The Los Angeles Lakers may not have won an NBA championship and hung an accordant banner during the 2023-24 season.
But they did win the league’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. After barely squeaking by a star-studded Phoenix Suns club in the quarterfinal round, 106-103, they advanced to completely shellack the New Orleans Pelicans, 133-89.
Finally, Los Angeles vanquished All-NBA Third Team point guard Tyrese Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers, 123-109, in the December 9 championship game at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
L.A.’s 20-time All-NBA forward LeBron James scored 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field, pulled down 11 rebounds, and dished out four dimes.
Solid numbers, sure, but All-NBA Second Team center Anthony Davis scored 41 points on 16-of-24 shooting from the floor and 9-of-13 shooting from the charity stripe, grabbed 20 boards, and passed for five assists, while providing a typical All-Defensive First Team effort in the post. But it was James who netted the Tournament MVP, somehow.
Can the Lakers do the deed again this year? Outside of now-departed Spencer Dinwiddie (who wasn’t yet on the team at that point in the season) and Taurean Prince (now with the Milwaukee Bucks on a veteran’s minimum deal), and incoming rookie guards Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, Los Angeles’ 2024-25 roster is exactly the same.
Will the Lakers go for two in a row?
And even if they do win, would they actually hang another banner?
Now, the NBA has unveiled its entire schedule for all its group play matchups.
To break down the entire system for this season’s freshly re-named Emirates NBA Cup (a catchier, more succinct moniker than the NBA In-Season Tournament, no doubt), the league enlisted a pair of star performers, in the form of Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos, Goodfellas) and Rosario Dawson (Sin City, He Got Game).
Starting Nov. 12, all 30 teams will compete in Group Play with 8 advancing into the knockout rounds! The Semifinals & Championship will be held in Las Vegas, Dec. 14 & 17!
For the Lakers, their West Group A, predicated on team records in 2023-24, now comprises the now young and deep Oklahoma City Thunder (the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed last year), the star-studded Phoenix Suns (the West’s No. 6 seed), the Utah Jazz (the No. 12 seed), and the San Antonio Spurs (the No. 14 seed).
First up on the docket for L.A. is an away game in San Antonio, against Victor Wembanyama and dangerous new addition Chris Paul, slated for Friday, November 15 at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.
The next Friday, November 19, Los Angeles will host the Jazz, who once again seem doomed for lottery lucked. That meeting is not slated for national broadcast, and will be aired at 7:30 p.m. PT.
L.A. will next travel to Phoenix to suit up against the Suns on Friday, November 26, whose core of All-Stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal will now be joined by point guard Tyus Jones, signed to a steal fo a free agent deal. They’ll face off on TNT at 7 p.m. PT.
Rounding out the group play stage, Los Angeles will play host to presumably its toughest opponent, the Thunder, now with massive frontcourt depth in the form of Isaiah Hartenstein. The two teams will play each other on Tuesday, November 29, on ESPN at 7 p.m. PT.
