Lakers Open Preseason Slate Monday Night in Sacramento

Alright, pull the lawn chair out of the garage, because preseason basketball is back, baby. Monday night the Lakers travel up to Sacramento to play the Kings at Golden 1 Center, and look — I know, I KNOW, it's preseason. Nobody's getting a parade for this one. But after a summer of nothing but mock trades and hot takes, I will take literally any version of Lakers basketball on my TV, even the version where the rotation looks like a company softball game.

Here's the thing about this one: there's nothing to go on yet. Both teams are 0-0 overall — the Kings 0-0 at home, the Lakers 0-0 on the road, and both 0-0 against conference opponents — basically two squads showing up with a completely blank scoreboard of a season. No standings to lean on, no "team's been hot lately" storyline, none of that. That's preseason for you. It's less about the final score and more about who looks like they belong and who looks like they need a few more weeks in the gym (we've all been there, physically and metaphorically).

The other thing worth circling: this is just the preview. The real, counts-in-the-standings version of this matchup doesn't start until the regular-season series kicks off November 4th. So think of Monday as the trailer before the movie — you're not getting the full plot, just a vibe check.

How to Watch

Tip-off is Monday, October 5th at 10:00 PM ET from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, and you can catch it on NBA TV. Set the DVR, or just stay up — I know I will, because apparently my body no longer understands the concept of "early bedtime" during basketball season.

Our Take

My honest, completely-guessing-because-there's-nothing-to-go-on take? I expect this one to look exactly like what it is — a preseason game where it's more about who's still on the floor in the fourth quarter than who wins. Call it a toss-up, because right now, a toss-up is all the facts will let me call it.