NBA Swing: 10 Must Watch Games for 2022-23 Season

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After several leaks earlier in the week, the NBA released its 2022-23 schedule. The season will begin on October 18th with two exciting opening night matchups including the Philadelphia 76ers v Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers looking to defeat the 2022 champion Golden State Warriors as they receive their rings. The season will end in early April before the play-in tournament and 2023 playoffs begin. While every NBA game is a great watching experience with plenty of exciting moments, the following 10 games will be some of the most ‘must-watch’ games of the 2022-23 season.

Golden State Warriors v Boston Celtics: 12/10/2022

In a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals, the defending champion Golden State Warriors will be facing the Boston Celtics in San Francisco. The last time the two played in San Francisco, the Warriors defeated the Celtics to win the series 4-2. In a busy offseason, the Celtics have made several moves that keep them in the championship conversation. On the other side, the Warriors have lost several key role players while keeping their championship core. Rumors of Boston and the Brooklyn Nets being in trade talks for Kevin Durant have gone around over the last few weeks, although the most recent rumors have noted the talks dying down. The possibility of KD coming to the Celtics would add another layer to this matchup due to his history with Golden State. Regardless of who is on the team come December 10th, the first matchup between Golden State and Boston will be an exciting watch, as well as a potential preview for the 2023 NBA Finals.

Dallas Mavericks v Phoenix Suns 10/19/2022

One of the most exciting matchups to see in the first week of the 2022-23 season will be the matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns in Phoenix. The last time these two teams played was in Phoenix in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. In that game, the Mavericks destroyed the first-seed Suns in one of the most shocking games in recent NBA history. The Mavericks lead at the half by 30 and ended up winning the game by 33 points, sending the Suns home earlier than many expected. With the Mavericks losing Jalen Brunson in the offseason and the Suns’ relationship with DeAndre Ayton being on the rocks, we will see two similar, but very different teams face one another on October 19th.

Brooklyn Nets v Los Angeles Lakers: 01/30/2023

Although the first matchup between the two will take place in November, the second matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers will be a must-watch. In an NBA game in New York, in Brooklyn, a lot of different stories will play into this matchup. Seeing Kevin Durant and LeBron James play against one another has always been an exciting watch and this is just another amazing game to watch between the two. There is a possibility that Durant may not be a member of the Nets by the time, but it is not the biggest story of this matchup. Rumors all summer have linked Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving to the Los Angeles Lakers as both Kyrie and the Lakers want a trade. With this game taking place in Brooklyn, there is no doubt Kyrie may hear the loudest boos of his career if he is rocking purple and gold in January.

Los Angeles Clippers v Golden State Warriors: 11/23/22

This may very well be a preview of the Western Conference Finals. After a full season without Kawhi Leonard, missing Paul George for chunks of the season, and losing in the play-in tournament, the Los Angeles Clippers are expected to be healthy come the beginning of the season. The Clippers have also added John Wall, who is coming off a season and a half of not playing. As of this writing, many sports betting outlets have the Clippers with the second-highest championship odds in the West and fourth overall. The one team standing in front of them is the defending champions, looking to repeat this season. This will be the first of several exciting matchups between the Clippers and Warriors, as the two look to be playing deep into June.

Boston Celtics v Milwaukee Bucks: 12/25/2022

The first games to be leaked for the 2022-23 NBA season were some of the Christmas Day games. One of these matchups is between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference: the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, coincidentally the teams with the two highest odds of winning the 2023 NBA Championship. Last season, these two teams were competing for top seeds in the east before having one of the best series of the 2022 playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. After a long and hard-fought seven-game series riddled with injuries, the Boston Celtics eliminated the 2021 NBA champions. Looking to Christmas Day, both teams should be completely healthy, with Bucks star Khris Middleton being the key player out from the series. With several roster changes occurring in the offseason, this Christmas Day matchup could be the first look at the Eastern Conference Finals come May.

Memphis Grizzlies v Golden State Warriors: 12/25/2022

The second Christmas Day matchup on this list has the Warriors against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies surprised many last season, heading into the playoffs as the second seed and above the Golden State Warriors. When the two teams met in the Western Conference Semifinals, there was plenty of tension and storylines including Gary Payton II’s injury, Dillon Brooks’ suspension, ‘the whoop that trick’ story, and more. Players have gone back and forth on social media during the offseason as fans have clamored to see that matchup announced. Easily the two most must-see point guards in the league, Steph Curry and Ja Morant, as well as their respective teams, are going to give fans in the arena and all over the world one of the best games of the season.

Minnesota Timberwolves v Utah Jazz: 12/9/2022

The biggest trade of the 2022 offseason so far saw the Utah Jazz trade All-Star Center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package including players and multiple first-round draft picks. Adding Gobert alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards has many seeing the Wolves as a team expected to make a big leap this season, especially on the defensive end. For Utah, the team is in the early stages of a rebuild as superstar Donovan Mitchell is expected to be traded at some point, most likely to the New York Knicks. By the time these two teams meet in December, the Jazz could very well be in full rebuild mode. With the game taking place in Utah, it will be interesting to see the reception Rudy Gobert gets after spending nine seasons with the team.

Brooklyn Nets v Philadelphia 76ers: 11/22/2022

Last season, the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers were the two teams struggling due to players not playing. Kyrie Irving did not play for half the season and Ben Simmons did not play for the Sixers last season before being traded. Irving’s decision to not play the first half of the season played a role in James Harden’s frustration and trade to Philly for Simmons. Even after the trade to Brooklyn, Ben Simmons has still not played a game, missing the entire season and playoffs. Looking to this season, Simmons is expected to be healthy. With this November matchup taking place in Philadelphia, the key storyline of this matchup will be the reception Ben Simmons gets as a player. There is no telling if Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving will be in Nets uniforms come November, but this matchup will still be one of the most must-see of the season.

New Orleans Pelicans v Phoenix Suns: 10/28/2022

One western conference team expected to make a jump this season is the New Orleans Pelicans. After a trade for CJ McCollum, the team finished the season with an exciting play-in game that gave them the eighth seed. In the first round of the playoffs, the Pelicans faced off against the first-seed Phoenix Suns. With the Suns losing Devin Booker early on, the Pelicans were able to take the Suns to six games. New Orleans accomplished all of that last season without Zion Williamson. Williamson is expected to be back and healthy for the start of the season. This early season matchup will be key in determining what both teams can accomplish this season. With the Suns still seen as one of the better teams in the West and having the fifth-best odds of winning the 2023 championship, this rematch from the Western Conference Quarterfinals will be one of the most underrated games in the early weeks of the 2022-23 season.

Miami Heat v Boston Celtics: 10/21/2022

One of the most exciting matches in the first week of the season for the Eastern Conference will be a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami and Boston had a long seven-game series, with Boston taking Game 7 by only four points. Miami and Boston are looking to remain at the top of the Eastern Conference as other teams are clawing for those positions. Boston has one of the best rosters in the league and Miami is still one of the hardest-working teams in the league. The Heat will have a healthy Kyle Lowry going into the season, something that may have changed the course of the Eastern Conference Finals. This season, Miami will have many competitors trying to finish at the top of the East, with Boston being their biggest competitor. The winner of this early season matchup will not only win the first game of their series but hold a psychological edge over the other as they could meet each other in the Eastern Conference Finals again.