NBA Classics: The Rockets compete with the Thunder on the road, the Lakers struggle to beat the Warriors at home and miss a good start

Rockets VS Thunder

Upstart challenges for the championship! The Rockets compete with the Thunder in an away game

American Professional Basketball League Rockets VS Thunder (-7.5)

Recommendation: Point Handicap

The Rockets entered the playoffs as second place in the regular season last season. However, as a new team in the playoffs, they were defeated by the Warriors in the first round. Jaylen Green, one of the team's core players, showed abnormal performance in the playoffs and became the key to their exit. In the end, the Rockets traded two starters, Jaylen Green and Dillon Brooks, for Durant during the offseason. This deal also transformed the Rockets from playoff contenders to championship contenders. In addition, the team has also introduced strong role players such as Finney-Smith, Capela, and Okogie. The only problem currently is VanVleet's injury. In addition, Finney-Smith and Tate are currently injured and absent.

The Thunder defeated the Pacers in the finals last season to win the second championship in team history and the first championship since moving to Goose City. The Thunder have steadily improved during the offseason. The core lineup has not made many changes, but they have completed a contract extension with Jaylen Williams, one of the team's core players. This young lineup is already capable of winning championships, and being one year older will undoubtedly make them more mature. Alexander was in excellent form in the preseason. In the three preseason games he played, he averaged an astonishing 17+5.3+2.3+1.6 steals in 19 minutes per game, and made a total of 20 of 24 shots. In terms of injuries, Jaylen Williams is missing due to a wrist injury. In addition, the main rotation Rickenrich Williams and Isaiah Joe are missing due to injuries.

This game started with the Thunder's home handicap of 7.5 points. As the defending champion, the Thunder must be ranked first in terms of strength. At the same time, there is a championship ring award ceremony in this game. In addition, the team's desire to win must be very huge, but Jaylen Way's strength has declined due to injury. The Rockets are not bad after the introduction of Durant, and their preseason victory performance is very outstanding. At the same time, this is Durant's return home battle. The author believes that the Thunder have a greater hope of winning in this game, but the initial score of 7.5 points is still slightly high. The Thunder have a higher probability of winning in this game, but it is not easy to beat the set. Recommended handicap.

Warriors VS Lakers

James is absent! The Lakers struggled to beat the Warriors at home and missed a good start

American Professional Basketball League Warriors VS Lakers (+1.5)

Recommendation: Transferee and loser

The Warriors ranked seventh in the Western Conference last season and defeated the Rockets to reach the second round of the Western Conference. However, the Western Conference semifinals lost to the Timberwolves with a total score of 1-4 to end the season. The Warriors did not change much overall during the offseason. The biggest news was the contract extension dispute with Kuminga. Although the signing was successfully completed in the end, this farce coupled with the preseason performance was not good. In terms of injuries, Cole from the Warriors said that Butler and Kuming are more likely to play, while Melton and Moody are absent.

The Lakers qualified for the playoffs as third in the Western Conference last season, but were defeated by the Timberwolves in the first round and were eliminated early. The Lakers have invested heavily in recruiting during the offseason. Although Smart and Ayton are no longer as brave as they were in the past, their reputations are worth looking forward to. At the same time, the team retains the core lineup of last season and aims to achieve higher results. However, the season has not yet started. James, the core of the team, will be absent for several weeks due to nerve compression problems. During this period, Doncic is needed to lead the team to a good start. In addition to James, Kleber is also missing due to injury.

This game started with the Lakers losing 2.5 points at home. James' absence due to injury has greatly weakened the Lakers' strength. However, the team also has Doncic and Reeves, which should not be underestimated. The Warriors' core lineup can basically play, but the age of the team's core lineup has further increased, and the strength needs to be verified in the new season. Therefore, in this game, the Lakers are playing at home and there is a passive handicap with Doncic. It can be seen that the handicap's trust in the Lakers is not high. It is recommended that the transferee be responsible.