– October 25th vs. Utah Jazz
After the Lakers start the season on the road technically against the Clippers, they will be in the Staples Center for their home-opener against the Utah Jazz. While teams like the Lakers, Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets might have received the most attention for their offseasons, the Utah Jazz quietly had a great summer.
After a first-round exit from the playoffs last season, the Jazz were able to upgrade with the addition of Mike Conley in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. Conley is regarded as one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and he will now be playing point guard for a sleeper team in the Western Conference.
The Jazz might not have a superstar like LeBron or Davis, but they have a lot of talent on their squad heading into next season. This will be another early test for the Lakers, as they will be facing a potential Top-4 team in the Western Conference.
This game will have a lot of meaning for Anthony Davis and others, as it will be their first game at home with the Lakers. Like against the Clippers, there shouldn’t be a ton of stock put in Game 2 of the regular season, but it will be an entertaining showdown against another good team nonetheless.