Lakers' Biggest Matchups for 1st Month of 2021-22 NBA Season

The dawn of a new NBA season excites for myriad reasons.

Optimism runs rampant, newcomers get the chance to prove their worth and a fresh round of delectable matchups gets offered up.

We're looking at the latter here by spotlighting the three most compelling matchups for the Los Angeles Lakers during the first month of their 2021-22 campaign.

Stephen Curry is an all-time great. LeBron James might be the all-time great.

Need I say more?

The star power here is the main draw, even if the Dubs won't have Klay Thompson back yet. Even without him, there's Curry, James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green and Russell Westbrook. Not to mention, Andre Iguodala's return to Golden State means we'll get to glimpse one of the best offense vs. defense matchups of the last decade when Iguodala draws the LeBron assignment.

While these two teams met in last year's play-in tournament, there's a chance that, if everything breaks right, their next postseason matchup will be in the 2021 Western Conference Finals.

The NBA knows this could be a great one, which is why they slotted it on opening night.

You know the adage—to be the best, you have to beat the best. The Lakers get a chance to do just that in the second game of their season, when they welcome the defending Western Conference champion Suns to the Staples Center.

The Suns took two out of three in the regular-season series, but the Lakers got the last laugh thanks in no small part to a season-high 42 points from Davis. James missed that contest (a 123-110 Lakers' win), and Davis sat out the first two, so L.A. never got the chance to show the Chris Paul-led Suns what it can do.

Between Paul and Westbrook, there are elite point guards on both sides of the contest. Devin Booker will be a good litmus test for L.A.'s overhauled perimeter defense. The presence of Suns center Deandre Ayton will give an early glimpse of the Lakers' plans for their own 5 spot. James will match wits with a pair of high-level wing stoppers in Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder.

The Lakers will want to show they're the team to beat out West, while the Suns will want to send a message to anyone doubting the sustainability of their success.

The Lakers are thinking bigger than Western Conference supremacy, so it's only right to spotlight their mid-November tussle with the defending world champs.

The Milwaukee Bucks are fresh off a brilliant run to their second title in franchise history. Giannis Antetokounmpo followed back-to-back MVP seasons with his first Finals MVP in his first Finals trip. Khris Middleton made countless big shots to keep Milwaukee's championship dreams alive. Jrue Holiday ignited the backcourt with ferocious defense and versatile offense.

This is one of the best Big Threes the Lakers will encounter all season, and this will be arguably the stiffest test their own talented trio will encounter in the first month.

There will be moments (maybe plenty) in which the three stars from each side are lined up against one another. You won't want to miss any of them.