What Can We Learn From the NBA's Opening Night?
by Joseph King | by Steve Ashfield
The Nuggets are still the team to beat
Other teams drew a lot of attention in the offseason such as the Bucks with the acquisition of Dame Lillard, the Suns who formed a ‘big three’ with the addition of Beal and the Warriors and Celtics both adding household names in the form of Chris Paul and Kristaps Porzingis.
Denver, meanwhile, flew under the radar somewhat in the offseason due to the lack of any big, headline-grabbing moves. However, they demonstrated on opening night in a 119-107 victory over the Lakers that the defending champions are indeed still very much at the top of the pile. The bookmakers had the Nuggets at around the third to fourth favorite in the offseason to repeat as champions.
Here’s a quick look at the current top-five favorites after the first two nights of NBA action. Remember, you can head to SportyTrader’s NBA betting odds page to find and compare the latest odds from the bookmakers:
- Milwaukee Bucks - 4.50
- Boston Celtics - 5.00
- Denver Nuggets - 5.50
- Phoenix Suns - 7.00
- LA Lakers and Golden State - 13.00
Odds taken from bet365
See the latest NBA odds at bet365!
Denver has the best starting five in the NBA
This isn’t exactly new information considering Denver won the title last season, but they just gave the national audience a reminder of how good they are. Murray, KCP, Porter Jr, Gordon and Jokic were fantastic against Los Angeles in a 119-107 victory on opening night. They combined for 97 points and three of the starting five registered 20+ points. This team has the best continuity in the league as they return all five starters from last season. While there are certainly some valid concerns over their bench depth, if this team can stay healthy we just might see the first back-to-back NBA champions since the 2018 Warriors.
| Team | Lineup | Minutes | Off Rating | Def Rating | Net Rating | True Sht % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | Murray, KCP, Porter Jr, Gordon, Jokic | 706 | 123.3 | 111.2 | 13.1 | 63.4 |
| Boston | Horford, Smart, Brown, Tatum, White | 432 | 124.0 | 111.8 | 12.2 | 64.4 |
| Philadelphia | Tucker, Harden, Harris, Embiid, Melton | 519 | 120.2 | 112.4 | 7.9 | 65.1 |
| New York | Brunson, Randle, Barrett, Robinson, Grimes | 526 | 123.8 | 117.1 | 6.7 | 61.3 |
| Atlanta | Capela, Collins, Murray, Young, Hunter | 738 | 115.9 | 110.6 | 5.3 | 57.5 |
The table above shows the top five teams from the 2022/23 season sorted by net rating, with a minimum of 400 minutes played.
Claim your welcome bonus today!
The Suns have a deceptively good defense
The Suns have their defense and some timely playmaking by Devin Booker to thank for their 108-104 win over the Warriors on Tuesday night. Much has been made of Phoenix having the last true ‘big-three’ in the NBA, which is naturally going to have fans salivating over the potential offensive production between Booker, Durant and Beal. However, the departure of DeAndre Ayton had left many concerned over their defensive steel in the paint.
What might prove to be two massive additions showed their value last night as former Trail Blazers Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks provided excellent rim protection and defensive physicality. Additionally, Josh Okogie is a defensive stud as he displayed yet again in this game, chasing and hounding Steph Curry around the floor on a night where the deadly sharpshooter shot 8 for 20 and 4 for 14 from three. They held a Warriors team that ranked third in scoring last season and went 33-8 at home to 35.6% shooting and 23.3% from three at the Chase Center.
Bet on the latest NBA odds at Vbet!
Wembanyama might need some time, but will be fantastic
On his podcast, Paul George echoed Draymond Green’s thoughts on French rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama, stating, “Worst case, he’s going to be one of the best shot blockers.” The sentiment was made abundantly clear when the 2.24m Wembanyama blocked Kyrie Irving’s shot just 35 seconds into his NBA debut when the Spurs played the Mavericks on Wednesday night.
However, it’s looking increasingly likely that Wembanyama will be much, much more than just the best shot blocker in the NBA. The 19-year-old is the unicorn to end all unicorns. He can simply do things that shouldn't seem possible for a man of his size. Upon sinking his first three of the game, it also became clear that he can get his shot up and over anybody in the league as his height and high release point make him essentially unblockable. ‘Wemby’ is truly a generational talent and it’s going to be must-see TV every time the Spurs take to the court.
Wembanyama finished his debut with a stat line of:
- 15 points (6-9 shooting)
- 3-5 from three-point range
- 5 rebounds
- 2 assists
- 2 steals
- 1 block
You can follow along with Wembanyama and the Spurs' performance all season with our NBA Livescore tool!
Take advantage of this exciting bonus!
Pelicans and Thunder teams to watch in the West
The Pels gave a reminder that they can certainly contend in the Western Conference with a 111-104 win away from home against Memphis. Remember, this was a team that was actually top of the Western Conference last season before a nightmare January saw them drop from second to 10th-place in the congested West standings. The reason was clear and has been something that has haunted New Orleans over the years: injuries. Zion Willamson and Brandon Ingram both couldn’t stay on the floor. Wednesday night gave a taste of what they are capable of when healthy. The starting five combined for a total of 91 points with Zion’s 23 leading the way.
The Thunder’s young roster (third youngest in the NBA) is coming along nicely. They have Chet Holmgren back healthy after missing the entirety of his rookie year. The pulse of the team is a legitimate MVP-level player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who made an incredible jump last season from 24.5 points per game to 31.4. SGA stuffed the stat sheet in the Thunder’s opener, dropping 31 points, dishing out 10 assists, grabbing five rebounds and chipping in with a block and two steals on defense. It was another reminder to the NBA public that this 25-year-old from Toronto is right up there when discussing the best guards in the game. Head to our NBA betting tips page to see our experts’ thoughts when these two teams take to the court!
