With the NBA players and owners recently agreeing upon terms for a new labor deal, the threat of an impending NBA strike looks to have abated for now. Ratification of the new agreement effectively ended the lockout, bringing basketball back to life just in time for the end of the calendar year. With training camps already underway and a shortened season ready to commence, the 2011-2012 NBA schedule looks finally to be getting back on track. And whenever the NBA is heading into a season, the Los Angeles Lakers Schedule will be one of the most scrutinized in the league, as the Lakers once again have a team that seems ready to challenge for a title.

After a couple of preseason matchups to get the team into form, the real season gets underway for the Lakers with a marquee matchup as they welcome the Chicago Bulls to the Staples Center on Christmas Day. With reigning MVP Derrick Rose of the Bulls and two teams that have title expectations this year, there will be plenty of reasons for NBA fans all over the country to watch this one. The chance to see two of the league's traditional powerhouses fighting out their season openers on Christmas Day doesn't come along as often as you'd like it, and the NBA season should get off and running due to a nice start with Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose leading the charge.

Last season was a good one for the Lakers, even though they were ultimately knocked them out of the playoffs by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks. They also clinched the Pacific Division but didn't manage to get the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, which is something they'll be looking to correct this year. New Lakers coach Mike Brown will have some work on his hands as he tries to iron out the kinks from last season in an effort to challenge for the title again and better last season's results. Look for them to come out strong against Chicago with their enthusiastic home crowd behind them and to build from there.

The matchup between the Bulls and Lakers not only features two of the most talented teams in the league but also two teams with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Bryant always expects his team to be a champion, and it's what the fans in Los Angeles have come to expect over the years. But even though Bryant is celebrated as one of the great players of all-time, he would still love to grab that sixth title to pull him even with Michael Jordan.

On the other side is Derrick Rose, a budding superstar who stormed the league and won the MVP last year. Despite Rose being one of the most explosive players in the league, though, questions started to come up about whether or not you can win a championship with a volume shooter like Rose, a player who typically shoots a low percentage and is more of a scoring point guard than a distributor.

No matter what you think of Rose, however, he's one of the most fun players in the league to watch and the Lakers can get off to a great start by finishing off the Bulls on their home court. Though it may be only one game, the atmosphere is going to feel like a playoff one as the NBA gets back underway featuring two of the best and most exciting teams in the league.