Just 11 weeks after being crowned NBA champions for the 17th time, the Los Angeles Lakers begin the new season with an opening-night clash with LA Clippers on Tuesday.
The Lakers’ finals success at Disney World brought them their first title in 10 years and Frank Vogel’s team will believe they can go back-to-back.
Tuesday can't come soon enough
pic.twitter.com/4PlOiguOru
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 21, 2020
It’s a tough opening test though for Vogel’s men, as they go head-to-head with a Clippers team that made the Western Conference semi-finals last season – eventually losing out to the Denver Nuggets.
Leonard After Another Title
In forward Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers have one of the best players in the league and at the age of 29, he will be eyeing a third NBA title.
Leonard – 5/6 to score over 26.5 points – won the finals with San Antonio in 2014 and then Toronto in 2019 and many in LA believe he is the man to bring the Clippers their first title.
It would be a big statement of intent for the hopefuls to beat the champions at the Staples Center and Tyronn Lue’s team are 27/20 to cause an upset on opening night.
The Lakers won the last two meetings between the sides, with a 112-103 success in March and then recording a 103-101 success in July, after the Clippers took a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Clippers restricted Lebron James to just 44 points across the two games, but the Lakers have other options and Anthony Davis scored 30 and 34 points to help them claim both victories – Davis is 20/23 to score over 25.5 points on Tuesday.
After five straight appearances in the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors finished bottom of the Pacific Division in the 2019-20 season, with a 15-50 record.
After finishing bottom of the pile, the Warriors were handed a lottery pick in the NBA Draft – with Golden State eventually given second pick and were able to bring in 7ft 1in center James Wiseman.
Curry Still the Main Man for Warriors
A lot will rest again on Steph Curry and the impact the Warriors’ guard can have, after missing chunks of last season due to injury. Curry is 1/1 to record over 6.5 assists on Tuesday.
Curry will have to be at his brilliant best if Golden State are to gain an opening-night win, as they face one of the pre-season favourites in the Brooklyn Nets – who are 6/1 to win the NBA Finals.
The Nets – 4/13 in the Moneyline Result market – made the play-offs last term but fell at the first hurdle, losing 4-0 to the Raptors, and have a new man at the helm going into the new season.
Steve Nash has been appointed as the Brooklyn coach and he will hope that Kevin Durrant can play a key role, as the former Warriors power forward goes in search of his third NBA crown.
Durrant up Against Former Side
The 10-time All Star will make his Nets regular season debut against his former team, but insists it is “no more important to him” that he is facing Golden State.
When you consider Durrant will add to a roster that already includes the likes of Kyrie Irving and Jarrett Allen, you can see why Brooklyn are expected to go deep this season.
*All odds correct at time of writing.