It is time to embark on the 2026-27 NBA season for the Los Angeles Lakers. The season opener against the Golden State Warriors gives the Lakers an opportunity to answer a handful of important questions — both short-term and long-term. Let us dive in on those storylines worth following.
1. Who won the two vacant starting jobs for the Los Angeles Lakers?
Figuring out the starting lineup has been a topic of great interest throughout the offseason and certainly during the preseason. JJ Redick invited an open competition for the wing group in Los Angeles. It is time to see the results of that, at least for the early goings of the new year.
It took a while before the Lakers settled on the starting lineup that worked best in 2025-26. Who starts in the season opener is by no means a full guarantee of who will be there throughout the entire campaign. However, there is early insight to be found in who has impressed Redick the most so far.
Best guess as of now? Quentin Grimes and Ziaire Williams should be the final two members of that starting group for Los Angeles.
2. Can the Lakers defense pass a great early test with Stephen Curry?
Even at 38 years old, Stephen Curry is still the type of player who strikes fear into the hearts of defenders everywhere. The baby-faced assassin is never easy to slow down. That makes him a great early challenge for the new-look Lakers defense.
Expect Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and one or two others to all get a fair crack at guarding Curry during this matchup. After a preseason of the Lakers players hyping themselves up on the defensive end, it is time to put the money where their mouths are. Go show what can be done against one of the game's best.
The Lakers' personnel is far better equipped to challenge elite guards than they would be elite forwards. That should make how effective they are in the Curry matchup a real point of intrigue.
3. How does Luka Doncic evolve with the new Lakers offense?
Luka Doncic said it himself, he loves his pick and rolls. Having a heavy pick-and-roll diet is not what the Lakers will be trying to do this season. Redick wants a more free-flowing offense.
How does Doncic evolve within that new scheme? The Lakers superstar has been mostly unbothered when discussing the matter. Giving a top-two offensive player on the planet the benefit of the doubt would be more than fair.
While keeping that in mind, leaving one's comfort zone usually takes an adjustment period. That can still be true even when you are as great at this whole basketball thing as Doncic is. The Warriors matchup gives Luka his first opportunity to throw any concerns out the window.
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