NBA Summer League 2021: LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors Prediction & Match Preview - August 17th, 2021

Mac McClung (#20) of the LA Lakers [Source: Bleacher Report]

The Golden State Warriors take on the LA Lakers in the 2021 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on Tuesday, a game that would usually generate millions in viewership if it happened in the NBA regular season.

The Lakers are coming off a humiliating 17-point loss to a Cade Cunningham-less Detroit Pistons, whereas the Warriors lost by a single digit in overtime against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Match Details

Fixture: LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021.

Date & Time: Tuesday, August 17th; 7:00 PM ET (Wednesday, August 18th; 4:30 AM IST).

Venue: Thomas & Mack Center and COX Pavilion, University of Las Vegas, NV.

Golden State Warriors Preview

The Golden State Warriors are using the 2021 Summer League to train their rookies and get some reps in for Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

The two first-rounders have been the key focus for the franchise as they look to make a title run this season with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The team feels Kuminga and Moody should be able to contribute right away alongside the core trio when the NBA regular season begins.

Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are leading the way for the @warriors! #NBABreakdown#NBASummer action continues today on ESPN2 & NBA TV starting at 4:00pm/et. pic.twitter.com/FajFrxoGhp
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) August 11, 2021

The Golden State Warriors did not play Moody and Gary Payton II in their last game against the Pelicans as the game still went to overtime.

Kuminga scored a team-high 17 points on 5-12 shooting from the field along with eight rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal in 26 minutes. JaQuori McLaughlin and Justinian Jessup combined for 29 points, eight rebounds and ten assists.

Key Player - Jonathan Kuminga

Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors [Source: Golden State of Mind]

Naturally, a lot of attention has been on Jonathan Kuminga, as he is a lottery pick for a franchise like the Golden State Warriors.

He will soon share the court with two-time MVP Stephen Curry, so every little thing about his game is getting picked apart and analysed. He has scored big numbers in the Summer League and has continued to impress with his athleticism and scoring.

The Warriors are also particularly impressed with his defense and passing, which many people seem to overlook, as only his thunderous dunks make highlights.

Bob Myers on Jonathan Kuminga's passing: "I think some of the negative comments on him were his lack of feel. You can’t really make many good passes if you have no feel."

Wrote on the Kuminga passing flashes, Moses Moody's scoring and a roster updatehttps://t.co/Jq9DKe25CQ
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) August 14, 2021

Golden State Warriors Predicted Lineup

G - Gary Payton II | G - Moses Moody | F - Jonathan Kuminga | F - Justinian Jessup | C - Selom Mawugbe.

LA Lakers Preview

After their close win against the LA Clippers, the LA Lakers fell to the Detroit Pistons in the second game of a back-to-back schedule.

The Pistons didn't even feature the Summer League star and 1st overall pick Cade Cunningham, but the Lakers still lost by 17 points. Every starter for the Pistons scored in double figures, as the LA Lakers' defense was visibly lackadaisical.

Jordan Floyd dropped a game-high 16 points off the bench in 15 minutes. Mac McClung, the player many have dubbed 'the next Alex Caruso', had a pedestrian outing, with three points on 1-5 shooting.

That's game.

Jordan Floyd: 16 pts, 5 ast, 3 stl
Tres Tinkle: 13 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast
Chaundee Brown: 10pts, 3 reb, 2 ast#LakersSummer x @Verizon pic.twitter.com/FoteP6JmGR
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 15, 2021

Key Player - Devontae Cacok

Devontae Cacok with the LA Lakers [Source: USA Today]

Players like Austin Reaves, Mac McClung or Joel Ayayi might be getting more attention, but Devontae Cacok has been the one consistent player for the LA Lakers in the Summer League.

He has scored 20 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, three blocks and three steals in his last two games. Cacok has been with the LA Lakers since 2020, and across 21 games for them, he has put up 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in the NBA.

LA Lakers Predicted Lineup

G - Justin Robinson, G - Joel Ayayi, F - Austin Reaves, F - Vic Law, C - Devontae Cacok.

Lakers vs Warriors Match Prediction

The Golden State Warriors might take this game, as they have players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody making noise.

The two rookies are hungry to show the league that the Warriors didn't make a wrong decision drafting teenagers in the middle of a playoff push. Meanwhile, the LA Lakers have been wildly inconsistent, and their lineup changes every game, so one doesn't know what to expect from them in this game on Tuesday.

Where to watch the Lakers vs Warriors game?

The LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors game will be nationally televised in the USA on NBA TV, and will be available to stream on ESPN's family of networks. The game can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.