The NBA has released the schedules for every team. There are 82 or 83 games in the regular season depending on if the team makes it to the finals of the in-season tournament. There are so many games in a season that the games that take place before Christmas Day can get lost in the shuffle.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A game in November can be just as important as a game in April. The early season games can set the tone for the year. So, what are the most important early match-ups for Phoenix this year?
Opening Night
The Phoenix Suns play at the Golden State Warriors on opening night. The Warriors are one of the best teams in the western conference and have a great offense. One of the question marks for the Suns going into the season is how good will the defense be. This game will be a great test of that defense.
The other story line in this match-up is the Suns going against their former point guard, Chris Paul. Will Suns’ fans be left with regret watching Paul as he passes to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson?
Beat LA!! Beat LA!!
The Suns have two early season match-ups against the Los Angeles Lakers. The first one is October 26th in Los Angeles. The second one is in Phoenix on November 10th. The Lakers made it to the western conference finals last year and will be a great test for the Suns. The Suns don’t have a big roster. How will they deal with the size and strength of a team like the Lakers?
The Champ is Here!
On December 1st, the Phoenix Suns host the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets. This will be their first match-up since Denver eliminated Phoenix from the playoffs last season.
Will DeAndre Ayton be able to contain Nikola Jokic? How will Bradley Beal provide the missing piece to help the Suns score enough against Denver? Does Frank Vogel have the right defensive plan to slow down the defending champs?
So many questions that we will begin to get answers to in that first match-up of the year.
Light the Beam!
The surprise team of last season was the Sacramento Kings. They came out of no where to become the third seed in the western conference. In the playoffs, they pushed the Warriors to a game seven before being eliminated. They have tasted the playoffs and will be thirsty for more.
The Kings are a young team that can play at an incredibly fast pace at times. Will the Kings pace expose a weakness for the Suns?
This match-up takes place on December 22nd. This is almost two months into the season. The Suns should have an identity at this point in the year. What will that identity be? Will the Suns be one of the best teams in the league or a star-studded disappointment?
These early season match-ups will give the basketball world a preview of how the season will go.
