NBA: LeBron’s Lakers, Fultz and more big questions after opening week

What to make of the Nuggets, Pelicans?

Through the first week of the season, I don’t think it can be argued that the two best teams in the Western Conference have been the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans. They have been both explosive and impressive through the first few games of the year.

The Nuggets have been led by their league-leading defense in which they have held each of their first three opponents under 100 points. Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris have been explosive on the offensive end, but will have to deal with losing Will Barton for the next few weeks.

The Pelicans have been buoyed by their impressive offense, which has been the best in the NBA through the first week. Anthony Davis is picking up where he left off last season, and Nikola Mirotic has been playing out of his mind, averaging 33 points per game.

Can each of these teams maintain this level? Likely not, but they’ve been interesting, pleasant surprises.