Four heavyweights in the Western Conference will play on opening night of the 2023/24 season, according to Shams Charania (Twitter link). The defending-champion Nuggets will host the Lakers on Tuesday, October 24, while the Warriors host the Suns. Both matchups will be aired on TNT.
The Nuggets and Lakers squared off in the Western Conference Finals last season, with Denver winning via sweep before going on to win the NBA Finals. Denver’s roster is similar to last season’s. The Nuggets lost Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, though Green only averaged 4.1 points in 17.2 minutes in the playoffs last year. Losing Brown is huge, but Denver has several players who can help take over with larger roles, such as Christian Braun. Denver also drafted Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson while adding Justin Holiday in free agency.
While the Lakers lost to the Nuggets last year, they only lost one game by double digits. Their average margin of defeat was by six points. Los Angeles moved quickly to bring back several key rotation pieces from last year’s team, such as Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura. While they lost the likes of Dennis Schroder, Malik Beasley and Lonnie Walker, the Lakers brought in multiple free agents, including Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince. Los Angeles also drafted Jalen Hood-Schifino in the first round.
Both the Warriors and the Suns made it to the second round last season, but both teams opted for major offseason shake-ups. The Suns made headlines when they acquired three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to their roster, giving them one of the most top-heavy and expensive teams in the league. Phoenix was active in the opening days of free agency, re-signing Josh Okogie, Ish Wainright and Damion Lee, while bringing in a multitude of minimum-contract players, like Yuta Watanabe, Eric Gordon and Keita Bates-Diop.
The Warriors also turned heads when they traded young scorer Jordan Poole in a move to acquire Chris Paul, who had been involved in the aforementioned Beal deal, from the Wizards. The Oct. 24 matchup marks Paul’s first against the Suns since the trade. Paul spent three seasons in Phoenix.
While rumors circulated about Draymond Green potentially moving on in free agency or Jonathan Kuminga being traded, both players remain on the team (Green courtesy of a new four-year, $100MM deal). Golden State brought in Cory Joseph and Dario Saric in free agency and drafted Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, both of whom could play their ways into rotation spots.
More schedule news will trickle in in the coming weeks. The Christmas Day games, as well as other marquee matchups, are typically leaked before the full schedule release, which happened on Aug. 17 last year.
And let me guess. Heat don’t feature that night or on Christmas… yet again… but every team they beat will.
Heat-Bucks or Heat-Celtics on Xmas day
Its all about audience draw. That is why you don’t see some of the good teams in the midwest very much.
Wrong. All Xmas games are squads that made it to semis
Heh I guessed all teams but forgot Philly. Anyways u were wrong
@ARC 2 – audience ratings AND storylines, which are *so* interwoven w/ CP3 to GSW, & KD formerly with the Dubs. Plus, the other game rematches 2023 WCF.
Opening day should of been Christmas match up
Omy gawd. They should get rid of half the season just to make you happy
Let me guess. Everyone that will criticize this is clue less
Based on the opening night and Christmas day matchups, it’s clear the NBA did not ok their scheduling plans with the 6 most important people in the world-the hoops rumors commenters. Instead, they used silly things like travel plans, arena availability, potential TV ratings, and other unimportant factors to determine who plays where, and on what day.
Just waiting for Detroit and Houston fans to show their outrage for not being scheduled on either of the 2 most important days of the season.