The next two games on the schedule for the Los Angeles Lakers are their measuring stick matchups. They will play consecutive contests on the road against the top dog in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It cannot be understated just how great the Thunder have been in the 2024-25 NBA season. They have the best record in the entire league at the moment, not just the West. The Thunder just made NBA history by setting the best record against a conference (29-1 versus the East) that the league has ever seen.
They are also challenging the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the NBA record of best net rating in league history. The Bulls hold that mark with 13.4. The Thunder are right on their heels with 13.0.
The Thunder have the best defensive rating in the league (106.2), coupled with the third-best offensive rating (119.0). Most consider them the title favorites at this point of the 2024-25 campaign.
For the Lakers, proving themselves against this kind of competition, with the NBA Playoffs so close, will go a long way.
What these two games mean for Los Angeles
With a 13.5-game lead on the Houston Rockets, the Thunder have already locked up the Western Conference by a long shot. There is not much Oklahoma City has left to play for in the regular season. That could mean the Lakers do not properly size up against the best that the Thunder can bring. Still, the Lakers should view these games as a proving ground for what this year’s unit can accomplish.
Many will be quick to bring up that Los Angeles is 7-3 against the Thunder in their last 10 meetings. That is an interesting statistic to look at, but it should be highlighted that those were the Anthony Davis days. This version of the Lakers, featuring Luka Doncic, have never matched up against the Thunder.