The Lakers kick off the 2023-24 NBA season tonight in Denver, and nobody on either side wants to make it a big thing, or add significance to the game, or talk about bad blood or certainly not to call it a rivalry.

Which, as it turns out, is the best sign it's a rivalry. And after all, the Nuggets -- especially head coach Mike Malone -- spent plenty of time talking about the Lakers in the wake of their title run. The Lakers had knocked them out a couple years earlier, too. And while they tried not to make a thing of it, the Lakers (from Austin Reaves to Darvin Ham) have had some stuff to say about the stuff that was said.

In short, yeah, it's a game that means something a little more for both teams. WHICH IS AWESOME! The Lakers have been woefully short on fun rivalries over the last few years, whether because of down seasons or up seasons that came in the midst of pandemics and thin-to-non-existent crowds.

Now, though? This season has the potential to drive something like LA vs. Denver to new heights, and create plenty of new rivalries, because the Western Conference is an endless string of marquee matchups, and the Lakers have the potential to be good for a few years. Just one reason to look forward to this year.

Another? The Lakers have a great chance, it seems to at least duplicate and perhaps exceed their results from last year. A Western Conference Finals run is a real possibility, and something past that, too. But what about other predictions? What about season awards for Anthony Davis? MVP? DPOY? Austin Reaves for Most Improved? What about D'Angelo Russell for the same? Darvin Ham, Coach of the Year? We break it down.

Finally... some numbers about Davis, LeBron and the Lakers in the fourth quarter last year that will likely shock you.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers vs. Denver: A real rivalry brewing.

SEGMENT 2: Bold predictions for 2023-24!

SEGMENT 3: Last year's fourth quarters, by the numbers. And what that means this season.

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