March 5: Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers
This is the last of four times that the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors square off and it is the most notable. Not only is this game on primetime on a Sunday, but it comes at a good point in the season that will prove to be a measuring stick for the Lakers.
By the time this game rolls around the Lakers could be so bad that it does not even matter. However, Los Angeles will probably be in the mix in some capacity and this game will serve as a great measuring stick to see exactly how they fair heading into the toughest stretch of the year.
This is similar to when the Lakers beat the Sixers, Bucks and Clippers in back-to-back-to-back games at the beginning of March in 2020. While the season ended up getting postponed because of a global pandemic, it was those three games that cemented the Lakers as the true favorites to win the title.
Los Angeles could do something similar in March of 2023 as they have a four-game stretch of Minnesota, Golden State, Memphis and Toronto. Four solid playoff teams that the Lakers will test the waters against.
LeBron James’ Lakers extension signals a Russell Westbrook trade is near
LeBron James has signed an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers which has to mean that a Russell Westbrook trade is around the corner.
Plus, this will be after the trade deadline, so if Westbrook does enter the season still on the roster he could be gone by this point, which would create a new-look Lakers to see how they fair against Golden State.