"Better than the Warriors in every way, shape and form" - Skip Bayles doubles down on LA Lakers following stellar Game 1 win
Skip Bayless doubled down on the LA Lakers after their 117-112 Game 1 win on the road against the Golden State Warriors in the conference semis. Bayless opined that the Lakers have a better team than the Warriors.
Their defensive dominance and depth proved decisive in Game 1. Here's what Bayless said on the Fox Sports show, "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed":
"My eyes told me that the Lakers are just better than the Warriors in every way, shape and form.. I saw a better basketball team. Much better defensively than the Warriors are. The Lakers do everything better basketball wise and they're not a bad 3-point shooting team they just don't feature the 3-point shot."
The Lakers are now favorites to win the series after a Game 1 win:
"My eyes told me that the Lakers are just better than the Warriors in every way, shape and form." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/FC0HgdtuLK
The Lakers took Game 1 on Tuesday despite the Warriors shooting lights out from deep. Dubs made 21 triples. However, LA held them to only 40.0% shooting overall. Anthony Davis and LeBron James protected the interior defense, forcing the Warriors to rely on their 3-point shooting all night.
Davis and James combined for seven of the Lakers' 10 blocks. Their presence, especially Davis', altered the Warriors' shots inside the paint, limiting them to only 28 paint points. The Lakers were also disciplined, ensuring they didn't foul as much, limiting the Warriors to six free-throw attempts.
The LA Lakers played to their strengths on both ends. They didn't force hasty shots from deep and opted to score on open opportunities. The Lakers offset the Warriors' 3-point shooting barrage by being aggressive and making 29 trips to the free-throw line.
LA Lakers may have found the ingredients to offset Golden State Warriors' superior 3-point shooting
Entering the series, the LA Lakers were expected to struggle due to the Golden State Warriors' 3-point shooting exploits. The Lakers rely on inside scoring, which isn't effective against a team that has the potential to score nearly 50% of their points from 3-point range. The simple math favors the team that has more perimeter shooting.
However, the Lakers also have some tools that the Warriors don't have answers to that are more reliable than their elite 3-point shooting. The Lakers are one of the best defensive teams in the league since the trade deadline, with a lot of size and length across the board.
They also attack and drive more than any other team, resulting in them securing more free-throw attempts than their opponents. The Lakers have arguably the best rim protector in the league in Anthony Davis, who is averaging a whopping 4.3 blocks across seven games in this playoff run.
His presence alters the looks that opponents get inside the paint, forcing them to take tough shots or kick the ball out to a perimeter shooter. Meanwhile, the LA Lakers also have a versatile defensive-minded forward in Jarred Vanderbilt, who can guard all positions. Vanderbilt and Dennis Schroder did an excellent job limiting Steph Curry from getting easy scoring opportunities.
Steph, Klay, & Poole: 6 3PM EACH
Entire Lakers team: 6 3PM TOTAL
Lakers still won by five 🤯 https://t.co/MclbWwJnCp
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura have done an excellent job in help situations for Anthony Davis. Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell have also put in decent efforts on defense. At 6-foot-4, Reaves and Russell also have a size advantage over their counterparts.
These factors favor the LA Lakers against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors will likely have to continue relying on 3-point shooting, forcing them to go small. However, they could struggle defensively by going small, as the Lakers capitalize well on Anthony Davis and LeBron James' ability to score at the rim.