NBA Preseason: 5 Games to watch out for this week (7 Oct to 13 Oct)

This NBA preseason demands considerable attention
This NBA preseason demands considerable attention

With a seismic offseason now behind us, it's time to get used to the latest team lineups and switched allegiances. And nothing provides a better opportunity to get accustomed to the new trends than some exciting tuneup preseason matchups.

The immense magnitude of player transfers and the shocking nature of the proceedings in July have left us all eager to witness the results. The regular season kicks off on October 22nd with a mouth-watering Clippers-Lakers clash in store. But until we get our hands on the 2019-20 regular season, let's take a look at what's lined up for us in the coming week.

In this piece, we will skim through some of the much-awaited preseason clashes scheduled to take place this week, so let's get to it.


#1 Houston Rockets vs Toronto Raptors - October 8, Tuesday (6:00 AM ET)

Westbrook hasn't played in any of Houston's preseason clashes yet
Westbrook hasn't played in any of Houston's preseason clashes yet

As an integral part of the NBA Japan Games, Houston will take on the reigning champions in what would be their third preseason bout. They romped through the Shanghai Sharks, followed by a 109-96 win over the Los Angeles Clippers (with neither Kawhi Leonard nor Paul George playing). James Harden has been looking solid through all of his appearances so far, which included a 37-point show against LA.

The Toronto Raptors would be taking the floor for the first time this year, after leading a dreamy title run last season, and get a taste of NBA basketball with Kawhi. Entering into the final year of his contract, Lowry recently signed a 1-year contract extension worth $31 million with the Raptors, clarifying any possible doubts about this player-franchise relationship. Not many expect Toronto to be as competitive as they were last year, but then again, one could never count out a defending champion straight off the bat.

The Raptors and Rockets are scheduled to meet twice during the regular season, with the first bout coming on December 5 followed by a repeat on April 5.

#2 Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers - October 8, Tuesday (10:30 PM ET)

Denver and Portland have an exciting recent postseason history
Denver and Portland have an exciting recent postseason history

It was a C.J. McCollum floater that saw the Portland Trail Blazers through during the Western Conference Semis Game 7 against Denver Nuggets last season. The West's 2nd seed were dragged to a seven-game series before being eliminated via a heart-wrenching defeat down the stretch.

These two teams will battle it out yet again to tip-off their 2019-20 campaign in the form of a warmup preseason matchup this week. Scheduled to be held at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon, this preseason clash would be the first of five for the Blazers before they move on to their regular season run.

One of the highlights could be presented in the form of 7'2 center Bol Bol of the Denver Nuggets who might want to use this occasion to audition for more minutes when actual meaningful basketball commences in a few weeks.


#3 Utah Jazz vs Milwaukee Bucks - October 9, Wednesday (8:00 PM ET)

The Bucks are still in the running to be the East's best
The Bucks are still in the running to be the East's best

The Utah Jazz romped through the Adelaide 36ers 133-88, led by Tony Bradley's emphatic double-double and are in line to face the mighty Bucks up next. Utah went with an understaffed starting lineup of Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rookie Nigel Williams-Goss, Ed Davis and Jeff Green, clearly outlining their intention to rest Donovan Mitchell after his grueling FIBA campaign.

On the other hand, the Bucks will go head-to-head against Zach LaVine and his Bulls on October 7 before facing the Jazz. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are both still reeling from their respective devastating FIBA World Cup runs, and it'd be of paramount concern to the Milwaukee franchise to get them adequate mental space before they take it to the league.

#3 Brooklyn Nets vs Los Angeles Lakers - October 10, Thursday (7:30 AM ET)

Lakers have already sent a warning to the rest of the league via the Warriors rout
Lakers have already sent a warning to the rest of the league via the Warriors rout

The NBA preseasons are usually dull, routine affairs with rarely any major breakthroughs to follow. However, when Coach Vogel fielded both LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the floor against an adequately-staffed Warriors squad, the ensuing battle left us with numerous storylines to follow. The Los Angeles Lakers are good, but more importantly, they made the Warriors look worse.

In what was their first preseason clash of this year against the Sesi Franca (not featuring Kyrie Irving), the Nets showed no visible signs of struggle as Taurean Prince and Dzanan Musa carried them through for an effortless win.

Both the teams (when playing at full strength) are contenders to make a run for the title, and it would be interesting to see how they match up against each other.


#5 Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers - October 10, Thursday (10:30 PM ET)

The West is as competitive as it could be
The West is as competitive as it could be

The Los Angeles Clippers were already good enough to bother Warriors in the postseason last year. And then they added two of the best two-way players in the league this year.

Heading into the 2019-20 season with the best odds to lift the title, the organization is taking all steps necessary to draw the most out of this well-assembled roster. In their two preseason games so far, coach Doc Rivers has laid out starting lineups made of Landry Shamet, Patrick Beverley, JaMychal Green, Ivica Zubac, Terance Mann, Maurice Harkless, and Jerome Robinson, in hopes of finding the right fit to support the main crew headed by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The Nuggets, on the other hand, would be looking to start from where they left off last season, and that would be to dominate the West and carry forward the consistency into the playoffs this time around.

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Edited by Raunak J