The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Golden State Warriors in their final preseason game on Friday and it ended up being a night to forget. The Warriors crushed the Lakers 132-74 and NBA fans had some interesting reactions to the contest.
One stated this was an embarrassing loss for the Lakers.
A fan was shocked by this result, even with it just being the preseason.
One was impressed that the Warriors stayed perfect during the preseason.
A fan stated the Lakers got thrashed to the core.
One stated the Warriors can only win in the preseason.
You knew once the lineups came out, that the Lakers had little chance of winning the game. They had rested all their main starters and gone with a starting lineup of Bronny James, Quincy Olivari, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Cam Reddish, and Jaxson Hayes.
The Warriors, meanwhile, started De’Anthony Melton, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, and Trayce Jackson-Davis. It was a mismatch of sorts, but the final scoreline was still shocking.
The Lakers were horrendous on offense here, as they shot 34.1% from the field and 24.1% from beyond the arc. Their defense wasn’t much better, as the Warriors shot 58.0% from the field and 36.1% from three. They weren’t able to offer much resistance even after Golden State had pulled its starters.
Despite that lopsided score, there were still some positives for the Lakers to take from the night. Bronny had his best preseason game by a mile on Friday, as he recorded 17 points, four rebounds, one assist, three steals, and one block. The 20-year-old finally found some rhythm on offense and drilled his first three-pointer in the preseason too.
Olivari impressed as well, as he put up 22 points, six rebounds, and two assists. The 23-year-old led the Lakers to victory against the Bucks last week and this was yet another fine showing from him.
While Olivari and James showed promise, another notable youngster did not. Hood-Schifino had six points, three rebounds, seven assists, and one steal on the night as his struggles continued. The 21-year-old, who was selected with the 17th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, is looking like a bust, but he still has plenty of time to turn things around.
With this loss, the Lakers ended their preseason with a 2-4 record. The biggest positive for them over the last week or so was undoubtedly the performances put in by Anthony Davis, who looks set to have another dominant campaign.
As for the biggest negative, well, the three-pointers are not falling for the Lakers. They shot 30.7% from three in the preseason and that’s not even close to being good enough for a team that’s hoping to be a contender.
The Warriors, meanwhile, ended the preseason with a perfect 6-0 record following this win, as the fan pointed out earlier. There has been a lot to like about them, with youngsters like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody putting in some impressive displays.
I still don’t think the Warriors are title contenders, though. They need another star next to Stephen Curry and I don’t think they have one at present in their roster.