The defining battle of the NBA’s Play-In Tournament matches the league’s two biggest brands. That’s what will draw the casual fans. But those viewers probably wouldn’t guess what the metrics say, in the era of extreme efficiency, about the Lakers and Warriors. It’s a clash between two elite defenses and two of the worst remaining offenses.
The Lakers finished the 2020-21 season first in defensive rating. That’s a testament to the foundation laid by Frank Vogel, since they were without LeBron James, their communicative free safety, for 27 games and Anthony Davis, their versatile rim protector, for 36 games. Vogel and his brainy group of leftover veterans stayed stingy enough to survive. LeBron and AD are back now. They’re harder to score against than anyone in the league.
