The Los Angeles Lakers performed CPR on themselves midway through this past season, transforming themselves from a mediocre team to a championship contender with multiple midseason trades.
They then reinforced that transformation by re-signing Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell while adding Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes this summer.
Now Lakers fans are left at roughly the midway point of the summer to count down the days until training camp starts in late September.
The regular-season schedule hasn’t come out yet, but a couple of details have been leaked. The Lakers will open their schedule on the road versus the NBA champion Denver Nuggets and host their arch-rivals, the Boston Celtics, on Christmas Day.
NBA’s Christmas Day games for the 2023-24 season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium:
🎄Bucks @ Knicks
🎄76ers @ Heat
🎄Celtics @ Lakers
🎄Mavericks @ Suns
🎄Warriors @ Nuggets— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 11, 2023
While the Lakers will look mostly the same as they did in the playoffs, the Celtics will have a new look. Out are Marcus Smart and Grant Williams, while they have brought in Kristaps Porzingis, a talented but oft-injured 7-foot-3 center.
There is no doubt many fans of the Purple and Gold will hope this yuletide showdown will be a preview of the 2024 NBA Finals.
