The Lakers’ season officially commences on Tuesday when take on the Golden State Warriors. Los Angeles looks to set the tone of the season with a strong victory at home where they will play three of their first five games to begin the year.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
When: 7 p.m. PT, Oct 21
Where: Crypto.com Arena
Watch: NBC, Peacock
After exactly 173 days since being kicked out by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs last season,
the Lakers are finally back to playing meaningful basketball again. This time, it’s with a revamped and more complete roster compared to the version that was ran off the floor last spring. A team that’s more confident about their title chances this season.
Facing them is a Warriors squad that also believes they can compete for a title. Over the last couple of years, these two Pacific Division foes have been linked to each other just because they employ two of the most popular superstars in basketball in LeBron James and Stephen Curry who obviously have history. But since last season’s trade deadline, there have been added twists to this heavyweight battle with Luka Dončić and Jimmy Butler now joining the party.
Like they’ve been doing for their corresponding teams since their arrival, both Dončić and Butler will play a huge role in the first Lakers-Warriors matchup of the season. Although there will be more pressure on Dončić who will have to carry the Lakers in this one without LeBron James, who is currently recovering from a sciatica injury.
Does this mean the Lakers’ first game of the season can be chalked up as an automatic loss? No, but they’re going to have to earn this victory at home against a Warriors team that will not only have the advantage health wise but now matches up with them better — at least compared to the last few years. Here’s what to keep in mind ahead of the primetime battle:
L.A.‘s starters have been revealed
In the Lakers’ final preseason game, JJ Redick rolled with Dončić, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton as his first five which will be the same lineup that will start on opening night. It’s interesting that the Lakers are going small to make up for James’ absence but this lineup should be able to score at ease, especially if Gabe Vincent’s hot shooting in the preseason carries over. Note that this starting five is subject to change moving forward per matchup basis, at least according to Redick.
As for the Golden State, Steve Kerr said that he hasn’t decided on his starting lineup yet but it’s a given that Curry, Butler and Draymond Green will be in it. It seems Brandin Podziemski — who always seems to play well in Los Angeles — is the popular bet to take the fourth slot while the fifth will eventually be determined. Regardless of who takes the final spot, the Warriors will have the advantage in size, physicality and reps. Remember, this GSW team went 23-8 along with the league’s best defense after acquiring Butler last February so they know a thing or two about winning basketball.
Can the Lakers’ defense keep up?
The preseason was an encouraging sign for the Lakers’ offense especially with Dončić looking sharp, Reaves ready to play like a fringe All-Star and Ayton walking his talk thus far. But there are still questions regarding the team’s defense given that there’s not enough data to take away from the preseason. Defense was one of the Lakers’ biggest issues last season and opening night should give a hint as to whether or not that’s still going to be the case this year.
No matter who is on their roster, the Warriors are always a challenge to defend with Curry being their offensive engine. The goal for the purple and gold is to make sure that Steph doesn’t explode for 40 or more points. Guarding him, even at the age of 37-years-old, still feels like an impossible task, but that’s why the likes of Jarred Vanderbilt, Vincent and Marcus Smart exist. It’ll be interesting to see how the Lakers approach this matchup.
Outside of guarding Curry, L.A.’s off ball defense will have to be on point. Given the Lakers’ small ball lineup, the Warriors are going to find a way to get to the rim and the last thing the former wants is to give up points in the paint and in transition. Anthony Davis is no longer here to save the day and cover up everything so the team will have to play extra hard on this end of the court. The question is, will playing hard on defense be enough? That’s worth looking out for.
How will the LeBron less Lakers look?
Another storyline worth following is how this version of the Lakers without James will look because that’s how they’re going to be at least for one month. As James continues to recover, a lot of the offensive burden will obviously fall on Dončić but the Lakers will need everyone to step up this early into the season.
Can the bench be more serviceable compared to last year? Will Ayton and Jake LaRavia make an instant impact right away? Can Reaves be a reliable second option? Will Hachimura and the rest of the retaining core start the season strong?
The last thing the team wants is to drop these winnable games early in the season and then eventually regret it down the road. It’s a bummer not to have James but a challenge the team needs to embrace. After all, they’ve been preaching about embodying the right championship mindset and there’s no better way to channel that then pick each other up in order to start the season on a strong note.
Let’s see if the Lakers can do just that and win their first game of the season against the Warriors on Tuesday.
Notes and Updates
- The Lakers had a disastrous eight game losing streak on opening night until they finally snapped it last season. Hopefully it turns into a two game opening night winning streak by the end of Tuesday.
- Note that this matchup is between two teams in the same division, which makes it a little more important for tie-breaker purposes down the road. It’ll be nice for the purple and gold to get a head start on tie-breaker advantage with a win on opening night.
- For the injury report, the Lakers list LeBron James (sciatica) and Adou Thiero (left knee surgery recovery) are out. Meanwhile, Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain is questionable.
- As for the Warriors, Moses Moody (calf), De’Anthony Melton (ACL surgery) and Alex Toohey (left knee patellafemoral pain) will not suit up. Jimmy Butler (left ankle sprain) and Jonathan Kuminga (right ankle inflammation) are probable.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
