The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on Friday.

The Cavaliers (3-2) started the season with two ugly losses against the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies but have been excellent since then. In fact, they've won all three games since that mini-skid, beating the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers. The ladder two came on the road, and Cleveland is making minced meat of this West Coast road trip. It looks even better when you see how Memphis and Charlotte are playing, with both clubs showing serious potential themselves. What's becoming clear is the fact that this club has profound depth. They have a solid starting unit that pairs beautifully with veterans like Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio coming off the bench. That's a testament to those guys to play behind these youngsters, and it has the Cavs looking as dangerous as ever.

The Lakers (2-3) look far from dangerous, struggling through the first five games of the season. The two wins were narrow victories over the Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs, making it somewhat lucky that they're up to 2-3. The most recent loss might have been the most embarrassing of the season. They had a 41-19 lead after the first quarter against a fragile Oklahoma City Thunder team and went on to blow it in epic fashion. They've also had to play the last two games without LeBron James (ankle), making this uphill battle even steeper. The good news is that he's due back any day now, but it remains to be seen if this can be the elite team everyone expected at the beginning of the season.

These teams played twice last season, with Los Angeles sweeping the season series. The Lakers have won five of their last six games over the Cavs dating back four years.