LeBron James
Kyrie Irving
The NBA is finally back! After one of the craziest offseasons in recent memory, the games are set to begin.
There might not be a greater Opening Night matchup imaginable, following the surprising trade of Kyrie Irving (to Boston) this summer.
Cavs v. Celtics - two of the league’s top Eastern Conference squads sizing each other up after major roster turnover the past few months.
We get our first (official*) glimpse of Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade & Jae Crowder in Cavs unis, while Gordon Hayward, rookie Jayson Tatum & Kyrie all aim to show out in their debuts.
From a basketball standpoint, Boston & Cleveland figure to own the East (once again) but it won’t be easy sailing incorporating all the new faces.
Both teams must juggle different lineup combos the first few weeks of the season, as the road towards continuity starts here.
Kyrie’s C’s are formidable but far from perfect - can they rebound & make enough triples as a unit? Same could be said for LeBron’s Cavs, an older squad w/ a history of injury.
The (early) return of Kyrie Irving to Cleveland will produce fireworks on Opening Night.
A motivated Kyrie will take every opportunity to attack CLE’s guard via dribble penetration, while LeBron will undoubtedly try to get his guys involved before attempting a late-game takeover.
In a close contest, expect Cleveland to come out on top.
Projected Winner: Cavs
Take Note
(BOS): K. Irving's Celtics debut! • G. Hayward's Celtics debut!
(BOS): J. Tatum's NBA debut + performance as a starter!
(CLE): Opening Night LeBron
(CLE): 3-point shooting + rebounding
(CLE): D. Rose's Cavs debut! • D-Wade's Cavs debut! • J. Crowder's Cavs debut!
Steph Curry
James Harden
The champs are here.
After winning their second title in three seasons, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant & the Dubs are huge favorites to return to the Promised Land in 2018.
But it all starts now...and there isn't a greater test than James Harden, Chris Paul & the new-look Houston Rockets.
Long removed from UnderDOG status, Harden’s Rockets are serious contenders out West - though last year’s 55-win squad was a little deeper, trading for C. Paul gives Houston a different dynamic in the backcourt: a hungry superstar w/ the floor leadership & defensive ability that perfectly complements Harden.
Along w/ veteran signings Luc Mbah a Moute & PJ Tucker, HOU GM Daryl Morey put an emphasis on versatile defenders that could fit into their free-flowing, three-point heavy offense.
Golden State, on the other hand, reshuffled its bench a bit but didn’t lose a single, key piece from a year ago. Not only does adding Nick Young & Omri Casspi give Steve Kerr more options outside, rookie Jordan Bell is a versatile, switching defender w/ crazy shot-blocking instincts & athleticism.
So...they got better? Probably. Does it matter? Probably not.
At the end of the day, EVERYONE expects the Dubs to at least return to the Finals. But an intriguing contender like Houston has an opportunity to shake things up.
On Day 1, we’ll see how (if?) they matchup & if they can be successful.
But on ring night, a healthy Warriors team is just too much to overcome.
Projected Winner: Dubs
Take Note
(HOU): C. Paul's Rockets debut!
(HOU): Three-point shooting v. GSW!
(GSW): Any changes to the rotation?
(GSW): Offensive efficiency
(GSW): J. Bell's NBA debut!