The NBA schedule for the 2022-23 season hasn’t been released, but a few big matchups have leaked.
This always seems to be standard fare in the NBA: A few matchups, such as those on opening night and on Christmas Day, will be leaked before the entire schedule is released to the public.
The Los Angeles Lakers may not be a championship contender this season. Depending on how healthy they are, they mighteven miss the playoffs again. But as long as they have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they will be must-see TV.
L.A. will face the defending world champion Golden State Warriors on opening night. Now two more key matchups have been leaked.
Lakers first game vs. Clippers
Ever since Paul George and Kawhi Leonard went to the Los Angeles Clippers three years ago, seemingly everyone in town has tried to manufacture a rivalry between them and the Lakers.
It hasn’t materialized, at least not yet. The teams haven’t gotten deep into the playoffs at the same time.
Leonard missed all of last season with a knee injury, but he is expected back for the start of this season.
The (presumably) full-strength Clippers will take on James and crew on Oct. 20, just two days after the Lakers’ opening night tilt versus the Warriors.
The first Lakers-Clippers game of the 2022-23 NBA season is scheduled for Oct. 20 at https://t.co/lur8Hbuv0r Arena, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
LeBron James-Anthony Davis vs. Kawhi Leonard-Paul George again for first time since Dec. 22, 2020.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022
While many consider the Lakers to be merely a lower-tier playoff team, the Clippers are expected to be title contenders.
They have added to an already-strong roster by acquiring 3-and-D forward Robert Covington and guard Norman Powell, a strong scoring threat, along with signing former All-Star point guard John Wall several weeks ago.
Christmas Day In The Lone Star State
Christmas Day is a huge marquee day for the NBA, much as Thanksgiving is for the NFL, and the Lakers have always been a fixture of yuletide NBA basketball.
The Purple and Gold usually host a contest on that holiday, but this time, the team will travel to Texas to take on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
The first draft of next season's NBA schedule has Lakers at Dallas/LeBron at Luka on Christmas Day, league sources tell me.
Changes are still possible before the full schedule officially drops next week but Christmas games usually hold.
More NBA from me: https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 13, 2022
The Mavs unexpectedly made it to the Western Conference finals a few months ago, but they were unable to do anything of note there. The Warriors took them down in five games.
Dallas lost up-and-coming guard Jalen Brunson in free agency to the New York Knicks, but it snagged big man Christian Wood, who averaged an efficient 17.9 points plus 10.1 rebounds a game this past season.
