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The Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship in 2019 barely two months ago in June and right now, we are barely two months away from the beginning of the 2019-20 NBA season which kicks-off on October 22nd, 2019.
The offseason has been a whirlwind of major roster changes through free agency. Everyone is anxious for the new season to start. Many questions will be answered once the season starts.
Can Kawhi Leonard and George Paul bring a championship to Los Angeles with the Clippers? How will the champions, the Raptors, fare without The Klaw in their lineup? Are Anthony Davis and LeBron James enough to return the Lakers to championship glory?
While we still have to wait a bit before we can get answers to any of these question, in the meantime, we do have the NBA schedule to peruse and begin to circle key dates that may stand out. On that note, here are the top five games for Week 1 of the new NBA season.
#5 Raptors vs Celtics: October 25th, 2019, 7:00 PM
This contest gives fans a second look at the Boston Celtics, this time against Atlantic Division rival and reigning NBA Champions in the Toronto Raptors. Once again, Boston has good talent. The likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart are a talented group of players. Gordon Hayward will be a second-year removed from his horrific injury and hopefully healthier.
The Toronto Raptors are in the unique position of trying to defend their NBA title without the superstar that made that title victory possible in Kawhi Leonard. The intrigue of this matchup is will the Celtics return to the team we saw in the 2018 playoffs? Also, just how good is or can Pascal Siakam still get? Further, can O.G. Anunoby, now in his third year, have any kind of breakout this season like Siakam did last year for the Raptors?
The Raptors not only have to contend with Leonard’s departure to the Clippers leaving a huge hole in the lineup but also Danny Green signing with the Lakers which may mean a return to a starter's role for Norman Powell. While Powell has struggled in that role before, he did have a solid 2018/19 season.
Both of these teams could be problematic opponents to play against in the East but after 6 years of contending and finally winning a title, it's not sure how the defending champions will respond with a lineup seemingly lighter on talent than last year.
#4 Bucks vs Rockets: October 24th, 2019, 8:00 PM
A Thursday night matchup in Houston between Milwaukee and the Rockets will be awesome. Everyone wants to see if Westbrook and Harden, two ball-dominant guards, can alter their games enough to co-exist on the court together. The last time these two shared an NBA court while in the same team jersey was when both played for the OKC Thunder and lost an NBA Finals in 2012 to the Miami Heat.
There is also the subplot of the reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo against the former MVP James Harden. Will either or both be in contention for that award again? There is also a possibility this could be an NBA Finals matchup in 2020 if things work out a certain way - especially in the West where Houston likely has to contend with the likes of the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Nuggets, and Trail Blazers.
The Bucks are likely to be one of the top teams in the East again and are mostly intact after the offseason saw them lose just Malcolm Brogdon to the Indiana Pacers but re-sign starters Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez. It was also Milwaukee’s coaching staff that devised an interesting exaggerated defense in 2019 designed to force Harden to his weaker right hand, force him to use his almost non-existant mid-range game, and harass him into turnovers.
#3 Nuggets vs Trail Blazers: October 23rd, 2019, 10:00 PM
This will be a replay of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs. In 2019 both of these teams were separated by one game in the regular-season standings with the Nuggets winning 54 games for second overall in the West. They met in the second round of the 2019 playoffs and it was Portland winning the series advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
The real big difference between these two teams is the experience. The Nuggets missed the 2018 NBA Playoffs when they lost to the Timberwolves in the last regular-season game that season. With young stars like Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and others competing in their first postseason in 2019, the knowledge and poise of handling the playoff grind were not on Denver’s side. The 2019/20 season will be a good test to see just how much Denver has grown from their recent playoff exposure.
Portland managed to pull off the seven-game series win without their center Jusuf Nurkic who suffered a horrific broken leg late in March of 2019. If he is healthy to start the 2019/20 season, Nurkic's inside presence combined with a splendid duo of starting guards in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum make Portland a tough team to play.
This game on October 23rd, 2019 will also be a good measure of whether Portland can continue to compete with the West’s elite teams.
#2 Celtics vs 76ers: October 23rd, 2019, 7:30 PM
Night two of the NBA schedule brings a game that will either be a big dud or could see a resurgence from the Boston Celtics. With Kyrie Irving no longer around to cause chemistry problems and badmouth his teammates, the Celtics have a chance to return to the style of basketball that got people hyped about their chances after a 7-game Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018.
Kemba Walker showed signs of an improved shooting stroke in 2019. A sign and trade deal sent point guard Terry Rozier to Charlotte in return of the services of Kemba Walker. If this move pans out, the Celtics are once again a top 4 team in the East and a threat to get through to at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 76ers made big changes as well. J.J. Redick left Philly for the New Orleans Pelicans and a sign and trade was worked out with the Heat sending Jimmy Butler to Miami in exchange for Josh Richardson. Richardson is a younger more coachable asset than Butler and his presence in the lineup should not disrupt center Joel Embiid’s style of play.
Richardson is also a strong defensive player. Overall, Philadelphia is expected to challenge Milwaukee for the top spot in the East. If this game is a tough close victory, needs overtime or becomes a blowout in favor of Boston, it could be an early sign Boston means business in 2019/20.
#1 Lakers vs Clippers: October 22nd, 2019, 10:30 PM
The schedule makers did not waste any time lining a marquee matchup right at the start of the NBA season. Before the NBA Draft, a deal in principle was arranged between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers to send center Anthony Davis to LA.
He joins Kyle Kuzma and LeBron James, but the Lakers had to clear the decks to make the Davis deal work and free up just enough cap room to play in the free agent market.
They have added several new faces like Avery Bradley, Danny Green, DeMarcus Cousins (left ACL injury), and Quinn Cook among others. It will be interesting to see if this team gels and whether they are truly championship caliber.
The Clippers traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and a plethora of draft picks to get Paul George from OKC to ensure they could get Kawhi Leonard’s name on a contract. They have built up a superior roster after an 8th place finish in the West and a playoff appearance in 2019.
Surely, the Clippers will need an adjustment period, like the Lakers, but with the Sixth Man of the Year award winner and a runner up to that award in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell respectively, the Clippers were working with more of a team concept than the Lakers to start with.
Guess the Lakers players!
