Four teams in the Western Conference got the 2023-24 NBA season underway on Tuesday night, with these four teams expected to be among the elite class in the league this year.
The Denver Nuggets are the defending NBA champions, and they played like it to start their title defense as they made easy work of LeBron James and the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.
After the Nuggets got their first win of the season over the Lakers, the Golden State Warriors played host to the Phoenix Suns, which was an interesting game because Kevin Durant was back in the Bay Area and Chris Paul was taking on his former team.
However, much like in the first game of the night between the Nuggets and Lakers, the Suns showed why they’re the better team on Tuesday, as they outplayed the Warriors for most of the contest and proved they might be the bigger threat in the West, as Stephen A. Smith pointed out on ESPN’s “First Take” on Wednesday.
.@stephenasmith says the Suns are a bigger threat in the West than the Warriors: pic.twitter.com/iI4GtUx6jH
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 25, 2023
Heading into this season-opening matchup in San Francisco, the Warriors and Klay Thompson couldn’t see eye-to-eye on a contract extension, which means he’s likely headed for NBA free agency next summer, making his situation one to watch in the Bay Area this season.
As Smith alluded to, Thompson didn’t prove to anyone that he deserved a contract extension on Tuesday night, while the Suns put on a show, even without newcomer Bradley Beal.
Devin Booker led the way with a game-high 32 points, while Durant added 18 points and 11 rebounds to get the four-point win on the road.
NEXT: Suns Player Receives First Flopping Fine Of NBA Season
