Frank Vogel Says NBA Is More Of An 'Open Race' Without Warriors

The Lakers play at Golden State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

The Warriors were the kings of the NBA. 

They appeared in the last five-straight NBA Finals, winning three championships.

But the fabric of the NBA changed after Klay Thompson sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals and Stephen Curry suffered a fractured left hand early this season.  

Now, the sharpshooting team that was loaded with superstars has the worst record in the league at 12-46. 

"It’s definitely felt like a more open race, rather than chasing the top dog like it’s felt like the last five years," Lakers' coach Frank Vogel said Wednesday. "But I don’t know if that really changes each team’s approach all that much. You’re still trying to win as many games as you can. But it definitely has felt more like an open race."

The Lakers have dominated the Western Conference so far this season with a record of 44-12. They play at Golden State on Thursday evening in the teams' third matchup of the season, after beating the Warriors on Nov. 13 (120-94) and Feb. 8 (125-120). The Lakers will be without LeBron James (sore groin) while Anthony Davis (sore left elbow) is probable. Draymond Green (pelvic injury) is expected to play for the Warriors. 

The Warriors have lost six games in a row and are a widely unrecognizable collection of players. But they recently acquired Andrew Wiggins, and will surely be a formidable team next season with superstars Curry, Thompson and Green. 

In fact, Vogel expects the Warriors to pick up where they left.  

"They have three of the best players in the world, a great system (and) coach, everything," Vogel said. "So I think if they’re at full strength, they’re one of the best teams in the league."

For Anthony Davis, who is in his eighth season in the league, things feel a bit strange without Curry. 

"It is different not seeing him play," Davis said Wednesday. "Even Draymond in and out of the lineup...The past five, six years that’s what you think about when you go to Golden State. You key in on those guys and for this entire year, them guys haven’t been on the floor. The league misses it. I know that the team misses it. It’s not seeing him around All-Star weekend, little things like that. But it’s gonna be fun to have him back."

Even though the Warriors have fallen off the map this season, Davis said this is the strongest he's seen the league, adding that the playoffs should be interesting this time around.  

"After free agency in the summer time, I think this is probably the best the league has been in a while, since I've been in the league," Davis said. "When I got in, Golden State was like the team. So I think this is as open as it has been in a while. Both conferences have powerhouses. And especially the West, it’s 1 through 13, guys can get in a playoff spot and make a difference. So, I think even if they were healthy, I think it still would have been a chance for anyone to win, not be Golden State as a big favorite."