Los Angeles Lakers: Toughest 5-game stretch in 2017-18

When taking my first look at a newly-released NBA regular season schedule, a brutal five-game stretch for the Los Angeles Lakers stands out.

For young teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, games against the NBA’s elite can be helpful to see how far away they are from competing with a contender like the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers.

One would hope these measuring stick games are spread out throughout a season so you can gauge how your team has developed throughout the campaign.

However, in 2017-18, the Lakers find themselves facing the Warriors twice and the Cavaliers three times in a span of eight days. This stretch of games is part of their most difficult five-game stretch of the season:

• Dec. 14 at Cleveland Cavaliers
• Dec. 18 vs. Golden State Warriors
• Dec. 20 at Houston Rockets
• Dec. 22 at Golden State Warriors
• Dec. 23 vs. Portland Trail Blazers

These four teams were a combined 214-114 last season and feature some of the best players in the NBA, including the top two in LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Cluttering these opponents within nine days is an early season test that could have benefits in the long run.

For starters, this means the rest of their campaign only involves one more matchup apiece with Cleveland and Golden State. The Lakers won’t be favored in any of these games, and it’d be a positive stretch to end up with two wins.

Going winless wouldn’t be considered a disappointment. If each game is competitive and the Lakers can keep them close, then that’s confidence the team can carry with them throughout the season.