Ranking Lakers' Most Important Games of 2022-23 NBA Regular Season
Opening night of the 2022-23 NBA season was a tough one for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite squeezing 77 points out of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, the Purple and Gold struggled putting up a great fight against the champion Golden State Warriors. The Lakers' defense was leaky, and their shooters were frigid. They seemed fortunate to only lose by 14 points.
Still, it's always important to remember each contest is just one step on an 82-game marathon, though some carry more significance than others.
With that in mind, let's rank the three most critical contests the Lakers will play this season.
3. Dec. 2: at Milwaukee Bucks
An early December date with the Milwaukee Bucks is a major measuring-stick matchup against an Eastern Conference elite.
It's also a chance for James and Davis to tussle with the two-way force known as Giannis Antetokounmpo. Assuming Khris Middleton makes it back by then, he'll be a good test for the Lakers' young wings, too.
Somehow, all of those are merely footnotes to the true significance of this collision.
The Lakers won't have to stray far from the Crypto.com Arena early in the season. They play 12 of their first 20 games at home. Two of those eight road games are in California—one is in the same building (a Nov. 9 bout with the Los Angeles Clippers)—and none of them are against an Eastern Conference opponent.
That all changes in a big way during December, starting with this matchup, which kicks off a six-game road trip featuring stops in Cleveland, Toronto and Philadelphia.
The Lakers cannot afford to have things go south during this trek. Whether they're looking to maintain momentum from a strong start or trying to turn around their fortunes following a few rough weeks, they need to play well on this road trip. Opening it with a win in Milwaukee could be huge for this club's morale.
2. Dec. 25: at Dallas Mavericks
If a Christmas clash is on the docket, you really, really want to deliver in it.
The viewing audience might be as big as it gets during the regular season, as some casual fans consider the holiday the unofficial start to the campaign.
There are always marquee names on the schedule, and this is no exception, as it will mark L.A.'s first meeting with perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic.
This is more than a holiday showcase, though. If the Lakers are going to silence their doubters and make a real run at the playoffs, they'll need to fend off good teams like the Mavericks, which went to the Western Conference finals last season and beefed up their frontcourt with Christian Wood and JaVale McGee over the summer.
Moreover, this contest kicks off a five-game road trip that the Lakers might feel fairly good about. There are winnable games against the Magic and Hornets, plus manageable matchups with the Heat and Hawks.
If L.A. opens the trek with a win, maybe that propels the team to a 4-1 or even 5-0 journey, which could be huge when it comes to separating from a potentially loaded middle class in the Western Conference.
3. Feb. 23: vs. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors aren't simply the defending champs, they're also the owners of four of the last eight NBA titles. That alone makes this a can't-miss matchup, and that's before factoring in the fact that James has gone head-to-head with Golden State's core in four different Finals.
But what makes this game stand out above the other two Warriors tilts left on the schedule? Timing.
This will be the Lakers' first game back from the All-Star break and only their fourth after a potentially hyperactive trade deadline. This is when the green flag drops for the stretch run, and as long as L.A. is still in the running by then, it's when the stakes are at their highest.
The schedule-makers didn't take it lightly on the Lakers. After this game, they venture out for a three-game road trip with stops in Dallas and Memphis. A tricky five-game homestand follows, with visits from the Timberwolves, Warriors, Grizzlies and Raptors.
That's a daunting task, but if the Lakers can topple the Warriors, it might be the momentum boost they need to power through it.