The biggest test of the season has arrived for JJ Redick and the Lakers

Whether they’d like to admit it or not, the Los Angeles Lakers have had their next game circled on the calendar since it was first announced in August. Yes, it’s only November, but on Saturday, Nov. 23, the Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets for the first time in the 2024-25 regular season.

As the Lakers prepare for their first meeting with Nikola Jokic and company, first-year head coach JJ Redick will have a golden opportunity to reinforce the arrival of a new culture in Los Angeles.

Denver and Los Angeles have met in the playoffs three times since 2020. The Lakers got the best of their rivals during the opening matchup, with franchise player Anthony Davis helping hold off Nikola Jokic and sending the purple and gold to the NBA Finals — also as a final championship.

Unfortunately, the Nuggets have eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons – winning eight of the nine postseason games between them.

Davis and LeBron James exacted a measure of revenge at the 2024 Summer Olympics as they led Team USA past Jokic and Serbia to reach the gold medal game. However, Los Angeles still operates in Denver’s shadow, and that won’t change until they overcome their foes when it matters most.

A win in November won’t necessarily change the narrative, but it could give the Lakers the confidence to believe they can finally overcome the Nuggets if they meet in the playoffs for a third straight season.

Denver and Los Angeles enter this game in similar situations. Both teams have MVP candidates in Davis and Jokic, as well as deep and talented starting lineups with young players serving in crucial roles off the bench – including the Nuggets’ Peyton Watson and the Lakers’ Dalton Knecht.

They are also within striking distance of each other in the standings at this early point in the season, further illustrating how important this game really is.

Denver is on pace for a 50-win season with Jokic on the court, with 110 wins between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is looking to reach that elusive plateau for the first time since going 52-30 during its 2019-20 championship season.

Unfortunately, both teams’ ambitions have been affected by injuries, with defensive specialists Aaron Gordon and Jarred Vanderbilt both missing extended time.

For all the caveats and comparisons, there’s only one fact that matters: Denver has Los Angeles’ number. The Nuggets have won four consecutive regular season games over the Lakers, as well as 12 of the last 13 meetings between the two sides including the playoffs.

It’s a staggering level of dominance that Redick and the Lakers need to put an end to as soon as possible — and there may be no better opportunity to do so than on Saturday.

Denver is coming off a Friday meeting with the Dallas Mavericks, which means Los Angeles catches it in the second leg of a back-to-back. That gives an incredible advantage in the Lakers’ favor, which must be exploited to set a strong tone for the rest of the season.

Los Angeles will play Denver four times during the 2024-25 regular season, but with the rematch not until Feb. 22, this is as close to a must-win game as you’ll find in November.