With the Lakers set to begin training camp in less than a month, I thought it would be a good time to take an in-depth look at the team’s 2012-13 schedule and rank each month’s slate of games from easiest to most difficult.
Each page will represent a different month (November-April) on the schedule and will include an analysis, game of the month, the number of home games versus road games, how many sets of back-to-back games the team will be playing and a breakdown of when and where you can see the Lakers on national television.
6. April
After spending the majority of February and March away from Los Angeles, the Lakers end the season playing six of their eight games in April at home. The two road games include a trek across the hallway to face the Clippers and a quick trip to Portland.
The Lakers being able to stay close to home through the first part of the month will hopefully allow them to better prepare for the playoffs, which begin on April 20th.
During halftime of their April 2nd game against the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers will be having a jersey retirement ceremony for Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq ended his career with the Lakers on anything but good terms, but the ceremony is well deserved. And knowing Shaq, all of the festivities should be quite memorable.
Game of the Month – April 14th versus San Antonio: Lakers versus Spurs in the second to last game of the regular season could have playoff implications written all over it. Winning this game could be the difference in the Lakers being a one or two seed when the playoffs begin.
Or, everything could be decided by then, and Mike Brown and Gregg Popovich will decide to rest their starters.
Home Games: 6
Road Games: 2
Back-to-Backs: 1, April 9-10: vs New Orleans, @ Portland
Nationally Televised Games: 4
April 2nd vs Dallas (TNT), April 5th vs Memphis (ESPN), April 7th @Clippers (ABC), April 14th vs San Antonio (NBA TV).
Next Page: A “Gift-Wrapped” Schedule
5. December
The Lakers arguably play the softest part of their schedule in December. Unless the team loses focus writing their letters to Santa Claus (I’m looking at you, Metta), there’s no reason to think they shouldn’t cruise through the month.
Home games against the Dwight-less Magic, Bobcats, Blazers, Jazz and Knicks doesn’t exactly scream difficult. Road games in Cleveland, Washington, New York, Golden State, Houston and New Orleans won’t have anyone shaking in their boots, either.
On Christmas Day, the Lakers will be taking on Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks. It will mark the 14th consecutive season the Lakers have played on Christmas.
Game of the Month – December 7th @Oklahoma City: Now that the Lakers have a starting lineup consisting of Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace, many think they’ve surpassed the defending Western Conference champion Thunder as the best team in the West. I am sure this has caught the attention of the Thunder, who were already plenty motivated after their loss to the Heat in the Finals last June.
This will be the first of four meetings between the two teams next season.
Home Games: 5
Road Games: 9
Back-to-Backs: 3
December 4-5: @Houston, @New Orleans
December 13- 14: @New York, @Washington
December 25- 26: vs New York, @Denver
Nationally Televised Games: 4
December 2nd vs Orlando (NBA TV), December 7th @ OKC (ESPN), December 13th @ New York (TNT), December 25th vs New York (ABC).
Next Page: There’s No Place Like Home
4. November
After opening the 2012-13 season with back-to-back games against the Mavericks and Trail Blazers on the 30th and 31st of October, the Lakers begin their first full month of games against the Clippers on November 2nd.
It seems as though the Lakers always play a ton of home games to start each season. 2012-13 is no different. Of the team’s 14 games in November, only four are on the road.
Included in those 10 games at Staples Center are contests with: Detroit, Phoenix, Houston, Golden State and Sacramento, teams who will likely be on the outside looking in come playoff time.
Three of the team’s four road games are against 2012 playoff teams, with the first coming against Utah in Salt Lake City, where the Jazz always play quality basketball. Two of the road games come in back-to-back fashion against the Grizzlies and Mavericks on the 23rd and 24th, respectively.
The Lakers also have two tough home games against the Spurs and Nuggets.
With 70 percent of the team’s games being played at home, it’s hard to consider November a terribly tough month, despite three tough road games.
Game of the Month – November 2nd vs Los Angeles Clippers: Last season, for the first time in eons, the Clippers and their fans could legitimately argue they had the better of the two basketball teams in Los Angeles. Given the parity between the two teams in 2011-12, the Lakers and Clippers started forming something the two cross-town rivals never had before: a legitimate rivalry.
Given the offseason acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the Lakers are once again the unquestionable kings of the city. But the Clippers have made their own improvements, adding Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford and Grant Hill this offseason. For the second straight season, fans can expect a quality slate of games between the two Los Angeles franchises.
Home Games: 10
Road Games: 4
Back-to-Backs: 2
November 20-21: vs Brooklyn, @ Sacramento
November 23-24: @Memphis, @Dallas
Nationally Televised Games: 2
November 2nd vs Clippers, November 30th vs Nuggets. Both can be seen on ESPN.
Next Page: Bring On The Heat and Thunder
3. January
January looks to be a relatively tough month for the Lakers. Two more tilts with the Thunder, and the team’s first matchup against the defending champion Miami Heat highlight the start to 2013. Thankfully, the Lakers will have the advantage of playing all three games on their home floor.
Road games against the Grizzlies, Spurs and Clippers are other notable, difficult games for Kobe and Co.
On New Year’s Day, Andrew Bynum makes his return to Staples Center. Will he be booed, applauded or a little of both? On the 30th, the Lakers travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns. This will be Steve Nash’s first game in Phoenix since being traded.
While the Suns are obviously inferior to the Lakers, I wouldn’t be surprised if the new-look Suns turn in one of their most spirited efforts of the season, trying to upend their old floor general and his new team.
Game of the Month – January 17th vs Miami Heat: The first time the Miami Heat played the Los Angeles Lakers after acquiring LeBron James and Chris Bosh was Christmas Day, 2010. At the time, the Lakers were the defending, back-to-back champs, and the Heat were the newly minted super team trying to prove their worth.
Flash forward to 2012. The Heat are now the defending champs, and the Lakers, with their new additions, are the stacked team trying to prove they’re championship worthy.
The hype around this game will be heavy and well deserved. Everyone outside of Oklahoma City and Boston will likely be deeming it a Finals preview.
Home Games: 9
Away Games: 7
Back-to-Backs: 3
January 8-9: @Houston, @San Antonio
January 20-21: @Toronto, @Chicago
January 29-30: vs New Orleans, @Phoenix
Nationally Televised Games: 7
January 4th @ Clippers (ESPN), January 9th @ San Antonio (ESPN), January 11th versus OKC (ESPN), January 17th versus Miami (TNT), January 21st @ Chicago (TNT), January 27th versus OKC (ABC), January 30th @ Phoenix (ESPN).
Next Page: And the Grammy Goes to…
2. February
February is traditionally one of the toughest months on the schedule for the Lakers. This is the time of year the team heads east for their grueling Grammy road-trip. This year’s version includes stops in Minnesota, Detroit, Brooklyn, Boston, Charlotte and Miami.
Playing six road games in 10 nights is tough no matter the competition. But when you consider two of the games come against Boston and Miami at the end of the trip, this year’s roadie seems extra daunting.
After the Lakers return home, they have home games with the Clippers and Celtics and a back-to-back set in Dallas and Denver. 
Game of the Month– February 10th @ Miami Heat: I could have easily picked one of the two games against the Celtics for this honor, but it’s hard to overlook the rematch with the Heat on the 10th. Following their first battle in mid-January, one squad will have had to go through the media gauntlet after losing and will be looking for sweet revenge.
As I mentioned above, the game in Miami concludes the Lakers’ long road-trip. If they can go into Miami and beat the champs with bleary eyes and tired bodies, calling it impressive would be a glaring understatement.
Unfortunately for fans, unless the two teams meet in the Finals, this will be the last meeting between the Heat and Lakers in 2012-13. I think speak for everyone when I say two games is not nearly enough.
Home Games: 5
Road Games: 8
Back-to-Backs: 2
February 7-8: @Boston, @Charlotte
February 24-25: @Dallas, @Denver
Nationally Televised Games: 7
Feb 1st @ Minnesota (ESPN), Feb 7th @ Boston (TNT), Feb 10th @ Miami (ABC), Feb 14th vs Clippers (TNT), Feb 20th vs Boston (ESPN), Feb 24th @ Dallas (ABC), Feb 28th vs Minnesota (TNT).
Next Page: Beware the Ides of March
1. March
“Beware the Ides of March.” Following a very difficult slate of games in February, things don’t any easier in March. The Lakers play 10 of their 15 games on the road, including both a four and three-game road-trip and four sets of back-to-backs.
The schedule makers must have decided March was the month they really wanted to really test the Lakers’ mettle.
The team does catch a break with their home games in March, playing very winnable games against Toronto, Sacramento, Atlanta, Washington and a potentially Derrick Rose-less Chicago.
Some of the month’s highlights include the final matchup of the regular season with the Thunder on March 5th, and Dwight Howard making his return to Orlando on the 12th. 
Game of the Month – March 12th @Orlando: The Magic will more than likely have one of the worst, if not the worst, record in the league next season, and Orlando fans aren’t known for being the most raucous in the NBA.
So Dwight likely won’t be booed and heckled the way LeBron was when he made his return visit to Cleveland. Nonetheless, it’s going to be interesting to see him play in front of the fans whose minds he toyed with for the better part of two seasons.
Home Games: 5
Road Games: 10
Back-to-Backs: 4
Mar 5-6: @Oklahoma City, @New Orleans
Mar 12-13: @ Orlando, @ Atlanta
Mar 17-18: vs Sacramento, @Phoenix
Mar 27-28: @ Minnesota, @ Milwaukee
Nationally Televised Games: 3
March 5th @ OKC (TNT), March 10th vs Chicago (ABC), March 25th @ Golden State (NBA TV).