1. Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers — October 26, 2016
The NBA schedule-makers are very fond of this opening night match up. They’ve pitted LA and the Houston Rockets against each other on opening night four out of the last eight seasons. And they’ve all been home games for the Lakers. However, while it may not appear that this particular matchup is important, it is significant on a few levels.
This game marks the beginning of a new era in Los Angeles. New Lakers head coach Luke Walton will debut alongside Brandon Ingram and second-rounder Ivica Zubac. Free agent additions Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng in addition to Jose Calderon (acquired in a trade) will also don the Purple and Gold for the very first time.
Normally that would be enough to get fans excited about a new season. But the Lakers young core will also be returning with a full year of experience under their belts. D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr. will be looking to carry on the Lakers tradition together.
The biggest story line heading into this game will undoubtedly be the absence of the Black Mamba. This game will be the first time in 20 years that the Lakers start the season without Kobe Bryant on the roster. It will be interesting to see how well the team can adapt to not having Bryant on the roster.
If Randle believes in karma, this game will be a good chance to exercise some of his own personal demons. It was in this very same opening night game against the Rockets two years ago, in which Randle broke his leg, ending his rookie season. This could represent a chance to finally put that moment behind him, if he hasn’t already.
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