3. The Golden State Warriors are a legitimate problem for the Los Angeles Lakers
The Golden State Warriors took care of the Los Angeles Lakers in the preseason but at the end of the day it was in games that did not count. There was no reason to believe that the Warriors were a legitimate threat to the Lakers just by the preseason outcomes.
While we are barely over one percent into the season, a regular-season win like this might be enough for some to believe that the Warriors are a legitimate threat. After all, they do have the second-best title odds in the Western Conference.
The Warriors not only beat the Lakers in this game but they beat the Lakers without Klay Thompson. In theory, Golden State is only going to get better once Thompson returns and then will continue to get better once James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga come back.
While that is all true, it is still hard to see a team like the Warriors beating a team like the Lakers in a playoff series. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are already a matchup nightmare for the Warriors and Westbrook will be better than he was on Tuesday.
Plus, the Lakers are a newly-formed team that are still figuring out their identity. While there are new role players for Golden State, that is a team that knows exactly who they are and the style of basketball they want to play. The Lakers are still figuring that out.
It’s one game. That is all we really need to say.
Verdict: Overreaction