NBA Opening Game + Christmas Game is out, Fire Lake Battle, Durant s debut fight against the Thunder

As soon as the NBA new season schedule came out, the fan group was in full swing. The two "facade schedules" of the opening game and the Christmas game are like face-to-face mirrors, making it clear who is popular and who is neglected in the league. The Rockets took Durant with their glory, the Thunder accepted the worship with the championship ring, and the Lakers Warriors' old enemies gathered again, but the Clippers were thrown in the corner and no one cared about it. The trick behind this is more than just winning or losing. On October 22, the Thunder will definitely be overturned by cheers at home. As soon as the ceremony of the defending champion ring was finished, he had to turn around to face the Rockets led by Durant. The script was written more exciting than Hollywood. The young men of the Thunder were really out of nowhere last season. Alexander brought Jaylen Williams and Homgren to blow the "Youth Storm" into the "Champion Tornado". What they are most terrifying is not that someone has too many data, but that they are in their early 20s, and they can play defensive rotations better than old-fashioned powerhouses. In the playoffs, they forced the Nuggets and Timberwolves to defeat the suffocation defense. What about the

Rockets? I bet on the big one in the offseason and exchanged Jaylen Green for the 37-year-old Durant. The deal was a big deal at the time. Some people said the Rockets were crazy - they didn't want to have a potential stock at the age of 22, and they changed to a veteran who was about to retire. But look at KD's data last season: averaged 26.8 points per game, 43% of three-point shooting percentage, and the real shooting percentage at critical moments was almost 70%. How could this look like going downhill? Not to mention that the Rockets also caught Capela and Finney Smith, one to protect the basket and the other to lock the front line, which just made up for the physical gap in KD's defensive end.

The opening battle is to put it bluntly "Verification Bureau". The Thunder wants to prove that it is not a flash in the pan, and the Rockets want to prove that KD is not here to support her. Imagine Alexander hit KD's long arm head-on when he broke through, or Jaylen Williams wanted to dunk in a fast break, but Capela pressed it down. Just thinking about these scenes, fans would have to clench their fists.

The Battle of Hugong on the same day is more like a "war of feelings". The Lakers brought Ayton in the summer and formed a "three giant" lineup of James + Doncic + Ayton, and their books were fully filled. But those who know the ball know what the hidden dangers are: Doncic and James both have to hold the ball to play, and Ayton is used to the inside singles. How can these three people divide the ball rights on the court? Last season, Ayton was in a state of trouble at the Trail Blazers because he couldn't touch the ball. When he arrived at the Lakers, would he have to let him practice three-pointers?

The Warriors didn't move the lineup much, and Curry was still the "Kuhao" who could suddenly throw 5 three-pointers. Zhu Meng Green's mouth cannon may be more powerful than defense. But their problem is age. Curry is 37 and Butler is 36. Can he withstand the Lakers' impact lineup? Especially Doncic's breakthrough, once he rushes, the Warriors' inside will probably be chiseled into a sieve.

However, next season's Christmas battle, the West will be outrageously rolled, while the East will be a background board. The arrangement of the Christmas war simply soldered the four words "Western is Dad" to the Alliance's face. Among the 10 participating teams, 8 of them are in the west, and the Knicks and the Cavaliers play soy sauce in the east. When they say it, they are afraid that others will think that the East will be disbanded.

The most eye-catching thing is definitely the Rockets vs. Lakers. Durant and James, two old opponents who have been fighting since the 2012 Finals, actually have to play another game at the age of 37 and 41. Think about it, James averaged 24+8+8 last season, and his fast break dunk was still flying in the sky; KD's three-pointer was still unsolvable, even if he jumped higher than before, his shooting speed and angle still made the defenders desperate. This game is not about winning or losing, it is clearly about "who can grow better"?

And the situation of these two people is very similar: they are both leading a group of young people to win the championship, and they all have to find a balance between "swiping themselves" and "leading teammates". James has to learn to be a green leaf for Doncic, and KD has to adapt to the rhythm of the Rockets' young men. On the day of the Christmas game, maybe the last 5 minutes would be a one-on-one show for two people. You jumped back and I broke through with one cross step. This picture alone is worth the ticket price.

The Mavericks are also interesting to the Warriors. The showdown between No. 1 pick Flag and Curry is worth mentioning. Curry needs no need to say much. On the Mavericks, in addition to Curry's face against Clay, No. 1 pick Flag and new player Russell are also attracting much attention. As the No. 1 pick in 2025, Flag showed amazing talent during his college years. He is 2.03 meters tall and has both offense and defense. On the offensive end, he can play hard in the inside and also pull three-pointers from the outside; on the defensive end, his long arms and excellent movement ability make him a major obstacle to his opponent's offense. In this Christmas game, Flag has to face the Warriors' forward defensive group, but Flag also has the aura of being a newborn calf not afraid of tigers. He is very likely to announce his rise in the NBA with his wonderful performance in this game. The match between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves is a replay of last season's Western Conference semi-finals. Jokic is still the "pork belly essence" that can go from one to five, but the Timberwolves' Edwards has evolved this season. Last season's playoffs, Huazi averaged 31 points per game against the Nuggets, dragging the series to tiebreak. Now the Timberwolves have added another 3D wing to help Edwards share the defensive pressure, and maybe they can really pull the Nuggets off.

The worst thing is the Clippers. Neither the opening game was won, nor the Christmas game was the end. Is the league treating them as air? In fact, it’s not the other person’s fault. The Clippers have been synonymous with “paper tiger” in recent years. Leonard takes a break every day, and finally gets healthy, but he always loses his chain when fighting tough battles. The key shot percentage is fifth from the bottom in the league. Why should the league set the highlight of such a team?

But the Clippers are not completely missing a chance to turn around. Leonard's CET is still the only one in the league, and no one in the West dares to underestimate them. I'm afraid that it will be "load management" and "rotating rest and maintenance" again, and the fans waited for a while, and finally watched a "residual lineup performance".

In fact, you can guess the league's little thoughts by looking at the schedule. The Rockets are praised so highly, just to borrow Durant's traffic and the vitality of a group of young players to create a new "rating password"; as the defending champion, the Thunder naturally has to give enough seats, after all, the story of the new king ascends the throne; there is no need to say more about the Lakers Warriors, the old giants + superstars are always box office guarantees.

As for the Eastern Conference team being neglected, there is really nothing we can do about it. The Celtics' core was injured, and Antetokounmpo had fewer helpers around. The remaining Cavaliers and Knicks were at most "pseudo-strong teams". Even if they were stuffed into the Christmas battle, the ratings would probably drop by half.

The new season has not started yet. Just looking at these schedules, you can know what the West is going to be like. The Rockets, Lakers, Thunder, Nuggets, and Warriors can easily pull out two of them to create a scene where Mars hits the Earth. Whether the Clippers can break the fate of being "being looked down upon" and whether there are any teams in the Eastern Conference who can suddenly come out to disrupt the situation, these suspenses will probably be revealed until the opening whistle sounds. In short, in the NBA next season, just watching the first two highlights makes people want to shout: Start playing quickly!