Warriors Will Keep Looking To "Get Right" Before Playoffs

Lakers vs. Warriors, 10:00 ET

We have just two days remaining in the NBA Regular Season. Then we get the Play-In Tournament, one of the best times of the year. I’m actually intrigued by the teams in the Play-In Tournament this year because we have some decent competition brewing. I won’t get into too many details, because there are still a few things to sort out with matchups. Tonight, we have one team that has their playoff spot assured and another team that will finish 10th as the Lakers take on the Warriors. 

The Lakers looked a bit rejuvenated this season. Luka Doncic came into the year weighing less, looking good, and had been on a tear recently. He then got injured and now he is flying to Europe for treatment because the playoffs are right around the corner. Then, to make matters worse, Austin Reaves got injured. He is done for the season according to some sources. There was a bit of drama with Dallas, but honestly, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that Reaves won’t be available for the playoffs. He was already missed 22 out of 24 games earlier in the year. Overall, the Lakers are 14-14 without Reaves in the lineup. Now you have just LeBron James and DeAndre Ayton to try and navigate the ship into the postseason. Luckily, they don’t really need to worry about anything in terms of actually making it, and they will have a full week off. 

William Navarro-Imagn Images

The Warriors are a bit on the opposite side of things. Golden State is getting healthier while Los Angeles is getting worse. The Warriors got Steph Curry back two games ago and he was his typical dynamic self. He dropped 29 points on 21 field goal attempts. Keep in mind, this is the first time that Curry and trade deadline acquisition, Kristaps Porzingis, have played together. They don’t have a ton of time to gel, but the Warriors should be considered dangerous now. The Warriors are just 1-1 since Steph came back, but clearly he doesn’t need a ton of time to get back to game speed. I don’t expect them to win a playoff series, but they should at least get out of the Play-In Tournament. Jimmy Butler is still out, and Brandin Podziemski plays way too many minutes for the team. 

This is a game that neither team really needs to win. The Lakers are pretty much set with where they are at, and the Warriors can’t move up or down. This is essentially a practice game for both teams. However, I think that means it is more important to Golden State. The Warriors will likely need to get time together and figure things out. The only drawback here is that Porzingis is out. The Lakers are hurting and have lost three in a row. LeBron might not even play. Give me the Warriors in this one.