Lakers 2025 Schedule Breakdown: Key Dates, Biggest Matchups & Luka MVP Buzz | Lakeshow

Lakers 2025 Schedule Breakdown: Key Dates, Biggest Matchups & Luka MVP Buzz | Lakeshow

[Music] Hello and welcome to the Lake Show podcast. It’s our weekly deep dive into the biggest stories and news surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers. I’m a co-host here at Spectrum Sports Net, Ali Clifton, Yoan Buha, host of Boohhaz’s Block podcast and our Laker Insider, Mike Brezahan. Did I get that right? You got it right. You nailed it. I have never said someone else’s podcast name more than yours in my life. I appreciate it. How’s it going? It’s catchy. Yeah, it is. But yeah, it’s going well. It’s going well. Did you come up with the name? I did. I did. I I went through different iterations. I don’t remember the number two, the the runner up, but uh yeah, no, I came up with it. Have you trademarked it? I heard I hear it’s really hard to do something like that. Trademark register. I haven’t trademarked it. I I started an LLC though. So, yeah, I’m in charge of my own business, Booha Productions LLC. I like Delaware. Isn’t that where they all are are incorporated? This one’s in California, but uh probably not great for taxes. I was gonna say something, but but yeah, we’re we’re expanding soon. Nice. Oh, nice. Look at that. Nice little tease. Can Can we go on your podcast? You’re always on our podcast. Yeah, I would love to have both of you on. Sounds good. I don’t want to talk about basketball, though. I want to talk about talk about whatever else what we just talked about going on here. I’m just kidding. Uh, we’re going to spend plenty of time talking about basketball over the next half hour of this show because the schedule is released, which for all of you who may not understand this, for us it’s a big deal. We know our lives for the next Yes. 8 to 10 months. Is that how it works? Um, let me run through a few key dates that are on the Lakers schedule. Opening night against the Warriors on October 21st. You got the first game against the defending champs in OKC on the 12th of November. First game versus the Celtics in Boston December 5th. and then a Christmas Day match up with KD and the Rockets. We’ll talk series matchups. We’ll talk other um I guess things about the schedule in a different sense in a moment. I want to know just in terms of a game, what game sticks out to you when you look at the schedule, whether it be one of them or something else you’ve seen. Yoan, we’ll start with you. I think the the Boston game being December 5th is interesting for me just because typically they they play Boston later in the season. It’s part of the Grammy trip, which this year is an eightgame road trip. So ridiculous. Have never and technically one game is in LA against the Clippers, but like it still is. I think they go like Denver back to LA and then out to Dallas. So, uh that’s going to be uh quite the road trip for the Lakers. But I mean Lakers Celtics always means something, always matters. And uh I guess maybe the the Pat Riley game is the one that I should have picked in retrospect here cuz he’s getting the statue. But uh Lakers Celtics always to me, you know, there’s a little something extra with that one. Yeah, I’m going to go with Christmas. First of all, I think these games are always just so awesome whether you’re working like like we have done for year after year after year, Ally and Yo, or just hanging out at home with your family, friends, you know, watch see how the Lakers do. Um I I like this matchup against Houston. I think it’s coming at a very interesting time two months into the NBA season. I I imagine Houston is going to be a top two team in the West, uh, right behind or maybe right ahead of OKC. And where are the Lakers going to what what are the Lakers going to look like at that point? Where are they going to be in the Western sphere at that point? Are they going to be a top four team just outside? Are they going to be kind of hang out in the seven through 10 uh playin tournament spot which obviously they don’t want any part of but the west is so thick with good teams this year and I’m I I think that the Christmas day game against Houston I’m I’m intrigued to see how that looks. That statue for uh Pat Riley February 22nd. Okay. Um so yes that will be something to keep an eye on. When we look at season series you’ve got uh which one are you most interested in? the defending champs, the Thunder, AD flag, the Mavericks, which we talked about obviously on the show, four of those bad boys, Curry and the Dubs, just because obviously that against LeBron. Yeah, I I think I think the Mavericks is always going to be that’s going to be a fun series for a couple years. Forever long AD is with the Mavs and Luca’s with the Lakers. That’s going to be a good series. Um, I wanted to say Minnesota because the last time we saw the Lakers, that series did not go so well. the Lakers winning one game and uh you know not playing well in that game five here on their own home court. Rudy Goar looked like Wilt Chamberlain out there. So that’s that that season series is interesting to me as well. But come on, give me a little background. Give me a little give me a little drama. Uh give me Dallas in and those four games. Yon, I’ll take OKC and the defending champs. I I think this is a team that is set up for a potential dynasty here or or mini dynasty as best you can be set up in the current CBA with the first apron and second apron and like in a few years they’re going to have to make some tough financial decisions with this roster. But they just won 68 games last year and Chad Hungren missed almost half the season. Isaiah Hartenstein missed a bunch of the season. So like two of their top six guys missed good chunks of the season. They still won 68 games. Uh, so I I think they’re going to walk into 60 plus wins again this year, barring some catastrophic injury to like Sheay or Jdub or something. So, uh, I think they’re going to be the barometer for not just the Lakers, but everyone else in the West of like how do you match up? And going back to late last season, we saw two games in OKC. The Lakers win convincingly in OKC. Then they’re up late in the fourth quarter when Luca gets unceremoniously, say, egregiously tossed in a technical foul. that was later overturned by the league and ruled a a mistake. So, the Lakers could have potentially had back-to-back wins in OKC in convincing fashion. And uh it’s going to be interesting to see how they match up with them. The Oklahoma City Thunder, just hearing you say that, winning 68 games is more games than the actual number of games players have to play to be eligible for individual season awards. It’s crazy. That’s crazy. Can they get up to 70? I I think the answer is no because they play so many games against the West. But when you go 30 and0 against the East like they did last season, that’s a pretty good head start towards getting to 70. I mean, it was the first time ever a West team has gone 30 and0 against the entire East in the regular season. I mean, that to me that’s just the mind-blowing stat of OKC’s regular season. So, yeah. Can they get to 70? I I I don’t think so. And and like you mentioned, look, Chad Homegrren, he’s got to prove he can stay on the court. You know, is there a little bit of a championship hangover, Ally? Maybe. I guess we’ll find out. Thing is, they they don’t drink, so I don’t know if they can have a championship. I don’t know if that’s the word anymore. Having said that, the Lakers play them twice in the last six games, I believe. And Andrew Miller just uh told me of the regular season. Once your ones are those are two big games. Two big games yet again. Um all right. Can we do something fun here? Actually, this is just off my dome in this moment. I think Andrew Miller let us do this one other time when it came to the Lake Show podcast. Uh Christmas Day. Okay, a little spin on it. It’s always a marquee day for the NBA. 10 teams play. There’s five games. Um, can I give you the matchups and you guys do a little blind ranking for me? Sure. Yeah. Okay. You already know the the matchups, though. Yeah, but I you know, I’ll could still rank. I know like ranking sort of. Not really. All right. Ranking’s fun. Mavericks at Warriors. It’s the third game of the day. That to me is a four out of five. Oh, I’ll do three. You’ll do three? Yeah, that one doesn’t move me that much. Cavs at Knicks. I’ll go three on that. I’m gonna go three. I’ll do two. Now we’re getting there. Wow. Okay. Uh Timberwolves at Nuggets. Oh, I guess I I got to go five on that. I kind of box myself into a quarter. I’m going four. That’s how this game is played. Four. I wish I could swap it with Dallas Golden State, but but I’ll go four. Spurs at Thunder. Oo, that’s the five for me. But that’s like such a good against the Champs. These are all great games to be fair. Like this might be the best Christmas slate I can remember of just like there’s not really a stinker in here. Which is funny. The reason why there’s not a stinker in there is because both of you are putting Rockets Lakers at number one. Yeah. Your highlight of the day, the marquee match up of the day. Obviously, you’ve got LeBron versus KD. Um, which answers the question of these games. Which one of them do you guys find most intriguing? There’s only one Eastern Conference. I did notice that. Yeah. I mean, so you have five games, one from the East. You know, first of all, the NBA is not dumb. Okay. They realize they they kind of made are not they made Christmas day theirs, you know, 30 years ago whenever they started these games. I know the NFL is trying to encroach upon it a little bit. They did did some uh Christmas Day games last year. This is the NBA’s day and for them to only showcased one team from the East, that to me is a is a big statement. Obviously, the East is really beat up. Everybody’s seemingly hurt on all the good teams in the East, but yeah, I did notice that, Ally. One team from the east, one game from the east, four from the west. Is it disrespectful? You’ve got no You’ve got no Giannis on Christmas Day. You’ve got no Joel Embiid on Christmas Day. You don’t have the Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown. Give us I don’t think those teams are that good. That’s why we might not have period. I I think Milwaukee is a fringe play. Like I think they’re going to make the playoffs, but I think they’re a fringe playoff versus playing. Miles Turner is not team. Uh no, he’s not. What about the Atlanta Magic? or then it comes into ratings, right? So if you look at all like, you know, so OKC defending champs, Wemi with the Spurs is a big draw. You got Golden State, one of the biggest markets in the league. Dallas with Cooper Flag AD, obviously Lakers Rockets. Uh then Minnesota, Denver, that’s been a matchup we’ve seen a couple times in the playoffs over the last few years. So like you got Ant, you got Jokic. Like I think it makes sense. like those are I I I mean when I’ve done my top 10 power rankings of the league I think for me seven of the top 10 are in the west. So yeah I mean Boston just handing players away here poor they decimated that team go to Atlanta you know Indy lost Hallebert and Turner for the year. So Kyrie not back at that point presumably. So I mean for for the west I mean there’s a lot of big names uh not out there for the west and the east but mostly in the east for sure. We’re stealing this off of your uh Twitter. Okay. or X X coming uh from your breakdown notes about the Lakers schedule 14 backto backs which is one more um than they had last season the 34 nationally televised games that’s tied for the most out of any team I think there’s three or three other teams that have the same I yeah but I believe it’s right up there and then the most out of any team um is the 34 televised games and then an eightgame road trip in an eightgame home stand back to back yeah See, see what? Well, like it’s it’s the eight row games and they come home for eight games. But if you look at it, both stretches are brutal in terms of competition. Break it down. Uh so I mean I think they got the Clippers twice during that stretch. Uh I I believe I got it now as well. Um I I don’t remember it exactly off top of my head. I think Denver’s in there, Dallas is in there. Uh but I mean it’s the Grammy trip which typically they had actually shortened the Grammy trip more recently. Uh usually usually five games now. Typically, like back in the day it was like six or seven and they they try to shorten it to five. Now it’s eight. Then you come home for an eightgame home stand, but it’s it’s no easy stretch there. Like that. That to me is uh going back to remember last year they had the the one month stretch of like it was Milwaukee twice, Denver twice, they were playing Phoenix, they were playing the Clippers, Minnesota, Dallas. They had that brutal month stretch. This is that version this year of like late January through late February. You alluded to it already, Yovan. Okay. You start this Grammy trip by going out to Denver. That’s not been a fun game for the Lakers the last five, six years. Then you come back to LA and you play at the Clippers. Then you go back out for six more. And among those six, correct me if I’m wrong, you’ve got Cleveland. Yep. You’ve got Dallas and you’ve got the Knicks. Mhm. And you’ve got the Nets and you’ve got Chicago and you’ve got Washington. And what happened to Chicago last year, too? Yep. Buzzer beater. Craziest game. It was unbelievable loss for the Lakers after beating Indiana the previous night on LeBron’s buzzer beating layup. So that eight games right there that that could be the the stretch of the Lakers regular season. They can somehow cobble together five and three on that. Again, all road games for a team that was not real good on the road last season. One of the worst playoff teams in the West on the road. Um but it’s asking a lot. I I just don’t remember a trip like that starting. We’re going to send you out to Denver. Just kidding. Come back home and then we’re going to send you back out again. It leads them into the trade deadline, too, right? So, okay. So, I’m going to give you this right here. Four and six nights. Okay. Is the front end of essentially the front end of this eightgame home stand. It starts with Philly at home coming off the eightame road road trip, right? Then you go into four and six nights, which is Golden State, an off night, a back-toback Oklahoma City, San Antonio, brutal, an off day, and then you’ve got Dallas going into All-Star break, which you know where people’s minds are in general at that point, but also the tread deadline that day. That’s that’s brutal. That with the Clippers, the first game out of the from uh from Mexico. B and I were talking about before the the show. Uh they have this weird stretch with the NBA Cup where they have three road games, then they have the break for the NBA Cup, which depending on where they’re at in their bracket, they could be going out for the knockout stage or they could just be doing the home and home. Uh but then they come out of that with three road games as well. So it’s like a six-game road trip split up by the NBA Cup. And there’s a way that depending on how the knockout, if they’re like a wild card team, they potentially have three road games, go out on the road for the knockout game, then go to Vegas and play potentially two games in Vegas, then come out of that and go straight into three games on the road. That would be a nine. One of them is a Clipper game. Okay. But I mean, yeah, still you’re not, you know, you’re going in and out. A little bit different, but but you are in LA, I guess. But still like potential nine-game road trip including another road against the Clippers. Yeah. I mean that’s that’s I I I I always love NBA schedule day cuz people go nuts. Yeah. People hate their team schedule. People love their team schedule. The truth is you’re going to play almost exactly the same teams you played a year ago. There’s always four teams in your conference you play only three times. Lakers caught a little break here. Yo, you and I talked about these teams. They play San Antonio only three times. They play uh Minnesota only three times. That surprised me a little bit. And they play Houston only three times. Uh they also play Memphis only three times as well. Um to me, you know, three of those teams are going to be really good. Like top three or four teams in the West. And so you catch a little bit of a schedule break there, but you don’t get much of a break with those 16 games, eight on the road, eight home. Not a lot of easy ones there in uh January and February for the Lakers. We’re going to take a quick break, but is there anything personally that you look at right away when you see the schedule? I always look for longest road trip road trips and like what this year because I’m not going to be traveling as much kind of selectively traveling like looking at when I’m going to be in the road cities. Like I want to go to Boston, I want to go to New York, San Francisco, some of the the bigger cities and matchups. Uh so that that’s always the first thing I look at. I look at my birthday. Here we are. And they play against the Wizards. Lake show fans remember you can be a part of the show each week that means sushi. Feel free to send us your questions and comments. We’d love to hear from you. We’re going to take a quick break. When we return, we’ve got a fun new game on the other side. Welcome back to the Lake Show podcast. If you’re enjoying the show, you can check out more original podcasts from our Spectrum News journalists on the Spectrum News app. Just head to the podcast section to listen to the latest episodes. You can download the Spectrum News app on the App Store or Google Play. So, here’s the deal. Brez likes to look at Vegas odds before every game. And of course, he’s usually wrong. Hey, we love you, BR. So, we decided occasionally wrong. What’s the difference between usually and occasionally? Rarely wrong. You’re not right all the time. Nobody is. If I was, you wouldn’t be seeing me here. Just kidding. So, we decided to create this new segment and it’s called Don’t Bet with Brass. What? Let me let me let me you know when you guys make put me on the spot for not knowing movies, shows, pop culture, anything. Yes. This is your moment. This is This is my moment. Let me give you some winners here. Okay. So, we’re going to give Bre, but let’s let’s go. We’re going to give Bredds for some future bets and then Yoan, we’re going to ask you if you’re doubling down and going in on this bet with Brez, which listen to what we called the segment or keeping your money and telling him he’s crazy. Okay. And you can tell him he’s crazy in the most crazy way. Okay. I gave you permission. So with that, here we go. All right. The Lakers have their season win over under at 47 and a half. The Lakers won 50 games last season in a stacked Western Conference. Brez, are you taking the over? And how much are you wagering? Okay. What’s my limit, by the way? $10,000,000. Don’t let me sit here and judge you. How? First of all, you go over on this. Okay. the Lakers. I always love Rob Pelinka’s quote that by acquiring Luca on February 1st. That was like trying to repair a plane midair. I mean, just so many so many uh defensive-minded parts going out with AD and and Christy and you got Luca coming in. I mean, that’s just a huge massive turnaround. And still the Lakers won 50 games and Luca didn’t even play for a week or two after he was acquired. I I’m going over on this. I’m betting $1,000. I feel really confident about that. Wow. Uh, I I will double down. I will go over. The one caveat I have is I I do think the West is deeper and better this year and like especially if like I think Dallas is going to be better than they were last year. I think San Antonio is going to be better. If Memphis can stay healthy, which has been a big if for them the last few years, but like you know, I think Denver and Houston are better and those are teams that won 50 plus games last year. So, I think there’s a a path to just like the top of the West being a little bit deeper and better. Uh, but I do put the Lakers in that, you know, homec court mix. So, I think they should be in 49 to 51 if I had to handicap it. By the way, when you agree with Brez, it means you’re betting the same amount of money. So, you’re okay with So, I don’t like to bet, but I You know what, Brez? We’re I guess we’re going down steer you. We’re going down with the ship. Your beautiful wife will love that. Um, okay. Luca Donuch is plus 450 to win the NBA MVP next season. That’s the third best odds behind Nicole Joic and SGA. Brez, do you like these odds and how much you throwing down? I do. And here here’s the deal. But when it’s plus 450, you put 100 down, you win 450 and you get your bet back. So, you don’t have to put too much money on this. I’d probably put uh 250 bucks on this because you’re going to win over a grand. I mean, that’s I feel pretty good about this. It’s it’s a pretty solid bet. I don’t think I’d put a,000 on it. You could We could win 4500. That’s That’s a lot of money. Oh, let’s do that. Let’s Sounds great. Alli’s doubling down on a thousand to win 4500 plus your bet back. That’s always the cool part. You know, 6 months later when the season ends, you’re like, “Hey, I won $4,500. I want to get my $1,000 bet back, too.” I’m really good at Isn’t gambling fun? It’s like an ATM for you. It is. You never lose. Swipe it. It’s my motto in life. Gambling. Are you doubling down? Are you matching? I I want to disagree, but but I will double down just because I really like the odds of winning MVP. I I don’t I think there’s a reason why he’s third and and again, he was third in my current rankings when we did the show earlier. Uh so I I kind of agree with that. But I do think if he has the year that I think we all expect him to, he has a real shot to win MVP. And there’s also voter fatigue. Shay won last year. Joic has won multiple times. So like the way these things go in in cycles, I I think Luca has a real shot. Got to stay healthy. Got to play at least 65 games as Alli informed me earlier today. You got to play 65. I forgot the number. Definitely in my offseason brain fog right now. 65. But you you saved me. All right, moving on to the heavy favorite awards. Cooper flag is the favorite to win rookie of the year at 220 at minus 225. Webmanyama is the favorite to win defensive player of the year at minus 180. Brez, which one of these favorites do you not like and would pick against? Probably strictly because he’s got to stay on the court. He was having such a great season last year and got short circuited what halfway through the season. Yoan, I don’t remember how many games or how many games he played, I should say. Wasn’t enough to win individual awards. Not even close. Yeah, he was done by January. I I’m pretty I’m pretty sure maybe even December. He went down pretty early. Um I I don’t see who could possibly challenge Cooper Flag. The only problem with Cooper Flag is that team’s good. I mean, AD is going to get his. Uh D’Angelo Russell, you know, he’s going to come out firing. He got a very minimal contract uh this year. Um no no Kyrie, so maybe he can score a little bit uh for a while, but I would probably just go go against um Webby for now. got to see him play at least 65 games before I’m more confident on that. Unfortunately, I agree. Um, and it it’s winning money. So, I I actually like I I think if if we take if we put games to the side, I think WBY would the defensive player of the year, Lock, like I just think he’s definitely the best player in the league. Can’t miss more than seven defensively. Um, but one factoring in the games and the potential risk there, I I but like I I think if we’re like I’m surprised at that line like I I feel like 1B should be a heavier favorite for defensive player of the year relative to uh Cooper Flag winning rookie. But this is the last one I want to see if we can. Yeah, disagree. Right now Western Conference, we know a couple good teams are not going to make the playoffs. Okay, here are the odds. Here are odds for four teams, and you tell me which one you think will not make the playoffs. Okay, Grizzlies at minus 155, Mavericks at minus 120, Spurs at plus 135, Warriors at plus 300. Um, you’ve got to go with uh Memphis on this. I mean, giving up Desmond Bane like they did a few months ago, like to me, that’s still a surprising trade to me. That’s a very good general manager. like he knows what he’s doing. Waving not not quite the white flag, maybe the beige flag. Yoan, he’s just a little nervous about the way that this uh this franchise has been going the last couple years, and he’s trying to get out ahead of the curve, get some uh draft picks, and rebuild on the fly. Uh I I don’t think Memphis makes the uh makes the playoffs. So, I I think there’s a clear top seven in the West, and I would put Golden State in that top seven. So, like they’d be the the you know, playin winner. Uh, so by process of elimination, that means two I I think of these three teams I I’ll have out of the playoffs. So I will disagree. I I’ll agree in this. I I don’t think Memphis is going to make it either, but just for argument sake, I I’ll pick um Dallas actually, which I think is a little bit of a controversial take. I think people are very high on them. But I think not having Kyrie until maybe February at the earliest and there’s no guarantee he returns to being that player. I think they’re really going to struggle to score if you just look at their offensive options and how that offense is going to function. Uh so I I’ll say San Antonio gets in. Webby maybe doesn’t m make the criteria for 65, but if he can play 50 55 I really like that team and I could see them being a surprise team in the West. So you disagreed. Yeah. Did you go top eight there or did you go top six? I should have specified. I want top eight. He said top eight top eight. And you said you were going top eight. Yeah. Yeah. Memphis. Now Memphis has the worst odds amongst those four teams. It’s going to cost you a lot of money to say they’re not going to make the playoffs because people think they won’t make the playoffs. But to me, it’s a pretty safe bet. Braz, you want to take a bet with me right now? What do you got? $500 bet. Okay. I bet you that from now until next week when we record another Lake Show podcast, there will be someone that will comment on Yovan’s Jay’s that he is wearing right now. Do you want to take a bet? Okay. $500. First of all, okay, you think someone will comment? $500 for those of you that are watching at home. All right. So, Yvon, he he has a big following. I mean, not only is he a uh there’s his very nice pair of shoes there. Did you say not a very nice pair? No, there’s a very nice pair of shoes. Yan, what size are you? Just for 12. 14. 14, man. I’m a 13. All right. Um, yeah. No, people are definitely going to comment on those shoes. He’s got this. He’s got the YouTube. My bet. Yeah. I I I would not take that bet. That’s a smart man. Yeah. As much as I would love to take your $500, it is You’re a very smart man. Last week, I saw that come up in our mentions. Did you see it? I did. They loved his Jay’s. Talk about a guy that knows how to wear the kicks. Yo’s always up at like 6 a.m. on the Nike app trying to win the uh the shoe of the day, the lottery. Calm down a bit. How many pairs do you have? Thanks to all of you for listening to Lake Show podcast. We talk about it all on here. The schedule is out. We couldn’t be more excited. Leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast app for you for breast. I’m Alex. Win all some money.

Allie, Brez and Jovan breakdown the Lakers 2025-26 schedule. What matchups are they looking forward to and a stacked Christmas Day schedule. Plus we debut a new segment Don’t Bet With Brez. Where Brez picks his favorite odds for the upcoming NBA season and we have him put his money where his mouth is. Catch all the Lakers action this season on Spectrum Sportsnet+ with the NBA app when you add Spectrum Internet and at least one Mobile line. Plus, get a free Xumo Stream Box for six months! This offer is a slam dunk(total value of $194.99). Learn more: spectrum.com/getlakers
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Want to know everything happening day in and day out with the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers? Spectrum SportsNet’s Lakers hosts Allie Clifton and Chris McGee, along with Lakers Insider, Mike Bresnahan, have covered the team for a combined 30+ years and give you all the details on the Lakeshow podcast. Our hosts bring you an entertaining weekly discussion about all things purple and gold. Stay on top of the latest Lakers news, hear in-depth conversations about the latest team stories, and get your questions answered by our hosts every week, only on the Lakeshow podcast!

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