It’s finally that time of year. The time has come to start lacing up your kicks, dusting off that jersey in the back of your closet, grabbing your favorite snacks and drinks, and calling a few friends to let them know the news. Basketball is back.
The NBA season is set to kick off tonight, with two primetime Western Conference matchups. The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder face off against a revamped Houston Rockets team now led by former MVP Kevin Durant at 6 p.m. Then at 9 p.m., the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Doncic face off against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
The matchup I am most excited for is without a doubt the Thunder versus the Rockets, as both teams are primed to fight for the top spot in the Western Conference. With the Oklahoma City coming off their first NBA title as the Thunder and bringing back its core to try and run it back, they are the clear favorites to win the title this season. After finishing the season with its best record since 2019, the Rockets came up short, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Warriors. The Rockets decided that after the immense disappointment at the end of the season, they needed to go all in on winning a title and capitalize on their newfound success with their relatively young core. They did just that, making a blockbuster trade for former MVP and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen. The move transformed the team from one that could likely make a good playoff push again this season to one that can contend for a Western Conference title and potentially an NBA title.
Both teams were top defensive teams last season and made their mark on the defensive side of the ball. The Thunder were the best defense in basketball last season and proved it with their constant physicality and hustle on the ball. The Rockets also excelled on the defensive side of the ball, finishing with the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA last season. The difference between the two teams was their ability to generate offense, specifically through their stars. The Thunder had MVP winner and NBA scoring-champ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading them, while the Rockets didn’t really have a person they could give the ball to and just tell them, “Go score.” Last season, the Thunder won the series 3-2 in the regular season matchups against the Rockets, and I’m expecting similar results. The Thunder are a well-oiled machine, and it’s going to be hard to stop them this season, especially if a team is still trying to find out how they work together with the new pieces they added, like the Rockets are. One thing that is for certain is that Thunder vs. Rockets is the game to watch on opening night.
The second, and less interesting, game of opening night is between two storied franchises in the Lakers and the Warriors. With the Lakers undergoing a change of guard as superstar LeBron James comes closer and closer to retirement, there are a lot of questions as to if the team can make one last push for a title. The Warriors are in the same boat, except they aren’t starting their rebuild; instead, they are trying to use experience to make one last title push before their window with Curry closes.
Both franchises have high hopes after making moves in the offseason in hopes of competing in the stacked Western Conference. The Warriors added even more experience to their already older roster, and the Lakers signed big man DeAndre Ayton to try to complement Doncic.
The Lakers will be without James as he is dealing with a sciatica issue, it marks the first time in his 23-year career that he will miss the season opener. Though I’m not expecting the injury to make much of a difference in the outcome of the game. The Warriors have more depth than the Lakers, and their defensive prowess should give them the advantage over a Lakers team that was horrible defensively last season.
NBA opening day is one of my favorite times of the year, and this slate of games is the perfect way to start the 2025-26 season off with a bang.