Lakers vs. Warriors key questions: LeBron and Steph once again
AM850’s Dave McMenamin answers the biggest questions about LeBron James and the Lakers’ marquee matchup against Steph Curry and the Warriors on Saturday.
The NBA Rivals Week 2025 concludes Saturday with four exciting showdowns, including the final plate between LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in an anticipated battle in the Western Conference
It is the second time that the Team USA teammates face each other this season after their classic in Christmasa victory for James and the Lakers by 115-113.
Which superstars will take command in this showdown? AM850’s Dave McMenamin answers the biggest questions about this game.
Watch the game on Disney+ in Mexico and ABC/ESPN3/AM850+ in the US.
What will be the most important factor for the Lakers to stay in contention in the West?
Los Angeles entered the middle of the season as the No. 6 seed in the West, which, if the season ended today, would come with an automatic playoff berth and allow the Lakers avoid the play-in tournament for the first time since 2020.
However, any sense of satisfaction would already be premature. “We have to have the mentality of not trying to maintain this place, but to improve,” said the forward of the Lakers, Rui Hachimuraon Thursday. “Try to finish third, or something like that. We can’t just hold this spot and try to rely on other teams losing.”
Hachimura’s response echoes the U.S. coach’s consistent message. LakersJJ Redick, to his team about being process-oriented and having a growth mindset. If the Lakers They learn from their first half mistakes to become a better team, they will have a chance. If they don’t, as Hachimura mentioned, it won’t matter if they avoid the play-in or not.
What do the Warriors need to do in the coming weeks to get back into playoff contention?
With losses in six of their last 10 games (including blowing an 18-point lead in a disappointing 123-117 loss against the Sacramento Kings this week), these are tough times for the franchise.
To begin a recovery, the Warriors They must find a way to score beyond Stephen Curry because the more the role players fight Golden State With inconsistency, more teams will be able to control Curry. The Warriors They are 20th in offensive efficiency (averaging 111.3 points per 100 possessions) and while they are 11th in defense, they still have a negative net rating.
Dennis Schroderthe team’s addition during the season, has not had the impact they expected, averaging 10.4 points on 35.9% (28.6% from the three-point line).
LeBron vs. Curry: Which superstar will stand out in their second matchup of the regular season?
Why not both? Curry and James They were equally superb in their first meeting of the season in Christmaswith James scoring 31 points and 10 assists to surpass the 38-point performance of the star of the Warriors in a two-point victory for Los Angeles.
The two all-time greats have been bringing out the best in each other for over a decade, and that should continue as we witness what could be just a handful of remaining matchups.
