Why Should Lakers Fans Look Forward to the Christmas Day Game More Than the Opening Night Game
On Opening Night, the Lakers are scheduled to take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. While that game is also a must-watch, just to see how the new look Lakers fare against a familiar rival in the Western Conference, the game on Christmas Day is even more must-watch. The Lakers will face the Houston Rockets with their newly acquired star, Kevin Durant. The Rockets have become the new favorite in the West to win it all, provided they remain healthy next season. This will be the ultimate test for the Lakers to determine if they are a championship team.
After upgrading the roster, the Lakers are poised to go after their 18th NBA Championship. Key moves like obtaining Deandre Ayton will be put to the test on that Christmas Day game against the Rockets. By Christmas, as well, we would be 20 to 30 games through the NBA Regular Season. At that time, we’ll know if the Lakers are in a position to compete for a title, and the same goes for the favored Rockets. It'll also give both teams time to develop the chemistry with their new upgraded roster, which will give the game a more playoff-type atmosphere. Also, we would have seen the slimmed-down version of Luka Doncic and would be able to compare his numbers to his first season as a Laker.
The NBA Regular Season always gets more intense as it progresses. Something about the Christmas game always brings out the best in players. It's a test to determine where each team is heading into the tradeline to figure out what moves need to be made to win it all. Of course, we can't forget how the Christmas games are celebrated with different Jerseys and other apparel, unlike Opening Night. It could also be the last Christmas Game for LeBron James and one of the last times he and Durant face off in a big-time setting. Opening Night proves to be more about excitement and fun than the NBA is back. By Christmas, there's so much more on the line as storylines have developed to further develop the narrative.
