L.A. Lakers: 10 Games That Will Tell Us All We Need to Know

This article will look at 10 upcoming games that will serve as a barometer for the Los Angeles Lakers. By barometer, I mean games that will tell us what we need to know about the Lakers this season.

Through the first 15 games of the season, the Lakers are 10-5. While this record is nothing to sneeze at, given all of the unflattering circumstances that come with playing a truncated schedule, most of the Lakers’ early-season games have been on their home floor and against teams who will likely be in the draft lottery this spring rather than the postseason.

But the Lakers’ upcoming schedule is littered with road games and plenty of contests against playoff quality opponents.

Here are 10 upcoming games that could tell us if the Lakers are going to be contenders or pretenders this season.

2/3: Denver Nuggets

After playing a home-heavy schedule to start the season, the Lakers begin their annual “Grammy” road trip in early February, which includes six games in nine nights.

The Lakers start their road trip in Denver against the Nuggets.

The Lakers will be looking to start the road trip off with a win before the fatigue of being on the road for so long starts to set in and they have to travel to the east coast to finish up the long roadie.

2/20: Portland Trail Blazers

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their worst loss of the season to Portland Trail Blazers earlier in the month. It was the 11th time in the last 13 games the Lakers have lost to the Blazers in Portland.

The Lakers get the Blazers in Los Angeles in late February and will be looking to return the favor. Right now, all basketball fans know the Blazers and Lakers are good teams. But are they good enough to contend for the Western Conference title?

The outcome of this game could go a long way in forming people’s answers to the aforementioned question.

2/10: New York Knicks

The Los Angeles Lakers smashed the New York Knicks in the teams’ first matchup in late December.

The Knicks will have revenge on their minds, and they get to play the Lakers after they have played four road games in six nights.

But knowing Kobe Bryant’s penchant for masterful performances at Madison Square Garden, all stats and records can likely be thrown out the window.

2/14: Atlanta Hawks

The Los Angeles Lakers return home from their long road trip to host the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center. Not only are the Hawks a tough opponent in general, but teams usually struggle in their first home game after being on the road for so long.

When the Lakers tip off against the Hawks, it will have been two weeks since the purple and gold last played at home (1/31 versus Charlotte).

1/25: Los Angeles Clippers

For the second time in 10 days, the Los Angeles Lakers will face their cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers.

And after the Clippers won the two teams’ first game this past Saturday, the Lakers and their fans are wondering if the Clippers victory was more of the fact the Lakers had played a game the previous night, while the Clippers were coming off two days rest (also, the Lakers had played 13 games to that point, compared to eight for the Clippers).

If not, are the Clippers going to be giving the Lakers a run for their money this season for Los Angeles supremacy?

2/6: Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the early-season surprises. With a 10-3 record, the Sixers are leading the Atlantic Division and trail only the Chicago Bulls for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

One of the Los Angeles Lakers’ first stops on their road trip is in Philly to take on the Sixers.

This is a good measuring stick for both teams. The Sixers will get to test their early-season success against one of the better teams from the opposing conference, and the Lakers will get to test their guile against a young, up-and-coming ball club on the road.

2/9: Boston Celtics

Aside from the fact this game is always a must-watch, given the two teams’ storied rivalry, this will be a great measuring stick for the Los Angeles Lakers.

For starters, the game comes in the middle of L.A.’s six-game road trip, but the Celtics are also struggling to start the season. If those struggles are continuing when they play the Lakers, I know Kobe and co. don’t want to responsible for being the team who put life back into the down-on-their-luck C’s.

1/20: Orlando Magic

The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Central Florida to face Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic a night after facing the Miami Heat in South Beach.

Any way you slice it, the Lakers should be fighting tooth and nail for a win over the Magic. If the Lakers lose to the Heat, they certainly don’t want to go 0-2 on their Florida road trip.  Likewise, if they beat the Heat, it should be no reason to let up the next night against the Magic.

I look for this game to tell a lot about the Lakers’ mental makeup.

2/23: Oklahoma City Thunder

If the early-season standings are any indication, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the team to beat in the Western Conference this season.

The Lakers travel to OKC on February 23rd to see how they stack up against the West’s current best team.

1/19: Miami Heat

Every team in the league should have their game against the Miami Heat circled on their calendars, the Los Angeles Lakers included.

Whether the Heat will have Dwyane Wade in uniform or not (Wade is currently nursing foot and leg injuries), they are still arguably the biggest measuring stick, if not the biggest one, in all of the NBA.

Kobe and the Lakers will be looking for their first win against the Heat since LeBron James joined the team in the summer of 2010. Miami swept the season series last year.

The Lakers will have consecutive days rest for the first time this season before traveling to Miami to face the Heat.