The Los Angeles Lakers will open their preseason against a familiar foe in the Sacramento Kings tonight at 7pm. The Lakers will head into the season, the first one in 20 years with no sign of Kobe Bryant walking through the tunnel. But this year’s bunch is ready to take the torch that was passed on to them by the Mamba.
The young core of the Lakers will be enough to make them competitive this year but it’s the veterans that will put them over the top. The team will rely on the presence of 13-year vet, Luol Deng and the championship experience of Timofey Mozgov to provide leadership on and off the court. If D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle can continue to show improvement from last year the Lakers will be in a good place this season.
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The Kings, on the other hand, have too many issues to deal with off the court before they can even begin to be mentioned as competitive. PG, Darren Collison will miss time due to a domestic violence charge, their main two stars, DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay are in constant trade rumors and their front office is in shambles.
But, as long as Cousins and Gay are still Kings, they will have a shot in any game they play. Cousins has emerged as a true superstar in this league but the Kings organization has failed to place the right pieces around him. The Lakers upside is the exact opposite. They have managed to build through the draft as the have the necessary young pieces to move forward for the next 10 years or so.
The Lakers vs Kings game will be shown on different channels, depending on your cable provider. Here is a link to the official page on where to watch.
Date: Tuesday, October 4
Start Time: 7:00 p.m. (EST)
TV Channel: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes
Live Stream: Stream 1