The Los Angeles Lakers have been the most dominant team in the NBA for over a decade, but their dominance has ended. LeBron James is still one of the best players in the league and he will be missed, but his departure from Cleveland to return to LA was a mistake.
The Deadliest Kryptonite For The Los Angeles Lakers is a statement that is true. LeBron James has an 8-17 record against Danny Green, Anthony Davis is 2-25 against Stephen Curry.
After losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers are anticipated to bounce back next season. Next season, LeBron James will be 37 years old, and Anthony Davis is dealing with injuries. When healthy, though, the Lakers are still the team to beat in the West in terms of sheer quality on the roster.
When it comes to their starting lineup, each player has been in a substantial amount of games and is a seasoned NBA veteran. That also implies that each starter has encountered their “Kryptonite” on many occasions and has a losing record against them. It’s time to find out which Lakers starters have the worst career record versus each opponent (minimum of 10 games played against each opponent), taking regular-season and postseason matches into consideration. Spoiler alert: there may be some surprising names with prior experience playing against major league players.
Andre Iguodala vs. Dennis Schroder 2-10 Record
Dennis Schroder, the Lakers’ starting point guard, has struggled to win games against Andre Iguodala throughout his career. Schroder was on the losing end of an Andre Iguodala matchup 10 times in 12 games against the Warriors and Heat. As the starting point guard, Schroder put up excellent statistics of 17.5 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, and 5.9 assists per game. Against the previous Finals MVP, Schroder also had a game-high 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 14 assists.
But, because of the depth of skill on his squad, Iguodala always had the upper hand. Iguodala averaged 9.1 points per game and 3.9 assists per game in head-to-head games with Schroder, but he had a great 24-point effort against Schroder and the Atlanta Hawks. Although Schroder has been the superior player, Iguodala has had the better teams with the Warriors in 11 of the games, which has aided his record significantly.
2-13 Record Kentavious Caldwell-Pope vs. Klay Thompson
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a capable two-way shooting guard who can defend the ball while still hitting open jumpers when given space. Caldwell-Pope has a career average of 11.4 points per game and 1.1 rebounds per game while shooting 35.5 percent from three-point range in 606 games. Over the course of his career, he has represented two teams and is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Klay Thompson, a three-time NBA champion, is his Kryptonite.
Thompson is one of his generation’s most underappreciated players, and he has an advantage over the Lakers’ current starting shooting guard. Thompson is also considered as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, averaging 19.5 points per game while shooting 41.9 percent from outside the arc throughout his career. Caldwell-Pope is a capable shooter and defender, but Klay excels at both, which is why he has won this battle.
Danny Green vs. LeBron James (8-17)
Throughout his Hall of Fame career, LeBron James has faced up against numerous great athletes, including Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, to name a few. Danny Green, a two-way swingman who has beaten LeBron as a member of the Spurs, Raptors, and 76ers, seems to be LeBron’s kryptonite. Danny Green, for whatever reason, tends to win games against The King. The fact that Green has played for championship teams such as the Spurs and Raptors, as well as a contender with the 76ers, may be the reason.
In these head-to-head matches, LeBron is the much superior player, averaging 26.2 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game, and 6.6 assists per game. Green has done a good job in his position, averaging 11.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, but his real impact comes on defense, when he challenges shots and plays tight on-ball coverage. Green is the definition of a championship role player, even though LeBron is the better player and often the best player on the floor. He constantly finds himself playing for top teams in the NBA because he is the better player and often the best player on the court. When the Miami Heat faced the Spurs in the playoffs, Green was a nemesis for LeBron, and the former often triumphed.
3-25 Record Anthony Davis vs. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is a dominant force in most of his games, but his amazing winning record versus Anthony Davis is astounding. As the top player for the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis has lost against Curry 25 times in 28 appearances. Davis has contributed in the paint with 26.1 points per game, 13.0 rebounds per game, and 2.2 blocks per game, but he has been outplayed by Curry (29.3 PPG, 6.4 APG, 1.7 SPG).
Curry has also had a 53-point performance against Davis, while Davis has a 45-point performance against the greatest shooter in NBA history. Seven of the 25 defeats occurred during Davis’ time with the Hornets/Pelicans in the playoffs. More intriguingly, when Davis was a Laker, he only faced Curry twice and went 1-1 in those games.
Paul Goerge vs. Andre Drummond Record: 3-20
Paul George, a seven-time All-Star, is 4-time rebounding champion Andre Drummond’s Kryptonite. Davis has outperformed Drummond in their 12 games versus each other, averaging 29.2 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, and 3.6 blocks per game. When George isn’t shooting threes, he often attacks the basket, and even Andre Drummond’s defensive presence proved ineffective in slowing him down. Drummond has just one victory as a member of the Detroit Pistons, averaging 16.3 points per game, 15.7 rebounds per game, and 1.8 blocks per game.
Drummond played in 11 of the 12 games for the Pistons, with the other coming in a defeat for the Cavaliers this season. On February 21, 2016, Davis put up a monster 59-point and 20-rebound effort against Drummond and the Pistons, highlighting the fact that Davis has had great success against Drummond.
Pascal Siakam vs. Kyle Kuzma 1-7 Record
Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers’ 6th man, is continually linked to a trade since he has not lived up to his promise as a scorer. He still has time, but his dreadful record versus 2019 NBA champion Pascal Siakam doesn’t help his cause. Kuzma has averaged 14.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in eight games versus Siakam, losing seven of them. Siakam, on the other hand, has averaged 20.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.3 BPG.
Due to Siakam’s talent and stature, it’s difficult to match up with him, and Kuzma has struggled against him so far. Siakam is stronger, faster, and has a superior all-around game than Kuzma, as shown by their eight meetings. Siakam has unquestionably been Kuzma’s Kryptonite, as no player has dominated the 2018 All-Rookie Team member like the Raptors’ forward.
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