NBA Opening Night Thread

Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets - 7:00 ET (TNT)

This season-opening contest lost some star power with a torn achilles tendon sending lovable sharpshooter Klay Thompson to the sidelines for the second straight season. Still, there’s no shortage of intriguing storylines making this must-see TV. Steph Curry makes his return to the court after playing just five games last season. Not only can he create a 3-point explosion at any moment, but it will be interesting to see how the new pieces on the roster fit together and where the Warriors will fit into a viciously competitive Western Conference.

However, the other sideline is where most people will be focused, with Kevin Durant playing his first game since the 2019 NBA Finals, when he was a member of these Warriors. Finally joining teammate Kyrie Irving on the court after a year of rehab in Brooklyn, are KD and new head coach Steve Nash ready to fulfill the Nets’ promise as the dark horse to come out of the East?

Two of the best players in the world are finally back in our basketball lives; that’s reason enough to watch.

Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers - 10:00 ET (TNT)

Somehow, the nightcap of this doubleheader might be even more intriguing. We were denied the all-LA playoff series everyone expected to take place in the Bubble, thanks to a 3-1 lead choke job by the Clippers. I’d hate to have the head coach responsible for this embarrassment.

(Just kidding, Doc.)

The Clippers have retooled with Ty Lue moving one seat over to the head coach’s chair, and Serge Ibaka and Luke Kennard replacing Montrezl Harrell and Landry Shamet in the rotation. Following a lot of offseason reports of intrasquad strife between the old guard and the gun-for-hire stars brought in last year, we’ll see if team chemistry is any better this season.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are still riding high after winning the franchise’s 17th title, and the league’s first-ever to come without fans to witness in person. Los Angeles has arguably upgraded its title-winning roster with the additions of the aforementioned Harrell, Marc Gasol, Dennis Schroder, and Wes Matthews. Ultimately, it all comes down to having LeBron and Anthony Davis, though. The thing I’m most curious to see over the course of this Lakers season is how hard those guys go on a night-to-night basis after such a short offseason. However, I’m sure they’ll ramp it up in front of a national audience against their city rivals.

It’s not the Sixers for another night, but it’s NBA basketball. Follow along with all the action in the comments.