NBA Opening Night – October 19th, Tips and Previews
Celtics vs. 76ers
October 19th
This is the perfect opening to an intriguing NBA season, with long-time rivals and Eastern conference powerhouses Boston and Philadelphia set to kick things off.
The Celtics are the hot favourites to win the Eastern Conference again after a season that saw them through to the finals. But they haven’t had a smooth lead-in to 2022-23 with coach Ime Udoka suspended for the season before a game had been played.
How much of an impact Udoka’s absence has remains to be seen. Still, interim replacement Joe Mazzulla already has a few headaches with questions over the fitness of Robert Wood and Al Horford. New signings Blake Griffin, Danillo Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon add experience and depth to the Boston roster. Still, their hopes largely depend on stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown being able to elevate their games after going deep into last year’s finals.
They take on a Philadelphia team keen to atone for a disappointing playoff exit last year. James Harden has had a full pre-season to familiarise himself with the 76ers game plan further and to figure out the dynamic between himself and star centre Joel Embiid. Harden can’t be questioned, at least at this stage of the season and is a key to any hopes Philly has of finally reaching its potential. If Harden and Embiid can get support from Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, they will be a real threat here, but it’s still the Celtics in front of a rabid home crowd at the Garden.
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Warriors vs. Lakers
October 19th
Golden State is the team to beat this season after winning its fourth NBA title in eight seasons last year. As we have been accustomed, the splash brothers Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are as threatening as ever when scoring. At the same time, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman should continue their steady improvement in support of their stars.
But the actual query here is the disharmony that affects both teams, with Draymond Green fined after a savage attack on Poole in a recent training incident. For the Lakers, the talented but wayward Russell Westbrook is already showing dissent as he reluctantly shares a team with old foe Pat Beverley.
There are genuine concerns for the Lakers, who will again be led by veterans LeBron James and Anthony Davis. There is no doubting James’s will to win and ability, but at 37 years of age and approaching his 20th year in the league, he has plenty of miles on his body. His durability is more dependable than Davis, who for the bulk of his career has struggled with injury and again looks likely to fill the centre position despite it being well-known he prefers the role as a power forward.
Even bigger of a concern for Los Angeles is the lack of depth on its roster behind the big three, and that is probably what is most likely to be exploited against many teams, not least of all a deep Warriors squad.
