On a recent episode of Undisputed, Skip Bayless affirmed the Los Angeles Lakers will prevail over the LA Clippers in their most important meetings of the season.
According to the most infallible reporters in the NBA, the most anticipated games of the 2019-20 season schedule have been released and the Los Angeles Lakers are featured in them. As a top team in the league, the Los Angeles Lakers will be featured in both these events.
According to Shams Charania:
Expected opening night of 2019-20 NBA season: Oct. 22, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 3, 2019
Planned games for opening night: Los Angeles Lakers/LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors/New Orleans Pelicans.
While Adrian Wojnarowski announced:
Sources: Christmas Day games set for 2019-2020 NBA season include —
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 2, 2019
Clippers-Lakers at Staples Center
New Orleans at Denver
Boston at Toronto
For the purple and gold, these anticipated games will consist both in meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers.
As considered the best teams in the league, it was to be expected that the Lakers and Clippers would have been prominent in the most important nights of the NBA season schedule. Besides providing the game between arguably the two best teams, their localization allows for easy logistics organization. So, no surprise that two of their four meetings will take place on the top-view nights of the season.
Odds are not clear on who the favorite is to win the championship. Though most sports gambling sites and NBA analysts give the Clippers for favorites, it is hard to count them definitely over a Lakers team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and armed with an enviable depth.
On August 5th episode of his show Undisputed, reporter and television personality Skip Bayless, long-time LeBron James’ detractor, argued that the Los Angeles Lakers will come out as winners in both of these contests.
"Here is what I believe will happen on opening night and Christmas night. I believe LeBron will say “Watch this!” and he will prevail. The King will look like the king, at least for a night and then another night. And that’s October 22nd and December 25th.[…] I believe LeBron will say “Watch this comeback season for the ages” and he will lead his team to victory on October 22nd and December 25th."
But do not be fooled. He is quick to add:
"Then the real season will start and I believe it’s gonna be a long hard grind for LeBron James in year 17.It’s 82 games, so trying to load manage and AD has never been in this bright spotlight…"
Skip then goes on listing a ridiculous poll of team supposed to caused troubles, according to him, to LeBron and the Lakers during the course of the regular season, absurdly including jokes as the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Phoenix Suns.
He basically throws the whole Western Conference at the Lakers as all of a sudden the team was supposed to be one of the worse in the league and set to fight for desperation wins every single night against every single team.
We know Skip Bayless very well, and we know he will say everything that crosses his mind to try and discredit LeBron James. But when, for once, he looked at the facts objectively he said something sacrosanct.
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On opening night and Christmas day, LeBron will try his best to win. Those are going to be statement games for the Lakers. They will have the chance to show they must be counted as favorites for the championship and will have the biggest spotlight to do so. What better time to send the message to the whole league?
Furthermore, the Clippers will face some issues that will give an edge to the Lakers.
On opening night Paul George will be recently returned (if at all) from double shoulder surgery, then, beyond not being physically ready for a full an NBA season, he will have probably missed training camp. Therefore, he will not have had time to develop the necessary chemistry with Kawhi Leonard and the rest of his teammates for the Clippers to be an unbeatable threat.
If he happens to miss multiple games at the start of the season, the Clippers could find themselves in the same situation on Christmas day, lacking chemistry.
Obviously, the Lakers are a totally new assembled team and chemistry will be an issue for them too. But, at least, none of them is currently dealing with injuries.
A whole training camp is a great starting point to begin finding that understanding on the floor, getting to know coach’s playing style and schemes, teammates’ strong point and favorite spots, and developing off-court bonding.
Skip Bayless is to be considered trustworthy on what he says about these two fundamental games of the season. But in the end, they are just two games out of 82. Even if the Lakers will take hold of both of them, they will need to remain consistent the rest of the season if they really want to conquer the much-coveted title.