NBA 2022/23, on Wednesday, 03.05.2023
What’s going on in the NBA playoffs? These were already hard to beat in terms of surprises and intensity in the first round. Meanwhile, the tipping point for the next level of escalation comes in the opening game of the California West Coast derby.
These two franchises are riddled with veteran basketball legends! In doing so, my bookmaker-worthy Warriors Lakers tip assumes that the purple and gold should by no means be considered underdogs here.
The defending champions had to put everything, but really everything, on the line this weekend in order to not fall to the Sacramento Kings right away in the 1st round of the playoffs.
But basically, the advancement is more due to the historic individual performances of two players than the Warriors as a collective.
After all, in the deciding game against the Kings, Kevon Looney became the first player since 2008 to have three 20-rebound games in a series, while Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to score 50 points in a Game 7.
But I have my doubts that will be enough in the California Derby against the Lakers.
The purple and gold have always been known to have the potential for greatness. But unlike the Regular Season, they are finally showing in practice what they have long been capable of in theory.
Knocking off the Grizzlies 4-2 in games has come as a shock to bookmakers, as LAL was considered the glaring underdog in this series by all providers with a valid sports betting license.
Excellent defensive work, a LeBron James who is healthy for once and the new additions acquired at the trade deadline make the Lakers in my eyes a team that could now also be dangerous to the defending champions.
Good reasons for my assumption that The Dub could already shatter on Wednesday at the defense of the Lilagolden provide me not only the previous performances in the first play-off round.
Watch out: 3 of the 15 games with the worst “Offensive Efficency” of the Warriors within the Regular Season resulted from three encounters against the Lakers after the trade deadline! Coincidence? Hardly!
The trade deadline is so important to highlight because that’s when Los Angeles traded Russell Westbrook for Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and D’Angelo Russell, taking their rotation to the next level.
Warriors’ rebounder Looney will get fewer rebounds in this series, as he will face an excellent center in Anthony Davis, who has a lot more body length in the battle for the free ball.
Crucial to my Warriors Lakers tip, however, is that the purple and gold proved in their last outing against the Grizzlies that they are no longer solely dependent on the scoring of James and/or Davis, in addition to excellent defense.
D’Angelo Russell is undoubtedly one of the playoff surprises of this year, scoring the most points in the Lakers’ last appearance with his 31 points.
This extra pillar in the offensive game could overwhelm the Warriors, provided of course the 27-year-old continues to contribute as well as he has so far!
The really great thing about a Warriors Lakers tip is the betting odds underlying them from the sportsbooks, which in my eyes completely misjudge the situation.
The closest I could come to agreeing is an even odds ratio, but the clear favorite of the Warriors is the one I can least let stand without comment.
Offering an average of 1.50 for a GSW win in Game 1 takes away any appeal of a possible win bet. The opponent is simply too strong for that!
Add to that the fact that Los Angeles won each of their three head-to-head matchups against Golden State in January and February by at least six points, and you can see why the LAL win odds of around 2.50 appeal to me so much!
Conclusion: It will be a gripping duel, but you have to remember that the Warriors had to come back from an energy-sapping deciding game last weekend, while their upcoming opponent had already fulfilled their target at that point.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are currently getting a lot of support from D’Angelo Russell on the offensive end – and that’s exactly what could cause the GSW defense to collapse.
Even on the other hand, the Los Angeles defense has already taken the Warriors to the cleaners several times in the Regular Season, which is why I see the underdog role of the guests traded on the markets as a mistake.
My Warriors Lakers tip: LAL wins the opener!
