The Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors are currently standing on two polar ends. But Paul Pierce may have just outlined one similarity.

The Lakers are going strong with a 10-of-11 game winning streak, while the Warriors can’t catch a break from injuries. But as per Pierce, both teams cannot rely on their cornerstones anymore, as they’ve done before.

“They (LeBron James and Stephen Curry) can’t be your best players on championship teams at this stage of their career”, said Pierce in an episode of his No Fouls Given podcast. “They need to play with somebody that’s better than them.”

What he basically means is that the era of Bron and Steph is over. Curry was ruled out of the season due to injury after averaging 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, while the Lakers’ star is still averaging 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.

But even so, “they’re just at the stage of the career [where] it's hard for them to do all the things necessary to help them win outside of scoring.” However, Pierce has a clear outline as to how their teams can still win.

Pierce Says How Bron and Steph Can Still Impact the Win

Pierce’s point is clear: these players can’t influence the games as they could before, due to age, but they can still win if there’s a better player in the team. And the Lakers’ run with Luka Doncic on the roster kind of proves the point.

“That’s why the Lakers look better because they have a player that’s better than LeBron”, Pierce said. Averaging 33.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists this season, Doncic has racked up 30+ points in 11 games. So, no wonder the Lakers look “better.”

As for the Warriors, “maybe Giannis can go there, and then (they) have an opportunity” to win a title. But with Steph and Jimmy Butler out for the season, and the team’s relentless injury reports, it’s hard to tell how much opportunity they actually have.

Pierce’s claim is bold, might even be unpleasant for many. But moving forward, do you agree with whatever he said? Comment it down.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Souvik Roy