“Lakers Scared Of The Warriors?”: Shaquille O’Neal Warns Fans Of Stephen Curry’s Façade

The crew over at ‘NBA on TNT’ was recently seen engaging in conversation during the aftermath of the Golden State Warriors’ clash against the Houston Rockets. Former Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal returned to the table along with his new co-hosts Adam Lefkoe, Jamal Crawford, and Baron Davis. As Stephen Curry’s team successfully clinched their sixth consecutive win in a row through a score of 133-110, the crew discussed where they could be heading next.

Shaq proceeded to add some unexpected mix to the conversation by asking his co-hosts “You think that the Lakers are scared of the Warriors?” Crawford and Davis were unanimous in their opinion that the Lakers might not be scared but they will avoid being against the Warriors in a matchup if they could.

Despite the assurance, the 7ft 1 former athlete continued to believe that the Warriors are more dangerous than they are pointing themselves out to be, especially Stephen Curry. By highlighting the 10x NBA All-Star’s stats during the previous few games, the crew pointed out how Curry is allowing his other teammates to make a significant contribution to the overall points total. This, according to Shaq, is a façade being put up to deliberately confuse his rivals. “He’s resting, that’s what he’s doing,” said Shaq about Curry. “He’s getting that confidence up while he’s resting”.

Shaq’s opinion possibly stems from the fact that there has been a drop in the four-time NBA champion’s performance since the last 10 games. For someone who has been securing almost 26.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and, 5 assists per game this season, Curry’s average has dropped during his team’s current 7-3 record. According to Statmuse, the player has scored below 20 points on four such occasions, and a significant drop in his field goal and three-pointer attempts was also witnessed. At the same time, the scores being delivered by Trayce Jackson-Davis, Klay Thompson and other players on the main lineup have seen a rise.

Even if Stephen Curry is doing what Shaquille O’Neal is claiming he is, neither of them has been clear as to the reason why. Whatever it may be, the Warriors have succeeded in establishing a much-needed momentum. A momentum that could propel them towards a higher seed before the conclusion of the regular season.

Can the Lakers overtake the Warriors on the points chart?

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors have been almost neck to neck on the points table for a major chunk of the regular season. While they may have started off as the favorites to win the championship, both teams have lessened their hope of achieving that now. There is still, however, a level of competition between them as the Warriors will be looking to go past the Lakers’ 9 seed in order to have a suitable spot during the play-in series.

Similar to the Warriors, LeBron James’ team has been making a successful last-ditch effort, having won 8 of their last 10 games. Their next game is against the Cavaliers, against whom they share a 7-3 record, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, with whom the Lakers share a 4-6 record. By securing a win there, the team can jump up 1-2 seeds and be virtually untouchable by the Warriors. However, with Stephen Curry putting up an impressive offensive play and a memorable streak, no assurances can be made until the very last minute.

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