LeBron & AD Send Message to NBA!
The Lakers’ low post domination of the Warriors was just a warning shot of what the Clippers, Rockets, Bucks, 76ers, and Bucks will have to stop
My first reaction after watching LeBron James and Anthony Davis, along with the McGee/Howard center duo, dominate the Golden State Warriors in the paint was there’s no way the Clippers will be able to stop the Lakers.
Granted it was just the first preseason game, LeBron and AD only played a half, and the Dubs missed their starting center but the perfect fit, instant chemistry, and dominating power of the Lakers’ front court was obvious. There’s been plenty of talk about how LeBron James and Anthony Davis might be the best superstar duo in the NBA but what we saw last night after just one week of training camp had to send shivers throughout the league.
The Lakers’ low post domination of the Warriors at both ends of the court was a warning shot across the bow of all of the other contenders that they better beef up their front courts if they want to hold their own against LA. The Lakers’ front court dominated the game offensively and defensively, outscoring the undersized Warriors in the paint 66 to 36 and overpowering them on the backboards 71 to 52, including 16 on the offensive glass.
Aside from AD posting 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists in 18 minutes and LeBron adding 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists in 17 minutes, the Lakers’ center duo of McGee/Howard posted 19 points and 22 rebounds. Despite missing two key power forwards in Kyle Kuzma and Jared Dudley, the Lakers’ front court set the tone early against the Warriors, leading to a strong team offensive rating of 112.8 and elite defensive rating of 93.5.
We’ve heard all through training camp how head coach Frank Vogel had the team focusing on defense so it was encouraging to actually see the Lakers follow through with a strong defensive effort against the Warriors. In addition to controlling the paint and dominating the boards, the Lakers limited the high-powered Warriors’ offense to just 101 points and held their shooters to just 39.3% from the field and 26.2% from beyond the arc.
All in all, the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era got off to a rousing start last night. Even though it was just a preseason game and there’s much to be fixed, it was great to see this edition of the Lakers get off to a great start.
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