Lakers play 10 of 17 games at home through busy November schedule

The Lakers open the 2014-15 season with a busy schedule against quality opponents.

Through November, including three games in October, the Lakers will play 17 times -- 10 at home and seven on the road.

They’ll play 13 teams, nine of which made the playoffs last season. Two of the games against non-playoff teams will come against the 48-win Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers play on successive days 16 times, four coming early in the season, starting with the Houston Rockets on Oct. 28 and a visit to the Phoenix Suns on the 29th.

Playing four games in five nights, the Lakers host the Clippers on Halloween, then travel to play the Golden State Warriors on Nov 1.

After the initial push, the schedule cools briefly for the Lakers, who get four days off before hosting the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 9.

The Lakers have a two-night road trip in Memphis and New Orleans starting Nov. 11 before returning home to host the champion San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 14.

The Spurs visit the Lakers only once, starting a difficult five-game stretch for the home team.

The Warriors meet the Lakers for a second time Nov. 16 at Staples Center before the Lakers head out for a three-game in four-night road trip through Atlanta (Nov.18), Houston (Nov. 19) and Dallas (Nov. 21).

The Lakers finish up the month with four at home with Coach Brian Shaw and the Denver Nuggets (Nov. 23), the Memphis Grizzlies (Nov. 26), Minnesota Timberwolves (Nov. 28) and Toronto Raptors (Nov. 30).

Before December, the Lakers will have completed just over 20% of their 82-game schedule.

Finishing the first 17 games with a winning record would be a big step for a franchise that won just 27 games last year -- although a realistic number of wins for a team still going through the rebuilding process might be six to eight.

Whether the Lakers are elite or in the lottery, they always seem to be newsworthy. The team will be on national television six times (TNT, ESPN and NBATV) through the end of November -- at least 28 in total for the season.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.