The NBA season is officially here, and fans get a treat with a nationally televised three-game opening day slate. With some of the league’s most intriguing storylines and players, they are bound to be entertaining. Here are my predictions for these star-studded matchups.
Celtics shut down Cunningham
I wasn’t a huge fan of either of these teams’ offseasons. For the Boston Celtics, the big move was getting rid of former Finals MVP forward Jaylen Brown and replacing him with a 36-year-old forward Paul George.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think George is a productive player who fits the Celtics’ scheme of getting up lots of threes, but the fact that they could have gotten two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, but chose not to, doesn’t sit right with me.
As for the Detroit Pistons, they didn’t do much to address the lack of creation outside of guard Cade Cunningham. Last season, the offensive scheme was to give Cunningham the ball and let him cook. That just isn’t sustainable against good teams, and it’s why I think the Celtics will win this one.
If Boston can shut down Cunningham, it shuts down the offense. It has multiple great perimeter defenders like guards Derrick White, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman who can make it hard on Cunningham. Even players like George and forward Jayson Tatum are really underrated defenders.
Detroit also boasts a great defense, but the lack of creation will hold it back. I also don’t know how center Jalen Duren will look after a terrible playoff run and a long offseason of contract disputes. If he has a good game, it could end up closer, but I think the Celtics have the defensive infrastructure to limit his impact.
Knicks defend MSG from Sixers invasion
The Philadelphia 76ers had a very exciting offseason, adding Brown and forward LeBron James. Factor in All-NBA caliber players like guard Tyrese Maxey and center Joel Embiid, as well as unanimous All-Rookie First Team selection VJ Edgecombe, and there are suddenly high expectations for this team.
While I think the Sixers will have success during the regular season, it’s hard to face the defending champs in your first game together. Playing the well-oiled machine that is the New York Knicks might be difficult while they are still figuring out the dynamics of the team.
Also, it’s not like New York hasn’t seen talented teams before. It looked in control in the finals against the San Antonio Spurs. A lot of that had to do with center Karl-Anthony Towns limiting center Victor Wembanyama at times. Even though guard Jalen Brunson won Finals MVP, I think Towns was their best player for the majority of that series.
Going up against Embiid, I think Towns can prove effective yet again. Embiid isn’t the same player as his MVP form a few years ago, mostly due to lingering knee issues. Towns’ ability to pull the center to the perimeter with his shooting while also putting the ball on the floor will cause problems for Embiid.
Factoring in forward OG Anunoby and guards Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, who are able to defend any Sixers player on switches, it could be hard for their offense to get into rhythm. I don’t think this will be an easy game by any means, and I could see Philadelphia winning. However, I give New York the edge because of chemistry and experience competing against great teams.
Spurs deny Thunder revenge
I think this will be the most competitive game of opening day. Both of these teams have something to prove. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, they likely want revenge after losing to the Spurs in game seven of the conference finals. In that series, they were without key contributor guard Ajay Mitchell, and All-NBA guard Jalen Williams was not healthy.
For the Spurs, they likely want to remind people that they were a few good runs away from being NBA champions. I do think that there is no real answer for Wembanyama, and as we saw in the playoffs, center Chet Holmgren is not up to the challenge of guarding him.
Playing this game at home, with what is sure to be a packed house, Wembanyama will pick up right where he left off against the Thunder. It seems like he turns up the intensity when going up against Holmgren, truly a one-sided beef.
Oklahoma City will not be an easy matchup, though. It is extremely well-rounded and led by one of the best players in the world, guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Getting a healthy Williams back is huge as well, as his size and physicality can cause issues on switches.
On the other side, guard Stephon Castle is bound for a year-three breakout. He is already one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and has continued to grow offensively.
Not to mention the sleeping giant on the Spurs bench that is guard Dylan Harper. We don’t know if he will start or not, but Harper was one of the best Spurs players during their finals run as a rookie. Even if guard De’Aaron Fox starts, he can still be impactful.
Speaking of Fox, I think he can bounce back after a disastrous postseason, but dealing with defensive menaces like guards Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso might make that tougher.
With so much talent on each roster, this game is definitely a toss-up. Also, the Spurs had the Thunder’s number last season, beating them 8 out of 12 times. Oklahoma City can give San Antonio a run for its money, but being at home gives the Spurs an edge.
NBA opening day is Oct. 20, with game one being Celtics at Pistons at 3 p.m. Game two is Sixers at Knicks at 7 p.m and the finale is Spurs at Thunder at 9 p.m.