NBA: Ranking the top 5 must-watch games from the 2023-24 opening week
Ranking the top 5 matchups heading into the opening week of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Dear NBA fans, if you haven’t somehow heard or seen the news, clear out everything on your calendar for the final week of October, because the NBA season is officially beginning. October 24th marks the start of the 78th NBA season, and with it come new challenges, new opportunities, and new experiences, for teams, players, and fans alike.
The season will be played until the 14th of April, with the All-Star weekend being held in mid-February. This season will see some new additions, like the installment of the in-season tournament, spanning from November 3rd to December 9th, with all games except the final counting toward the regular season standings.
A lot is in store for this exciting period of time. While you might want to watch your favorite team play, or maybe your most hated team, we present you with our ranking of the top 5 must-watch games of the opening week that you shouldn’t miss! Are you ready?
5. The opening battle – Lakers vs. Nuggets – Tuesday, October 24 @ 7:30 p.m. ET)
To open up the 2023-24 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers will match up against the freshly baked champions of the world, the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers, led by arguably the greatest player of all time, LeBron James, and his sidekicks Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and a couple of new faces will face the Nuggets, led by horse race enthusiast and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, rising star Jamal Murray, high-flying Aaron Gordon and Mr. “I don’t pass the ball” Michael Porter Jr.
The Nuggets went 53-29 in the regular season, securing the 1st seed and eventually winning the championship, while the Lakers made the playoffs as the 7th seed, through the play-in tournament. They surprisingly made it to the conference finals, but were bounced by the Nuggets in four games.
This game represents much more than just a regular season game, it shows the readiness of the players at the start, the passion. It will be a display of rugged basketball reminiscent of their matchup in the playoffs this past season. LeBron is entering his last few seasons, this game is just another chance to witness his greatness. This will be one of the final opening games, possibly the last one we will watch him play. Jokic needs to remind the world why the Nuggets won the chip, why they swept the Lakers, and why he is the best player in the world.
The world champion Nuggets will also receive their championship rings, forever cementing their legacy for themselves. This game is more than a statement game. It’s the beginning of a new chapter.