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NBA preseason is underway and the 2022-23 campaign starts in a couple of weeks. The 77th NBA regular season will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 18 and end on Sunday, April 9, 2023. As always, each team will play 82 games.
The game to watch out for on opening night is the matchup between the reigning champions Golden State Warriors and the LA Lakers. NBA fans will be in for a treat as they witness another battle between old rivals LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
The NBA also announced its schedule for the postseason. First introduced in the NBA bubble back in 2020, the play-in tournament will be held immediately after the regular season — from April 11-14. The playoffs will start on April 15.
What to expect from the 2022-23 NBA season
The upcoming season could be one of the wildest yet. After several head-turning trades, there are many star-studded teams in both conferences now.
Naturally, the Golden State Warriors will be aiming to defend their championship, however, it is not going to be an easy task for them to repeat.
The Western conference will be as competitive as ever, with the new Minnesota trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert hoping to make a mark. KAT and Gobert will serve as the twin towers for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Other teams could struggle in the paint with those two defending. Towns averaged 1.1 blocks per game, while Gobert had 2.1 blocks per game last season.
Another team in the West looking to bounce back from a poor campaign are the LA Lakers. They may not look like top contenders right now, but the NBA can't sleep on this team. Russell Westbrook has been working on his jumpshot, while Anthony Davis is doing his best to stay healthy. LeBron James is working on the team's chemistry while the rest of the team is working hard to be efficient on both ends.
Looking at how things are going in the Eastern conference, this could be the year the East regains the throne.
For one, we'll be seeing more of the new Philadelphia 76ers duo of James Harden and Joel Embiid. The two superstars did not take too much time building chemistry with each other. With rising star Tyrese Maxey also in the mix, Philly also has a dangerous trio.
The Brooklyn Nets are another team in the East who can make a deep playoff run. It has been reported that Ben Simmons will finally make his Nets debut this preseason against his old team, the 76ers. Fans will be in for a treat if the trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons find a way to play well together.
The 2022-23 season looks set for thrilling contests. We definitely can't wait for tip-off.
Guess the Lakers players!
