The time has finally come.
NBA Opening Night has eluded basketball fans for months, but hoopers around the world can once again sit back and enjoy five hours of basketball on Tuesday night.
While the reigning champions get top billing for their ring ceremony, the stars will be in Hollywood on Tuesday for the second game of the doubleheader between the Warriors and Lakers.
The Warriors are considered two-point road favorites as of Tuesday morning, partly due to the fact that LeBron James is inactive for this game and the foreseeable future.
Even without King James in the lineup, the Lakers have a dynamic duo worth watching.
Warriors vs. Lakers odds, prediction
When the Lakers made the trade for Luka Doncic, the duo everyone drooled over was Doncic and James.
However, those two stars had to make room for a third ball handler and scorer who helped take the Lakers’ offense to the next level.
Austin Reaves had been steadily improving since his rookie year, but he really blossomed last season, especially after the Lakers traded Anthony Davis for Doncic.
His ability to play on or off the ball, using skills he honed playing alongside James and Davis, became a dangerous weapon for the Lakers.
Doncic and James drew so much attention from defenders that Reaves was often left open in the corner to knock down three-pointers.
Reaves went from 38.7 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s before the trade to 41.6 percent after the trade. His ballplay also improved. He shot 37 percent on pull shots before the trade and 40 percent after.
The Lakers will be confident he will be even more of a threat now that James is sidelined with sciatica.
Bet on the NBA?
Based on what we saw last season, I’m confident Reaves can handle being a creator while still taking advantage of the attention Doncic will draw from the defense.
Doncic has worked best when he has a secondary ball handler next to him.
Jalen Brunson began to flourish in his final season with the Mavericks, and Kyrie Irving revived his career alongside Doncic en route to an NBA Finals appearance in 2024.
Doncic and Reaves sharing the floor should be beneficial for the Lakers offense as a whole.
In the limited minutes those two played on the bench with James last season, Reaves was hyper-efficient. He posted an effective field goal percentage of .690, which over a full season would have qualified for second-highest in the league, and scored 22.98 points per 36 minutes.
His points advantage for the season opener is of course 21.5 points with the juice at the bottom. I think this is a valuable spot for Reaves, who has proven he can rise to the challenge at any stage of his career.
With the bright lights of Crypto.com Arena shining and the division rival Warriors on the other side of the court, I expect Reaves to put in a worthy performance in Game 1.
I like Reaves going over his points prop at 21.5 and would bet it at 22.5 as well.
The pick: Austin scores over 21.5 points (-118, DraftKings)
Why trust New York Post betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He is a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and martial arts. He spends his winter weeknights looking for NBA player prop benefits with more money.
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