Both teams performed about the same during the regular season, and it's not so clear at this moment which of these two teams will be eliminated first. In addition, there are still 2-3 games left until the end of the regular season. So there's a small chance that the Lakers and Warriors might not face each other in the play-in tournament.
In the future, the Lakers and Warriors will not meet in the play-in tournament, but other matches could be decisive because if they lose, it could lower their position.
But if both of them can finish the remaining matches well and neither one is eliminated then that could make the tournament much more interesting, but I not sure this can happen.
Both team will continue to do their best but no one knows whether they can win or not in the next match.
Yeah nothing is really interesting now if we can see the GSW and the Lakers going head to head at the start of the play-in tournament. And, yes they did not play against each other in the play-in last year, but they did played each other in the 2nd round of the 2023 playoffs, which the Lakers have exposed the GSW that their small ball doesn't work against them as they are playing bully ball in which most their points was inside the paint and the number foul discrepancy is noticeably huge.
The GSW have not changed it that much though, they are still relying on their 3 point arsenal. I'm afraid it would end up the same with AD back in the game when play-in comes.
Well, that's just the first challenge for both teams, and better they hope the Denver won't retake the top spot, otherwise it would be an easy playoff start for both the Lakers and GSW, neither of this team will enter the 8th spot. The Wolves might not be as difficult as the Nuggets, so they'd better hope for that.