LOS ANGELES — All Draymond Green could do was watch as LeBron James darted behind center Willie Cauley-Stein and uncorked an emphatic, one-handed dunk. There may have been a time when Green would have rotated and contested James at the rim. Instead, his hands dropped to his side, and he trotted back on offense.
The Warriors 120-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday underscored two trends that have emerged early this season: a leaky defense a long way from being rectified, and an overmatched roster that won’t have an opportunity to defend the Western Conference crown.
Even with Lakers All-Star forward Anthony Davis held out with shoulder and knee soreness on the second night of a back-to-back, the Warriors could not keep up with a retooled Lakers team.