Lakers 2021-22 preview: 5 can’t-miss games to watch this season

Everywhere the Lakers go, they bring their fans with them. It’s communal for arenas they sojourn to beryllium dominated by purple-and-gold audiences, cheering for LeBron James, Anthony Davis and present Russell Westbrook – they’re the biggest amusement successful town.

But which games should Lakers fans ellipse connected their calendars arsenic the league returns to an 82-game regular-season schedule? Which opponents determination the needle? Here are 5 games you won’t privation to miss:

NOV. 17 AT MILWAUKEE BUCKS

James erstwhile scoffed that helium trailed Giannis Antetokounmpo distantly successful the 2020 MVP vote. Now the Greek Freak has his bonafides aft a 2021 rubric tally that saw him take a measurement into postseason dominance. Beyond that superstar head-to-head matchup, this is besides the Lakers’ archetypal aboriginal trial against 1 of the perceived NBA rubric contenders, aft the softer portion of the docket has burned away.

Player to watch: Antetokounmpo. In respective head-to-heads, Antetokounmpo hasn’t looked similar he’s capable to power a crippled with the aforesaid bid that James possesses. But helium is ever physically punishing, and helium volition situation L.A.’s quality to support the rim.

DEC. 7 VS. BOSTON CELTICS

Let’s beryllium real: When isn’t this a must-watch game? The Lakers vs. the Celtics is simply a classic, volition diagnostic 2 teams expected to beryllium adjacent the apical of their conferences, and has a ton of prima powerfulness arsenic always. But the juiciest storyline mightiness beryllium the instrumentality of Dennis Schröder, who aboriginal past play could person secured a monolithic declaration hold with the Lakers earlier “fumbling the bag” and winding up with their archrival connected a bargain contract.

Player to watch: Jayson Tatum. Of course, eyes volition beryllium connected Schröder, who is bound to beryllium booed. But historically, the 23-year-old Tatum has been a important threat, scoring 27 points oregon much successful 3 of the past 4 meetings.

DEC. 25 VS. BROOKLYN NETS

This is the mega lucifer everyone wants to see. In galore ways, these coastal powers person a parallel operation exemplary of grabbing 3 superstars and surrounding them with wily vets. Kyrie Irving’s sketchy outlook for the play mightiness bounds the Nets’ upside, but with erstwhile league MVPs Kevin Durant and James Harden, it volition stay hard to bushed the squad galore inactive see the rubric favorite, wellness permitting. Spend Christmas with a headliner tilt.

Player to watch: Durant. He was Westbrook’s foil successful Oklahoma City and has been James’ top challenger for the rubric of league’s champion subordinate implicit the past decade. Many deliberation helium is presently the champion subordinate successful the NBA, and aft signing a monolithic declaration extension, it’s wide helium intends to physique Brooklyn into a rubric menace for years to come.

JAN. 23 AT MIAMI HEAT

In summation to a gathering betwixt 2 teams that faced disconnected successful the 2020 Finals successful the bubble, deliberation of it arsenic a roadworthy not taken for the Lakers. The Heat person added Kyle Lowry, who the Lakers had the accidental to get astatine the commercialized deadline successful March earlier opting to basal pat; erstwhile the Raptors came to municipality aboriginal successful the season, Lowry torched them. Now betwixt Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Lowry, expect the strength level to beryllium disconnected the charts erstwhile James visits the metropolis wherever helium won 2 of his 4 NBA titles.

Player to watch: It’s hard to choose, but Jimmy Butler is ever a pugnacious matchup. He has a 15-9 grounds against James successful the regular season, and the head-to-heads person often travel down to the past possessions.

FEB. 12 AT GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Why this 1 alternatively of opening night? Two words: Klay Thompson. Once the Warriors get their max-contract superstar backmost connected the tribunal for the archetypal clip successful 2½ seasons, their likelihood to beryllium a championship-level squad again summation dramatically. Contrasting with the Lakers’ lust for size and physicality, the Warriors favour question and finesse, mounting up a matchup that had audiences swooning successful past year’s pivotal play-in game.

Player to watch: Thompson, who could beryllium the plaything origin successful Golden State’s season. His quality to propulsion up from anyplace could marque the Warriors the high-scoring instrumentality they were successful the mediate of the past decennary and reset the gears for the dynasty.