The Los Angeles Lakers are inching closer to the start of the NBA season, and with the release of their game schedule on Monday, fans and players alike began eagerly anticipating the exciting matchups. With a young team full of talent, these Lakers should be a lot of fun to watch.
Los Angeles power forward Larry Nance Jr. decided to get in on the fun by listing some of the top games for the season in a video on the Lakers Twitter page:
Larry Nance Jr. highlights some key dates in the 2017-18 season. pic.twitter.com/RrEAJQZbrC
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 14, 2017
Nance sticks with some of the clear standout games, like the Lakers opening night matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, which should be an interesting contest now that the other L.A. team is without Chris Paul and has Blake Griffin still recovering from offseason toe surgery.
Nance also mentioned the Lakers first game hosting the Philadelphia 76ers, which will feature first overall draft pick Markelle Fultz against second overall pick Lonzo Ball. The two play the point guard position so differently that it should make for an excellent game.
Nance also cites the Christmas Night game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are hoping to jump into the playoff race after trading for former Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler on draft night this year. Additionally, Nance mentions that the Lakers play eight of their last nine games at home, something that should benefit the young club as they look to finish their season on a high note.
While Nance didn’t mention it, the NBA’s new schedule does a solid job of cutting down on some of the travel that teams have to endure, and has managed to completely eliminate situations where teams play four games in five nights. This should result in a better on-court product and, hopefully, fewer injuries.