Kicking off the 2023-24 NBA season, we will see defending champions Denver Nuggets against the LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The Nuggets, coming off from their first-ever Championship will meet the Lakers head-on after defeating the team last season. The Nuggets had a 4-0 sweep against the Lakers during the Western Conference finals.

Led by center Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets will face off against LeBron James and Co., who have unfinished business with the Nuggets. They will come back to have another go with them and hopefully bag a win this time. There was uncertainty revolving around Lakers’ point guard D’Angelo Russell and whether he would be joining LeBron as a starter for the game after coming off the playoffs on a rough note.

D’Angelo Russell will be starting for the Lakers

D’Angelo Russell has been stepping up his game recently during the preseason and logged at least twenty minutes in the Lakers’ three most recent preseason games. As per coach Darvin Ham, D’Angelo is set to start for the Lakers as the point guard. Russell will start alongside Lebron, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and Taurean Prince. Prince will be starting in place of Jarred Vanderbilt, who will most likely miss out on the opening game due to his heel injury. Jalen Hood-Shifino of the Lakers will also be out due to a knee injury.

After a disappointing finish to the playoffs, Russell has come back with an encouraging start. He has shown promising numbers during the preseason games. In the 129-226 preseason win against the Nets, Russell was able to make 14 points, six assists, two steals, and one rebound across the 16 minutes that he played.

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The Lakers against the Nuggets’ championship-winning lineup

With LeBron in the lead, the Lakers will have a combination of seasoned veterans and young talents maneuvering around the Nuggets’ offensive stalwarts like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Players Anthony Davis will have to step up their defensive plays against the starting lineup of the Nuggets that won their first-ever championship. The Nuggets won’t have Vlatko Cancar on the floor who is out due to a knee injury.

Both teams will show up with the highest efforts as winning would establish good ground for the season. Basking in their recent championship, the Nuggets will definitely try to hold their fort, while the Lakers be looking for revenge.

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Who do you think has a better chance of winning the opening match? Let us know in the comments below.