NBA Swing: It’s Just One Game, Opening Week Edition

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Tuesday night saw the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA season, with the Boston Celtics raising banner number 18 in a win over the New York Knicks followed by the Los Angeles Lakers upsetting the Minnesota Timberwolves. With every team now having a chance to play at least one game, several overreactions can be made for teams.

It’s just one game, but the Wolves have taken a step back

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves would play on opening night of the 2024-25 season against the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 103-110 loss to the Lakers, the Wolves would not look like the team that reached the Western Conference Finals just a handful of months ago. The team would struggle from three, shooting just 31% as a team. Trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, his ability to space the floor was sorely missed in their season opener.

In his first regular-season game with the Wolves, Randle would finish with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. He would shoot just 50% from the field and 1-3 from beyond the arc. Anthony Edwards would finish with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, but did not see much help from the rest of the team. Other than Ant and Randle, no other player with finish with 15 or more points. The Wolves would finish with over 20 turnovers, with the team still adjusting to recent roster moves. Even though the Wolves would win their second game in a very close 117-115 victory against the Sacramento Kings, there are still concerns about the Wolves taking a step back this season.

It’s just one game, but the Bucks do not need Khris Middleton

Given how the 2023-24 season went, there were concerns for the Milwaukee Bucks heading into the 2024-25 season. In their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers (without Joel Embiid and Paul George), the Bucks looked complete, even though they did not have Khris Middleton. Damian Lillard would be the star of the night, leading all scorers with 30 points. He would hit 6 three-pointers and would lead all players in three-pointers made. Giannis Antetokounmpo would finish with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists. New addition Taurean Prince would put up 16 points, shooting 4-5 from three, while other new addition Gary Trent Jr. would finish with 11 points.

At the time of the Bucks opener, Khris Middleton is still rehabbing from offseason ankle surgeries. He has not been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages, with his participation in practices being limited according to Bucks head coach Doc Rivers. With Taurean Prince taking Middleton’s starting role for the time being and having a great start to the season, it’s possible Middleton could not only come off the bench when he returns but be a possible trade candidate for the Bucks.

It’s just one game, but the Celtics could repeat as champions

In the opening game of the 2024-25 season the night they raised their 18th championship banner, the Boston Celtics dominated the New York Knicks. In their 132-109 win over the Knicks, the Celtics were led by Jayson Tatum. Tatum would put his struggles in last season’s playoffs and the Olympics behind him, leading all scorers with 37 points. In addition, Tatum would finish with a game-high 10 assists, with no player on either side finishing with more than 5 assists. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White would finish with 23 and 24 points, respectively. The Celtics would attempt the fifth most threes in an NBA game, attempting 61 three-pointers. They would also tie the record for the most three-pointers made by a team in a game with 29 threes.

The Celtics would dominate on both ends of the court, holding the Knicks stars to low-scoring nights, while leading by as many as 35 points. Boston would look even more unstoppable compared to last season against one of the biggest threats in the East, with their third-best player Kristaps Porzingis being out. Dominating one of the best teams in the conference, Boston has shown they have what it takes to be the first repeating champions since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.

It’s just one game, but the Warriors are better than they were last season

In their season opener against the Portland Trailblazers, the Golden State Warriors got off to a strong start. In their 139-104 demolishing of the Blazers, Golden State got help from everyone without Stephen Curry not having to carry the load of the scoring. Steph would only score 17 points but would dish out 10 assists. Andrew Wiggins would lead the Warriors starters with 20 points, but the Warriors would see significant help off the bench. The biggest performance from the Warriors would come from their biggest offseason addition Buddy Hield. Hield would lead all Warriors with 22 points, shooting 5-7 from three. While some of those threes would be wide open, the rest of those shots would be very similar to those Klay Thompson would take off screens.

Moses Moody, who recently signed a rookie extension, put up 15 as well. Despite not scoring last night, sophomore Brandon Podziemski would finish with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal to contribute to the Warriors’ dominant start to the season. While there were concerns about the Warriors after their rough offseason, their opening night shows this team is deeper and could defy the expectations set for this this season.

It’s just one game, but Nikola Jokic needs help

In their home opener against Oklahoma City, the Denver Nuggets would struggle to keep up with the young Thunder team. Denver would struggle on both ends of the court in the 87-102 loss to the Thunder on Thursday night. The Nuggets would have numerous lapses on the defensive end, giving up several baskets due to their lack of effort. On the offensive end, the Nuggets would struggle to generate offense when Nikola Jokic was on the bench. The team would shoot just 17% from three and 35% from the field.

The three-time MVP would get a quiet triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists. Jamal Murray, who agreed to a four-year, $208 million extension in September would struggle in the Nuggets opener, only finishing with 12 points and 4 assists. Michael Porter Jr. would finish with 15 points, shooting 3-10 from three, while Christian Braun would also finish with 16 points joining the starting lineup. With teams like the Thunder only getting better during the offseason while the Nuggets lost another member of their championship roster, there is a desperate need for Denver to shake up their roster. While the team is stuck in the first apron of the new salary cap, their potential moves are limited. With Murray and Porter still struggling heading into the new season and the team lacking depth, the Nuggets need to make a big move to keep Denver in contention and not waste Nikola Jokic’s prime.