Lakers-Nuggets and Suns-Warriors: 3 things to watch as NBA returns – NBA.com

Get ready for a rematch of the Western Conference Finals, followed by two potent offenses in the Bay.
Shaun Powell
The 2023-24 NBA season is set to begin with a pair of intriguing Opening Night matchups.
Once again, the schedule-makers got it right for Opening Night. They gave the defending champions a premier opponent and put two more glamour teams in the nightcap. Lakers at Nuggets (7:30 ET, TNT), followed by Suns at Warriors (10 ET, TNT). We’ll see:
Oh: Chuck, Shaq, the Jet and Ernie, too.
All four teams are not only entertaining, but good, and it wouldn’t be a shock if these are the last four teams standing in the West come next spring. But there’s a lot of hoops to be played before then. Let’s commence. Basketball is back, in a big way, in the best way.
Lakers-Nuggets (7:30 ET, TNT)
The Lakers and Nuggets will open the TNT doubleheader on NBA Opening Night.
The Nuggets’ quest to repeat as champs begins in earnest on Opening Night, and in a related issue, Nikola Jokic’s effort to win a third Kia MVP in four years starts as well. The Joker has a good argument for being the best player in the game, and he’s just touching his prime.
He manhandled the Lakers last spring in the Western Conference Finals (with a big assist from Jamal Murray) and L.A. doesn’t have anyone equipped to handle him in the post or on the perimeter.
As the Nuggets begin the season on a Rocky Mountain high, we might witness, once again, how the Joker is the best card in the deck.
Here’s what to watch for:
1. Ring Ceremony. It’s time to “ring” in the new year with the obligatory ceremony and banner hoist, which will be a first for the Nuggets franchise, while old hat for commissioner Adam Silver, who has the annual honor of crowning the defending champs.
Everyone’s curious as to what the bling will look like. The size and scope (and diamond count) of the jewelry gets more outlandish every year. If the trend continues, the Nuggets’ ring will give new meaning to the term “rocky.”
Hopefully, the Nuggets sent invites to all the former franchise greats who laid the foundation, from David Thompson to Alex English to Fat Lever.
2. LeBron James begins Season 20. It starts with an aim to bring the same bounce and overall excellent game as he did last season, with one difference: Play more than 55 games. Yes, as LeBron keeps defying age, he also must defy injury.
Since joining the Lakers, he has played only one so-called full season, and that was the bubble year. All signs are positive right now, but that’s expected — the wear and tear hasn’t begun yet.
Expect LeBron to produce Tuesday the way and on the level we’ve come to expect from him. Even then, it’s amazing he remains a top-10 player in this league at his age and this deep into his career. The Lakers just hope he grabs a win on Tuesday, not a body part. 
3. Non-troversy. How much do we make of the beef stemming from the Nuggets’ behavior after ousting the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals? To recap, Nuggets coach Michael Malone harped on attention paid to L.A. before, during and even after that series was over.
It was a bit over the top by Malone, but he was targeting social media, not the Lakers themselves.
Anyway, LeBron and Anthony Davis took exception, as athletes do (they invent bulletin board material even when none exists). Therefore, expect some spice during this game and a bit of motivation displayed by the Lakers, if only to roust themselves against the defending champs. Crazy thing is, it might work. The Lakers are better armed, bringing in new offseason additions, than they were last May.
Prediction: Lakers win.
Suns-Warriors (10 ET, TNT)
The Suns and Warriors will cap off the TNT doubleheader on NBA Opening Night.
While we wait until April to see if Golden State and/or Phoenix are the best the West has to offer, from an entertainment standpoint, it doesn’t get much better than this. This tipoff won’t lack for buckets and sensational shot-making.
Kevin Durant is a four-time scoring champ. Stephen Curry has one scoring title and is the all-time maker of 3-pointers. Devin Booker has five games of 50-plus, including 71 points. Klay Thompson has four 50-pluses, one 60-pointer. Bradley Beal went back-to-back seasons averaging 30-plus points. Chris Paul remains an elite passer.
First team to 140 wins?
Here’s what to watch for:
1. Welcome back, KD. Durant finally gets the chance to play a real game on the road against his former team. Injuries denied him all but once since leaving the Warriors in 2019. That one game at Chase Center was during the pandemic. Fans weren’t allowed in the building.
They should be polite when KD is introduced, likely with a syrupy video tribute. The man did help put two banners in the rafters.
Once the ball goes up, everything changes. Andrew Wiggins will likely be the first line of defense for KD, although it would be more interesting if Draymond Green, assuming good health, plays and gets a few licks. Either way, it’ll be tough for Golden State. The old arena in Oakland was the exclusive home domain during KD’s time with the Warriors; now it’s his chance to stretch his legend across the Bay.
2. Booker over Klay. Has Booker replaced Thompson as the league’s premier shooting guard? Seems so, per general managers. Book is pure and in his prime, capable of swishing from both mid-range and deep, although at his best he was never in Klay’s class from 3-point range.
Because of his shooting diversity, Book should thrive in 2023-24 whenever defenses lock in on Durant and Beal. On Tuesday, we get a sneak peek at how the Warriors will pick their poison.
As for Thompson, he had a rough postseason last spring, especially against the Lakers. His ability to recapture his pre-injury splash glory will be crucial not only in this game but also this season. He’s looking to settle any skepticism about his future and secure a contract extension from a team that seems perpetually locked in luxury-tax land.
3. Warriors’ D. The Warriors plan to use the three-guard rotation of Thompson, Curry and Paul extensively, which should do wonders for their offense. All of them are gifted creators, skilled at mid-range and can also space the floor.
But the risk is on defensive, where Phoenix will provide a big challenge. Curry and Paul are small-ish guards who could suffer while trying to check bigger players, while Thompson’s defense isn’t what it was a few years ago.
Also, consider that Golden State was rather poor defensively through much of last season, allowing 46.8% shooting and ranking 21st out of 30 in points surrendered. The Suns’ backcourt of Book and Beal might drop 50-plus most nights. That’s a chore for even the best defensive teams. For the Warriors? It might be insurmountable.
Prediction: Suns win.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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