Los Angeles Lakers vs LA Clippers: Season opener preview

The Los Angeles Lakers kick off the 2019-20 regular season against the LA Clippers and we have all the information you need to enjoy the game.

The regular season is finally upon us, Los Angeles Lakers fans! After an action-packed offseason, training camp and preseason that involved a trip to China, the Lakers are ready to get the 2019-20 NBA season underway at home in the Staples Center. However, they will not be the home team in the game.

Instead, the Lakers are starting ‘on the road’ as they will be the visitor in the season-opening game against their co-tenant, LA Clippers.

This will be the first of four highly anticipated matchups between the LA teams. Fans are excited to see what both teams bring to the court, as they are among the favorites to win the NBA championship this season.

The Lakers are in that position thanks to their duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The duo looked dominant during the preseason when they gave Lakers fans a glimpse of what could be during the regular season.

In only 20.8 minutes per game, Davis averaged 13 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks. He started with a bang, scoring 22 points with 10 rebounds in his first appearance with the Lakers against the Golden State Warriors despite only playing in the first half. James did not disappoint either, averaging 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 19.8 minutes per game.

While those two will provide plenty of problems for opposing defenses, we won’t get to see the Lakers at full strength for a few games. That is because Kyle Kuzma will miss the season opener.

Kuzma is dealing with a stress reaction in his ankle that he suffered while playing with Team USA this summer. He is getting closer to returning to the court, but still needs some time to recover.

The Clippers will also not be at 100 percent for the season opener. Paul George will be miss this game, and multiple more, as he recovers from his shoulder surgeries this offseason. However, they will still have Kawhi Leonard in the lineup, their marquee signing of the offseason.

While neither team is at full strength, this will still be a game full of excitement. It is Game 1 of the season, so that will always get fans excited. With both teams expected to contend this season, it will also heighten the excitement and buzz every time they face off.

For essentially the first time ever, both teams are going to be good in the same season, making Los Angeles a hotbed for basketball this upcoming season.