SportsMall previews Friday's NBA matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, including predictions, team news and form guides.
He Oklahoma City Thunder Their 2024-25 NBA season will begin with a trip to Ball Arena to take on their Western Conference rivals. Denver Nuggets Friday morning.
These two teams finished with identical 57-25 records last season, but the Thunder emerged victorious in the head-to-head tiebreaker in the conference standings.
Competition Preview
© Imago
Denver Nuggets fans are a little nervous about this season opener, in which their team finished a disappointing preseason during which they managed just one win in five games.
The Nuggets began with losses against the Celtics in Abu Dhabi, and while those results may have been forgivable to their opponents, the Suns' return to the United States was also a failure. to observe.
However, concerns really started to rise after their fourth meeting when they were defeated by OKC 124-94 at the time. Michael MalonSide recorded just 25 assists and 10 three-pointers and allowed 17.
In fact, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray AND Russell Westbrook They all came out of that game, but the performance suggested they might struggle with depth this season, while even when they were near full strength, their defense was abysmal throughout preseason.
Denver's success this season depends on finding the right balance between its veteran core players and the contributions of its younger talents. However, if things do not go as planned, significant roster changes could be on the horizon.
© Imago
Meanwhile, there is great hope for fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who achieved 57 wins last season and 40 in 2022-23, one of the youngest squads in the entire NBA.
While their elimination in the conference semifinals brought a bittersweet feeling after an excellent campaign, it also highlighted the immense potential of a program that has yet to reach its full potential.
One criticism of last year's Thunder was the lack of inches in the paint beyond that. Chet HolmgrenBut Mark Tagneault AND Sam Presti appears to have addressed those concerns by bringing Isaiah Hardenstein AND Alex Caruso.
Hardenstein is a center who brings the team's interior toughness and tremendous rebounding ability, while Caruso is still considered one of the best defenders in the league and his experience will be invaluable for this young Thunder team.
In the fiercely competitive Western Conference, OKC enters this season with a strong combination of young talent, poise and winning mentality, and if the new additions perform as expected and the young core continues to improve, the team's potential is immense.
Denver Nuggets Preseason Form:
Oklahoma City Thunder Preseason Form:
Group messages
© Imago
after losing Kentavius Caldwell-Pope The big question for the Denver Nuggets in free agency this offseason is who will step up to fill the team's void at the shooting guard position.
Christian Brown An earlier start is expected Julian Strather Given his experience in the competition, it wouldn't be a big surprise if Malone experiments with some players in this position this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander He finished his second consecutive season among the top five MVP candidates and is expected to be the heart and soul of OKC, while Holmgren and Jalen Williams Forming their first All-Star squad this season.
However, Williams sprained his ankle in the Thunder's season finale and was marked as a slight doubt, while Hardenstein will miss the first month of the season with a broken hand.
Possible Denver Nuggets five:
Murray, Brown, Porter Jr., Gordon, Jokic
The Oklahoma City Thunder could start at five:
Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, Caruso, Williams, Holmgren
We say: The Oklahoma City Thunder should win by 5+ points
While the Nuggets will be at full strength for this matchup, their offseason form and lack of depth, especially on defense, has been hard to overlook.
The Thunder haven't been very good in the preseason either, but the way they dispatched the Nuggets a few weeks ago was impressive, and we think they'll start the season with a win this season.
