With the NBA releasing the full 2017-18 schedule, here are the top 5 games to watch for the Los Angeles Lakers this season.
There was a lot of hype going around the NBA after they released the Christmas Day and Opening Week games for the 2017-2018 NBA season. The releases highlighted a lot of great matchups and homecomings for players and teams.
As for Los Angeles Lakers fans, they were quietly waiting for the full release to see if the new and slightly improved roster can win more than the 33 wins that ESPN’s Kevin Pelton predicted last week.
While it might be possible for the Lakers to beat this number, let’s look at some of the most exciting matchups for Lakers fans to watch this season in case it is another loss filled season for the Purple and Gold.
Honorable Mention:
October 19 vs. LA Clippers (Opening Day)
This matchup was supposed to make the Top 5 because it is the first game of the season for this new roster and our first look at what the new acquisitions such as Brook Lopez and Lonzo Ball can do.
We get to see what returning players like Ingram and Randle have added to their game and what we can expect from them this season. However, for it to be the most exciting we need the full roster to be playing, which it isn’t.
Newly acquired guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is suspended for the first two games of the season stemming from a DUI charge in Detroit back in March. Due to this factor, this game now makes the honorable mention because the projected starting shooting guard for the Lakers will not be playing.
However, it’s still Lonzo’s first real game and against the Lakers Staples Center rivals the Los Angeles Clippers so of course it will still be entertaining and hopefully a win for the Lakers to starts the season.