OPENING NIGHT PREVIEW

NBA Opening Night is upon us and there are a couple exciting match-ups to start the year. Many contenders like Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Houston and Denver will have the night off. Despite this, the NBA did a good job of putting two competitive match-ups together to start the year off right. It features two possible playoff teams battling it out and another match up for city supremacy. Now its time to breakdown each team that is playing and say who opens with a win.

The Toronto Raptors vs. The New Orleans Pelicans

Why the Raps could win

• This will be the first game since the Raptors won the NBA title last June.
• Kawhi has left and Danny Green is gone, which means this team has a ton to prove.
• The emotions will be running high and Toronto will want to give their fans something to cheer for.
• This team is more battle tested from playoff experience and won’t be overwhelmed by the moment.

Why the Pelicans could win

• The Pelicans are a young hungry team looking to prove they can make playoffs.
• Players like Lonzo, Ingram and Josh Hart want to show the Lakers made a mistake moving them.
• Zion may be out, but that means they are coming in as major underdogs.
• JJ Redick shot really well vs. the Raptors last year with Philadelphia and could continue to do so.

Who will win the game and why?

• This a statement game for Siakam and Lowry to show they are all-star caliber guys for this team.
• The Pelicans without Zion will not be able to match Toronto’s depth on both ends of the floor.
• The Pelicans will struggle with chemistry early on, including on opening night with so many new pieces.

The Los Angeles Lakers vs. The Los Angeles Pelicans

Why the Lakers could win

• Lets face it the Lakers have not run LA for most of this decade.
• The Clippers snaked Kawhi from the Lakers and they will be looking to make a statement.
• Lebron and AD will want to prove they are the superior duo and team in Los Angeles.
• The Lakers want to show the their role players can help lead them to a championship.

Why the Clippers could win

• The Clippers want to prove Los Angeles is their city now and will continue to be moving forward.
• The media has questioned whether Kawhi is the best in the world and he wants to prove he is.
• The Clippers may be written off because Paul George is out and the role guys will step up.
• The Clippers can lock teams up defensively and could smother everyone around Lebron and AD.

Who will win the game and why?

• This is a game that Lebron and the Lakers simply want to win more than Kawhi and the Clippers.
• The Lakers will have two stars playing compared to one for the Clippers.
• Danny Green will have a big night against his former teammate Kawhi.

Final Score: LA Lakers 112 LA Clippers 107