The NBA continued to drip-feed fans information about the new season on Thursday, dropping the Opening Week slate of games. This follows the news of the Emirates NBA Cup fixtures, with some games appointment viewing in that competition, and some less so.
It should come as no surprise that a roster featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker - and yes even the contract known as Bradley Beal - would be involved in those opening days of games. This league is about stars, and the Suns certainly boast two of the brightest in the game. Especially after an Olympics run in Paris that has the love for Booker at an all-time high. Durant? About the same.
We now know that the Suns will be on our national TV screens twice, in an enticing couple of matchups.
Even more interestingly, both of these games will take place not only away from Arizona, but in Los Angeles. First up on October 23rd is a meeting with the L.A. Clippers in their new arena, followed on October 25th with that old foe, the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Check out the National TV Schedule for opening week 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/sBhHJiECq6
If the Suns are to get off to a hot start, then they are going to have to do it the hard way. Not just because the Clippers will have a point to prove because they lost Paul George this summer. Or because Anthony Davis and LeBron James always bring it for the Lakers against one of their real enemies in the league.
But also because of that L.A. nightlife that could take some precious time off the clock, assuming the squad stays there in between games. The temptation here might be to say that you know what, it is the start of the season and it would be better for the Suns to bond off the court, and live with whatever results happen on it.
That would be ignoring the 2-4 start last season - which would include a pair of losses to the San Antonio Spurs - in what was a rocky start to the campaign. The Suns also lost to the Lakers in that span, and although they would recover to win 49 games, the tenure of head coach Frank Vogel has gone down as an underwhelming one.
New leading man Mike Budenholzer will be tasked with getting this group off to the best possible start, and a victorious trip to Los Angeles during Opening Week would be just the tone to set ahead of what will be a long season. Mostly it is great to see the franchise on national television twice in the first four nights of action though. It is what they deserve.