This is just indicative of how good Curry has been this season. When it mattered most, though, the Lakers were able to get stops and forced Golden State to turn the ball over a staggering 20 times, mostly due to the pressure that they would apply.
Curry and Draymond Green turned the ball over a combined 12 times and the game could not have ended in a better way with the inbound pass being stolen for yet another turnover.
While Paul and Booker are both great, they are not the deep threat that you have to double and sometimes triple-team that Stephen Curry is. While still a challenge, they are easier to manage at an individual level and the Lakers’ perimeter defenders can definitely do good work.
Alex Caruso is going to be key in stopping Devin Booker off-ball and is going to continue his smothering brand of basketball to keep him at bay. Then you have Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to check up on Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder should be able to hold his own as well.
Curry made Schroder look bad a few times on defense and that is when he was getting most of his good looks but Paul is not as big of a threat at this point in his career. Schroder can handle it.
The Los Angeles Lakers are built to stop the Phoenix Suns’ biggest strength and two best players.