The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors faced off this past Sunday in a preseason game with the Warriors winning, 111-103. The two teams will play each other again this Sunday, and they will then meet on Tuesday, Oct. 21, to start the regular season.
Both L.A. and Golden State seem to be on that second tier of Western Conference teams as far as being squads that could make a run in the playoffs but aren’t true championship contenders. They could be on a collision course to meet in the 2026 playoffs, and should that happen, it could be an epic matchup between ageless superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins said on a recent episode of “NBA Countdown” that the Lakers have an edge over the Warriors thanks to guard Austin Reaves.
“Both of these teams are going to be here come April,” Perkins said. “Both of these teams are going to be in the postseason. I give the Lakers a slight edge because they have a third option offensively in Austin Reaves.
“We don’t know who the third option is for the Golden State Warriors. Is that going to be [Jonathan] Kuminga? Are they going to rely on Buddy Hield? That’s the question.”
Reaves averaged 20.2 points and 5.8 assists a game last season and certainly developed into a legitimate third offensive option. Life should be easier for him and James this season now that they’re having a full training camp to get used to playing with Luka Doncic.
Golden State went 23-8 through the rest of last season once six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler arrived in a big trade from the Miami Heat. But the Warriors have one of the NBA’s oldest rosters, and while they have depth, all that wear and tear will compound by playoff time.
On the other hand, L.A., other than the 40-year-old James, has a relatively young roster full of players who are roughly in their primes.