Now that they’re settled down in Orlando, Anthony Davis and the Lakers face both rising title expectations and increasing concerns about the bubble bursting.
Assuming that the conditions remain favorable, the Lakers’ schedule is tentatively set. They will begin preseason play tomorrow against the Mavericks, and play the Magic and Wizards before opening regular season play on July 30th. Here is how the Lakers match up to their schedule:
Clippers (July 30th)
Regular season record: 1-2
The Lakers will resume regular-season play against their emerging cross-town rival Clippers, who visibly outplayed the Lakers for most of their regular season match-ups. The three regular-season contests trended towards whichever team made the higher percentage of shots. Despite losing the teams’ most recent contest, the Clippers have to be feeling good about their chances against the Lakers.
So much is at stake between the L.A. rivals. The Lakers have yet to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference and remain five games ahead of the Clippers with a game at hand. The two teams, along with Milwaukee, are seen as the three teams most likely to win a title in Orlando. LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard are featured prominently in discussions about the league’s preeminent player.
The Lakers-Clippers rivalry also features a matching of wits between premier coaches. Frank Vogel is seeking his first title and validation as one of the game’s great coaches. On the other side, Doc Rivers is seeking to add to his legacy as an all-time head coach. Moreover, each coaching staff features highly respected former head coaches.
This match-up features a lot of variables between two very good teams. The outcome will likely hinge on star power, coaching, and whose shot is falling more consistently.
Joakim Noah joins the Clippers on a rest-of-season deal.
Raptors (August 1st)
Regular season record: 0-1
With 3:49 left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers came out of a timeout trailing by 12 at home to the defending champion Raptors. Kyle Kuzma makes two threes and LeBron makes two free throws to cut the lead to four. The Lakers now trail by 4 with 2:26 left. The Raptors weather the Lakers 8-0 run and finish the game on a 9-4 run. Crucial to that run were easy baskets and free throws.
While this match-up occurred early in the season, the Raptors showed great poise in how they closed out the Lakers. O.G. Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet posed problems for the Lakers down the stretch. The Raptors pulled off this victory without the services of veteran guard Kyle Lowry, too.
The question for the Lakers is whether this showing was an early-season aberration. The Raptors were a well-oiled machine even without Kawhi Leonard (who left in free agency) and Kyle Lowry. The Lakers appeared to be turning an important developmental corner as a team prior to the league-wide shutdown. This game should be a good test for the Lakers against a seasoned Raptors team.
Jazz (August 3rd)
Regular season record: 2-0
The Jazz currently sit in the 4th spot, which gives them home court advantage for the first round. Containing the Jazz’ offense fueled by Donovan Mitchell is no small feat. In fact, Mitchell averaged 26.5 points in the two match-ups against the Lakers. However, one key to the Lakers victory in both games: limiting the total Jazz offense below 100 points. It will be interesting to see whether Mitchell’s individual performance can be paired with a strong showing from the whole Jazz offense. The Lakers would love to continue isolating Mitchell’s offense from the Jazz’s output.
Utah will be without Bojan Bogdanovic due to a wrist injury.
Thunder (August 5th)
Regular season record: 3-0
From banana boat excursions in the offseason to fierce on-the-court competition: Chris Paul is as close to LeBron James as they are apart on the basketball court.
Despite the Lakers winning all three contests, Paul and the Thunder have put together an unexpectedly great regular season. The Thunder played the Lakers close in their two November match-ups before decidedly losing the third match-up, which did not feature LeBron or AD. Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, and the Lakers played exceptional basketball to secure the win. As the Thunder vie for home-court advantage in the first round, the Lakers should expect a spirited game against the Thunder (especially if James and Paul are there).
Rockets (August 6th)
Regular season record: 1-1
Splitting the season series so far, the Lakers had trouble containing the small-ball line-up that the Rockets rolled out for their February 6th meeting. Westbrook torched the Lakers for 41 points in a memorable tribute to Kobe Bryant. Westbrook is averaging 38 points in his games against the Lakers. While Harden remains the focal point of their offense, the Lakers may need to find ways to slow down Westbrook in this match-up.
Houston will be without David Nwaba (Achilles) and Thabo Sefolosha (personal), but have added Luc Mbah a Moute to their Orlando roster.
Pacers (August 8th)
Regular season record: 0-1
The Lakers lone meeting against the Pacers came down to the last shot. In 2018, ‘Playoff’ LeBron memorably sank an electrifying buzzer beating three to beat Indiana in front of home fans. This time, ‘Regular Season’ LeBron came up short. With 11.7 seconds left in the game, LeBron missed what would have given the Lakers a one-point lead. The Pacers held on for a three-point win at home. However, the game normally wouldn’t come down to one shot as the Lakers struggled on offense and were outrebounded. With Pacers’ star Victor Oladipo opting out of the bubble, the Lakers should take care of this game.
The Pacers will be without Jeremy Lamb, who tore his ACL earlier this year.
Nuggets (August 10th)
Regular season record: 2-1
The Nuggets are currently 3rd in the West standings and would need two games to catch the Clippers for the 2nd seed. That is within their reach in the Orlando bubble and places extra significance on the Lakers-Nuggets match-up. The road team won each of the previous encounters, which is interesting as each team prepares for the bubble climate without fans. In the Laker wins, the team is +34 on the boards. In the Nuggets’ win on December 22nd, the teams broke even in rebounding.
Kings (August 13th)
Regular season record: 2-0
The Kings are three back of the Grizzlies and the 8th playoff spot. The team will likely press the Lakers in this match-up as its importance may teeter more in favor of the Kings. The first match-up between the teams ended in two clutch LeBron free throws. During this match-up, the Kings bench outscored the Lakers bench 37-29. The Lakers bench responded the next meeting by outscoring the Kings bench 58-54 in a more cushioned win. Containing the Kings’ bench may make things easier as the Lakers close out their regular season.
Additionally, Sacramento has added veteran Corey Brewer to their Orlando roster.
Follow us on Twitter @LakersLead for the latest Lakers news and insight.
Leave a comment