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3 takeaways from Warriors’ loss to Lakers without LeBron James

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© Kyle Terada | 2023 Feb 11

Jordan Poole raced past a plodding, backpedaling Lakers defense, kissed a layup off the backboard and earned an and-1. Instead of pumping his fist or banging his chest, he paused underneath the basket and grabbed a piece of popcorn from a fan in the front row. 

Poole was having fun. Who wouldn’t after dropping 17 points in six-and-a-half minutes? 

But the fun ended there. Post Popcorn Poole went scoreless the rest of the way, missing four shots and committing a costly turnover as the lead he gave the Warriors slipped away. 

Poole’s fourth quarter, which started wonderfully and ended like so many fourth quarters have for him this year, was a microcosm of the Warriors’ season. There have often been flashes of brilliance, of championship-level play, but rarely sustained quality play. 

In a lusterless game bereft of Stephen Curry (knee) and LeBron James (foot), the Warriors (28-28) didn’t have enough juice to erase a six-point deficit in a 109-103 loss to the Lakers. Before Saturday, the Lakers were 4-8 in games James sat.

Golden State shot just 12-for-44 (27.3%) from deep and Poole (29 points) was the only Warrior to eclipse 20 points.

Here are three takeaways from the loss. 

Draymond’s around-the-basket tricks 

Not once, but twice did Draymond Green reach into his bag and pull out reverse layups. 

The first, in the second quarter, came when he started on the right block on a cut and finished with his left. On his way back by the Lakers’ bench he held out his left hand, making the “too small” gesture. 

The second happened in semi-transition during the third quarter. He had a straight line to the hoop, but decided to get fancy with the finish, using the rim to fend off shot-blockers. 

Green later added an and-1 bucket when he scored through contact with his right hand on the left side of the rim. Entering the fourth quarter, Green outscored eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis 12 to seven. He outplayed Davis overall and finished with 12 points, 10 assists and seven boards

Green has never been the flashiest scorer. But his sneaky fake handoffs and other clever maneuvers that come with his doctorate-level understanding of Golden State’s offense allow him to produce. 

With Stephen Curry sidelined, the Warriors need to find offense wherever they can. Green turning up the scoring volume, even ever-so-slightly, can go a long way. And breaking out cheeky finishes is a fun wrinkle. 

D’Angelo Russell is not going to save the Lakers 

After everything they’ve been through, the Lakers needed to get rid of Russell Westbrook. Despite his willingness to adapt to a bench role and his competitiveness that hasn’t wavered since he entered the league, trading Westbrook was overdue. 

Don’t expect the return of Los Angeles’ headliner deadline deal, though, to move the needle much. 

In a three-team trade, the Lakers ended up with D’Angelo Russell back in purple and gold. Russell has been playing probably the best basketball of his career this season. He shot 48.6% from 3 in January. 

The Timberwolves were more than ready to move off him still. Because they, like many involved in the D’Angelo Russell Experience — including the Warriors — realized he isn’t a winning player. The Lakers will soon come to the same conclusion. 

Russell is a great off-ball shooter. He has a tight handle and has developed a reputation for having strong court vision. He can serve as a floor general with equanimity. He has talent. Everything else, all the stuff that matters, is lacking. 

Take this first-quarter play. Guarding Klay Thompson isn’t easy. It requires effort, tenacity and stamina. Russell doesn’t always seem particularly interested in those things. 

Not only does Russell lose Thompson and fly out of the frame on his pump fake, he doesn’t hustle to get back in the play. Letting one of the greatest shooters ever fire off a wide open jumper isn’t in any game plan. 

Russell’s an imperfect player. Even if he turns out to be a nice complement to LeBron James, it’s quite possible the other players LA got on deadline day, wings Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, are more impactful than the veteran point guard. 

More free throw disparity

The Warriors are the second worst team in the league at getting to the free throw line. They allow the most foul shots per game. Fouling too frequently, and failing to earn trips to charity stripe, have been probably the most consistent aspect of Golden State’s inconsistent season. 

The team with the biggest free throw delta in the NBA again got crushed in that area. 

On average, the Warriors give up six more free throws than they take. On Saturday, they shot just 12 compared to LAL’s 26. The Lakers went 21-for-26, earning 10 free points in a six-point win.

Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, and Donte DiVincenzo each played more than 20 minutes and didn’t take a foul shot.

In such a tightly contested game, they were points the Warriors couldn’t afford to hand over.