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Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets Opening Night Preview

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s back! The NBA regular season is set to kick off on Tuesday, marking the first time since March 11th of this year that a game was played in an arena and not inside the Orlando bubble. And we get to see Steph Curry and Kevin Durant go head-to-head for the first time since OKC blew their 3-1 lead to the Warriors.

Without Klay Thompson, the Golden State fans have to temper their expectations a bit, but this is still an excellent roster. Only two players (Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore) have played since last year’s stoppage, but there is still some serious optimism. A healthy Curry can be a massive game-changer, and the addition of Kelly Oubre gives them another athletic wing who can score and defend.

Meanwhile, the Nets have an interesting situation of their own. Several of their key guys, and four of five starters, opted out of the Orlando bubble. So, for Brooklyn, it’s almost a brand-new situation. But, they have two superstars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the way, with a bench suddenly laden with talented guys like Landry Shamet and Taurean Prince.

The opening night spread favors the home Nets by 7.5 points. The over/under is set at 231. Tip-off is at 7:00 P.M. Eastern.

Warriors Returning to Glory

It will be great to see the Warriors on the court again, finally. Curry got healthy right before the league stoppage last season but could only log one game in March. So, he may be a bit out of rhythm coming off a season in which he only played five games. His play is what will decide the team’s ceiling.

Golden State took James Wiseman with the second overall pick. The rookie is expected to contribute right away, and has a strong chance to win Rookie of the Year honors.

Andrew Wiggins will need to be a strong contributor night after night. Wiggins can fill up the scoreboard on any given night but has shown a lack of consistency throughout his career. Joining a new team may be what he needs to get back on track.

Veterans like Bazemore, Curry, and Wanamaker will look to set the tone for a lot of the team’s younger guys early in a season with playoff expectations. Oh, and though he’s probably out tonight, they still have Draymond.

Nets Built to Contend

If you look at the bubble Nets and the current roster, you may have to do a triple-take with how much talent the roster possesses. Spencer Dinwiddie, Irving, Durant, and DeAndre Jordan are all back. Brooklyn added Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Landry Shamet to bolster their depth and improve the talent.

Caris LeVert was putting up monster numbers when we last saw him, and he’s now the team’s sixth man. LeVert saw a five-point per game increase in his productivity from a year ago. If Brooklyn can realistically keep their two superstars healthy, a trip to the NBA Finals could very well happen for them.

Steve Nash is set to make his coaching debut. Jacque Vaughn is back to being an assistant (the highest paid in the NBA in his role), and Mike D’Antoni and Amar’e Stoudemire, Nash’s old Phoenix guys, are on his staff.

The Pick is In: Nets Start 1-0

Durant has been hard at work rehabbing his Achilles injury so he can return to play this season. Look for him to dominate out of the gate, setting the tempo for a strong run through the Eastern Conference and a march towards the Finals.

FREE PLAY: Brooklyn Nets (-7.5).

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