We are now just days away from the start of the 2024/25 NBA season, and fans are rightly excited for a program that will run all the way to June. There are, of course, always plenty of narratives that go on throughout preseason, but might we say that the offseason was a bit quiet over the summer? There were trades, sure, and some pretty significant ones, but it felt a little more sanguine than usual.
That said, once the season begins, new narratives will start all over again. Some teams that are expected to do well will struggle, and some we thought would flop will defy the odds. Teams can recover from slow starts, undoubtedly, yet in the early days of October and November traits can appear that characterize a team’s season.
In respect to that, we wanted to pick out some bellwether matchups from the first tranche of games, matchups that could say a lot about each team’s chances of going forward. Let’s look at five key games below:
Knicks @ Celtics October 23rd
What a game to open the new season. As you might expect, the champions are backed in the current NBA lines to go over at TD Garden, but this is not a straightforward task for the Celtics. In fact, there is every argument that this will be the top two in the Eastern Conference come the end of the regular season. The thing is, we know how good the Celtics are – a team primed to repeat, according to sportsbooks and pundits a like – but just how good are the Knicks? They are building something under Tom Thibodeau, so don’t rule out a shock on opening night.
Timberwolves @ Lakers October 23rd
The second game of opening night sees two teams with a host of questions hanging over them. Minnesota lost Karl Anthony-Towns to the Knicks, but they still have enough to be considered elite, especially if Anthony Edwards does what we all expect Anthony Edwards to do. As for the Lakers, everyone expects them to do something in terms of a trade to at least attempt to look competitive. The Lakers get the nod in the spread from sportsbooks, but the more coherent Timberwolves look like a more astute betting pick in this one.
Bucks @ 76ers October 24th
A day later, we see a matchup between what are arguably the other two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Big things are expected from Philadelphia sooner rather than later, and they are betting favorites to win their opening tie against Milwaukee.
After the disappointments of last season and injury struggles into this, many expect the Bucks to be slow starters – so this feels like a 76ers win – yet don’t be surprised if the Bucks get it together later in the season.
Thunder @ Nuggets October 25th
If the Celtics are considered the clear favorites for the NBA Championship in the betting odds, might we say that the Thunder are the most exciting “what-if” team? They were very good last season, and they have arguably improved the most out of elite teams in the summer.
They face the 2023 champions who disappointed last term. Again, the betting lines favor the Nuggets in this one, but Oklahoma could come out of the blocks with a big statement win in their opening game of the season.
Spurs @ Mavericks October 25th
Finishing with the team that finished runners-up last season hosting a team that has been one of the worst in the NBA in recent years. Ostensibly, this is more about the Mavs than the rebuilding Spurs, but all eyes will be on Victor Wembanyama, the game’s hottest prospect and one who is tipped to lead San Antonio out of the wilderness. The Mavs are big favorites in the spread to win this one, but it might not be as comprehensive as some think.
