Golden State will look to make a clean 2-0 preseason sweep of the Lakers on Tuesday night, as the 2022 NBA Champions head to T-Mobile Arena. The Warriors already beat JJ Redick’s squad last week, with a commanding 124-98 win. Rookie first-rounder Yaxel Lenderborg has particularly stood out through four contests for Steve Kerr, missing a double-double by just one rebound when these teams met the previous Tuesday. For the losing side, Jaden Hardy filled up the stat sheet with a well-rounded performance, scoring 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. This upcoming clash gives both head coaches a chance to keep testing different ideas, and it may well be different from the last one.
Both Lenderborg and newly-resigned Brandin Podziemski should continue to headline Golden State’s rotation. The Michigan alum has arrived in the NBA in style, and produced the most for the Warriors the last time these teams met. Over his three preseason games, the standout forward has averaged 14.7 points on an efficient 58% shooting, coupled with 9.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per match. Podziemski impressed with 16 points on seven-for-11 field goals against this Los Angeles defense. He has set a good foot forward for what many people hope to be a big year in the Bay, as the organization’s future seems to lean, in part, on the fourth year following his extended contract.
As far as coaching goes, Kerr lived up to his word in trying out versions of his old “five-out” system. Having coached four championship-winning squads, Kerr knows what it takes to win but has struggled to return to victory since 2022. Undoubtedly, the players have already stumbled and will continue to stumble as they learn the new foreign concepts introduced by their head coach. Such confusion will inevitably lead to a deeper hole for an issue that’s gone unresolved over the last few years.
Turnovers have been an Achilles heel for this group, and a Lakers team that likes to change tempos with Luka Dončić may speed them up. Los Angeles now operates with the Slovenian superstar at the helm, meaning their ability to throw different looks at opponents will further increase. While they may wrestle with finding a balanced identity, I’d expect Quentin Grimes to pick up where he left off as a key contributor and help on both sides of the ball. While Golden State has the size, Los Angeles has the perimeter threats to hurt the Dubs from beyond, though that’s not something they capitalized on last time out.
It’s difficult to anticipate a high-scoring affair from these two on Tuesday, since neither team allows more than 113 points per game through their respective pre-seasons. This game will be closer than the previous 26-point margin, and excitingly for neutrals, the coin really can flip either way. I’d anticipate a slower pace for the Warriors to minimize turnovers, but a faster pace for the Lakers to push the tempo and make opponents uncomfortable. My final guess is that the 17-time NBA Champions get their revenge and narrowly squeak out a 115-109 home win.
