Breaking down Lakers schedule for 2022-23 NBA season

The NBA has released the schedule for the 2022-23 season, and the Los Angeles Lakers remain a fixture to open the new season. The Lakers will travel to face the reigning champion Golden State Warriors on opening night, with the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics preceding them on the opening slate. Los Angeles will hope that opening night is the start of a path back to the postseason for the storied franchise after an underwhelming season a year ago. Here is Los Angeles’ schedule for the upcoming season.

The Lakers had championship aspirations at the start of last year but fell way below expectations by the end of the regular season. Due to a lack of chemistry on the court and notable injuries to key contributors, Los Angeles finished 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 33-49, failing to make either the postseason or the play-in game. Despite James averaging 30.3 PPG last season, Anthony Davis appeared in just 40 games while Russell Westbrook averaged his third-lowest scoring average with 18.5 PPG.

As Los Angeles hopes to make a return to the postseason, they will embark on their campaign under new head coach Darvin Ham. The Lakers also signed guard Lonnie Walker IV in the offseason, as well as agreed to terms with former Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson. To further round out the roster, Los Angeles signed Scotty Pippen Jr. to a two-way contract and also added center Damian Jones for depth in the middle.