The Spurs face LeBron James and the scrappy, new-look Lakers for the first time on Monday, with the action tipping off at 9pm CT on NBA TV. In anticipation of the early-season matchup, I spoke with writer, TV analyst and host of the Hang Time podcast, Sekou Smith, who was nice enough to give his thoughts on both teams, including how the Spurs fared in the Kawhi-DeMar trade, their playoff chances, and when their throwback style of basketball might prove to be an advantage.
(Note: we spoke before the scrum during the Lakers-Rockets game, which resulted in suspensions for Brandon Ingram (4), Rajon Rondo (3) and Chris Paul (2).