Lakers vs. Rockets preview: The season opener begins a new focus on the future

The anticipation is over. It’s opening week for the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers step onto the court at 7:30 p.m. PT to face the Houston Rockets and begin their long journey ahead. Preseason was a window into what we can expect, but the doors are about to be blown off. The NBA is back, baby.

Every year there’s a guiding narrative to follow. Last year quickly turned from following what is probably Kobe Bryant’s final year into what was definitely the end of the line for the Mamba. It was the end of an era, and the team managed to close that chapter with a storybook ending.

This year a whole new Lakers team is upon us. From the coaching staff, to Brandon Ingram, to new acquisitions, the purple and gold are in a very different position than they were 365 days ago. We said goodbye to the past last season so we could finally focus on the future. A new outlook, a new focus and the excitement of watching this group develop together.

There will be ups and downs, but for the first time in over a decade, we’ll also have unquestioned honesty. Every time we watch this team there will be no question about what they’re trying to accomplish. Real, true, progress.

It’s time to watch D’Angelo Russell lead his defender into a crushing screen before he launches one of his sweet-spot elbow jumpers. It’s time to watch Jordan Clarkson break his defender down and top it off with a circus finish at the rim. It’s time to watch Julius Randle tear up the court as a one-man fastbreak before spotting a Laker in the corner. It’s time to see Brandon Ingram develop into the wing the purple and gold have been looking for for years. It’s time to lose our minds with the Lakers’ bench when Larry Nance, Jr. inevitably posters someoone.

There may be no Kobe, but the Lakers live on. We couldn’t be more excited to be stepping into this new era with the community we have behind us here at Silver Screen and Roll, and what looks like a fresh perspective out in Los Angeles.

Enjoy the season, it’s finally here.

Time: 7:30 p.m. PT

TV: Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN