It was not so long ago when every matchup pitting the Los Angeles Lakers against the Golden State Warriors registered as must see TV for every NBA fan. Those days are over. Luka Dončić's brilliance paired with the inevitable age-related decline of Steph Curry has robbed this matchup of its status as a legitimate rivalry in the Western Conference.

Curry might be able to conjure up an occasional night of brilliance to spice up a game against the Lakers, but his efforts in Golden State's 22-point loss on Opening Night fell well short of that high bar. Curry led his team with 23 points in just 21 minutes of action, but also checked out of the contest with an ugly minus-21 rating.

Dončić, in sharp contrast, led his team in scoring with 28 and also topped the game with his plus-31 plus minus during his 30 minutes on the court. He managed those impressive marks despite turning the ball over six times. Doncic led his squad to a comfortable victory despite playing his best basketball.

Everything went wrong for the Warriors against the Lakers

Warriors fans might have hoped that rookie Yaxel Lendeborg could emerge as an immediate difference-maker in this supposed rivalry, but he failed to give Golden State a meaningful lift in his NBA debut. Better days should be ahead for the first-round pick, but he looked outclassed trying to guard Dončić on multiple occasions. In the end, Lendeborg got more attention for his post-game comments about Dončićs interaction with the officials than anything he actually did on the court.

Lakers fans did get a big boost from their new addition in the frontcourt. Much has been made for the price Los Angeles paid to acquire Walker Kessler, but his fit with Dončić on the floor could not have looked better in his first game with the franchise. He made all of his 12 shots from the field and added nine rebounds in his 30 minutes of action. Kessler looked to be the perfect pick-and-roll partner for Dončić and that is a partnership that should only improve as the pair get more comfortable with one another.

Steph Curry isn't the only Warrior who looked old against the Lakers

Age comes for all NBA players and Draymond Green is starting to decline sharply for the Warriors. Scoring two points in 21 minutes is not enough production for one of Golden State's starters. He did manage to chip in eight assists on the night, but the Lakers defense ignored him for large stretches of time due to his inability to create shots for himself.

The Warriors should also be concerned about Al Horford's ability to give them anything this year. He was scoreless in his 17 minutes and his declining athleticism made him a liability on both ends of the floor against the Lakers. There's a reasonable chance that he will need to be replaced in the rotation before this season ends.

Does this mean the Lakers are NBA title contenders?

Lakers fans dreaming of winning a championship this year need to temper their expectations. Dispatching the Warriors as a true rival may feel nice, but it's hardly a major accomplishment given the decilne of Golden State's roster.

If Los Angeles wants to emerge as true title contenders they need to set their sights on overcoming the Thunder and Spurs in their own conference. Dončić and his teammates still have a lot to prove before they deserve that kind of respect. Earning a top-four seed in the Western Conference is a more reasonable goal for the Lakers in 2026-27.