'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It's LeBron James vs Stephen Curry as the LA Lakers head to the Bay Area for their preseason bout against the new-look Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Tuesday (Oct. 15). The last time the duo played, they did so as teammates for Team USA. After a gold medal at the Olympics, James and Curry are back to being Western Conference rivals again.
That's not the only storyline to focus on ahead of the marquee clash. Both teams had rather contrasting summers. The Warriors lost Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks. They failed to land Utah Jazz's Lauri Markkanen to compensate for a big name.
They added sharpshooter Buddy Hield, signed De’Anthony Melton, and a utility plug-in in Kyle Anderson. More importantly, they lived up to their word of keeping Curry in their ranks by dishing out a staggering $62.6 million extension.
Their rivals, on the other hand, never made a needle-moving trade all summer much to the pundits and fans' chagrin. It did look like a complete revamp when they fired Darvin Ham right after their playoffs exit.
James' agreeing to take a pay cut to land a big name didn't pan out either as the Purple and Gold didn't trade for any of the marquee names. The likes of Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, and Jonas Valenciunas all went to different teams.
Instead, they added Bronny James and Dalton Knecht from the rookie pool. Player development and a look at the post-LeBron James era trumped their win-now approach as they maintained their core unit from the last couple of seasons.
The front office now banks on new head coach JJ Redick and the continuity of their unchanged roster to go the distance. Whether they squandered James' potential final season or pulled off a blinder move will be known as the season progresses, but for now, two heavyweight teams will have to contend with what they have.
Both sides met four times last season with the Warriors winning three contests. Yet, they failed to make the playoffs. The LA Lakers ended as the seventh seed, booking a date with the Denver Nuggets only to lose 4-1 and hit an early offseason.
LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors preview, predicted starting lineups, odds, and prediction
The LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors tips off at 10 pm ET. The game can be caught live on the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass. Here's a quick look at the odds as listed at the time of writing.
Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.
LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors preview
New strategies have headlined both teams' preseason runs. Head coach Steve Kerr made it clear about the need to take more 3s to fill the void left by Thompson, and the team did just that as they broke their franchise record for most three-pointers against the Sacramento Kings earlier this month.
Their defense depends on Green, who is expected to get the rest of the team to raise the ceiling on that aspect.
The challenge for Kerr and the Warriors is to get their collection of role players to do what Thompson, Green, and Curry have done at an elite level over the last few years. Thompson's defensive skill set and his sharpshooting accuracy made him lethal. Now they will hope Hield and a work-in-progress Podziemski can do that for them.
The frontcourt has Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Tryce Jackson-Davis, and Jonathan Kuminga — all of whom have shown immense potential as two-way players, but lack the experience and clutch DNA that their former 'Big 3' boasted of.
The depth looks balanced with Gary Payton II, Melton, Anderson, and Moses Moody, but in the end, it's all about what they can do as a small-ball unit that's heavily dependent on Curry.
The Lakers are 1-2 in their three preseason games, and despite the losses have looked impressive. Redick, who has been transparent and quite vocal about his strategies for the season stuck to a lineup that yielded results.
Young guns Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, and Knecht have provided that spark offensively, while Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and James continue to be the key players doing the bulk of the lifting.
James has slotted in the versatile point-forward role, even as LA continues to fine-tune its X's and O's that largely include — one-through-four switching, a barrage of 3-pointers, and their five-out offense, all of which has been visible in their execution so far. Much of their success depends on the health of their superstars and their bench.
The LA Lakers haven't necessarily had great preseason over the last couple of editions, but there's that quiet optimism they will have more fruitful warm-up games leading up to their season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 22.
LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors predicted starting lineups
The LA Lakers will open with their tried-and-tested combo except for Austin Reaves who is a game-time decision. Should he play, he comes in at SG with D'Angelo Russell at PG. James and Hachimura share frontcourt duties, while Davis comes in at the five.
LA Lakers injuries: Jarred Vanderbilt (foot), Christian Wood (knee), Amal Traore (hand), and Christian Kokole (illness) are out. Reaves (ankle) is listed as day-to-day.
The Warriors suffered an injury scare with Curry jamming his finger in the last game. But he was not listed on ESPN's injury report leading up to the game. Podziemski suffered a broken nose against the Pistons and was ruled out. Expect Melton to replace him at point, and Curry to slot in as shooting guard. Hield and Green form the frontcourt with Looney at center.
Golden State Warriors injuries: Brandin Podziemski (nose) | Out
LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors prediction
The Warriors have form on their side. They still have the depth that the LA Lakers missed leading up to the clash. The non-James and AD minutes become crucial for LA and will dictate the outcome. Take the Warriors to prop up a win.
