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About This Quiz
In the first game of the regular season, teams are still trying to figure out which starting lineup works best for their success down the road. Even on rosters filled with talent, some players pair together better than others, which is why coaches are in a tough position when it comes to figuring out who should start a game together.Â
Coming into opening night, these coaches know to put their elite players on the court because the NBA is built around star power. But what about the role players? How do they fit into that starting lineup? The first game of the season is often used to figure this problem out. Certain role players are better coming off the bench, providing a spark when the starters just aren't getting it done. Others might finish the game even if they aren't on the court for tip-off, as they can be trusted in critical situations that often arise in the fourth quarter. That's why opening night is a great time to see how players mesh together.Â
How well do you know the players who were on the court for tip-off on opening night? Will you be able to match them to the team they played for? Get started to find out.
Clippers
Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers snatched up Anthony Davis in the 2019 offseason, but doing so required a major trade that saw the Lakers ship half their roster to New Orleans. To fill in their bench and starting lineup, the Lakers signed players like Avery Bradley, Danny Green and Dwight Howard.
Bulls
Cavaliers
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Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers almost lost out on Kawhi Leonard when they couldn't find another superstar to pair with him. Realizing this, the Clippers traded for Paul George, who wasn't available opening night because of an injury.
Heat
Celtics
Spurs
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Nets
Raptors
Warriors
Injuries derailed the Golden State Warriors championship hopes in the 2019 NBA Finals, as both Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant went down. Durant departed in the offseason, and Thompson wasn't available to start the season, leaving Stephen Curry as the lone superstar on opening night.
Bucks
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Magic
Suns
Kings
Pelicans
With a little luck, the New Orleans Pelicans received the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They selected Zion Williamson, but their No. 1 pick missed opening night with an injury, taking away some of the hype surrounding the Pelicans coming into the 2019-20 season.
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Rockets
76ers
Mavericks
Raptors
For many analysts, Pascal Siakam has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2019-20 season thus far. The praise for Siakam started on opening night when he scored 34 points and pulled down 18 rebounds.
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Celtics
Once they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2018 NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics took a step back in 2019, as team chemistry became a major issue. Some of those problems were resolved when they signed Kemba Walker, a player known for his skill and leadership.
Pistons
Hawks
Thunder
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Knicks
Pacers
The Indiana Pacers made the playoffs four seasons in a row but haven't been able to make it out of the first round in those appearances. Adding Malcolm Brogdon was a huge deal for the team in the offseason, giving them more scoring opportunities, especially when Victor Oladipo returns.
Trail Blazers
Nuggets
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Magic
Spurs
Rockets
The Houston Rockets knew they needed to do something to mix it up after faltering again against the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Playoffs. To accomplish their goals, the team shipped out Chris Paul and brought in Russell Westbrook (a younger, more athletic player) to add more versatility to their offense.
Hornets
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Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo realized his potential during the 2018-19 season, winning the NBA MVP for his stellar play. He picked up right where he left off on opening night, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a victory by scoring 20 points, dishing out 11 assists and grabbing 13 rebounds.
76ers
Timberwolves
Jazz
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Jazz
Suns
Heat
The main player missing from the Miami Heat on opening night was their new acquisition, Jimmy Butler. However, that didn't stop the Heat from getting a huge win over the Memphis Grizzlies by shooting 47 percent from the field.
Timberwolves
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Mavericks
Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies decided to go into rebuild mode after missing the playoffs in 2019. They first shipped out Marc Gasol before the season ended and finally parted ways with longtime veteran Mike Conley in the offseason. With these players gone, the Grizzlies look to young players to find future stars for their franchise.
Knicks
Wizards
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Trial Blazers
Knicks
Cavaliers
Pistons
The 2019-20 season is a contract year for Andre Drummond, and he showed the Detroit Pistons that he's looking to get paid on opening night. In a winning effort, Drummond put up 32 points and an astounding 23 rebounds.
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Bulls
Thunder
76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers ended the 2018-19 season with a devastating loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Simi-Finals. Coming into the 2019-20 season, they were picked by many analysts to make it to the NBA Finals, which they showed on opening night by getting a victory against the Boston Celtics.
Kings
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Wizards
Bradley Beal surprised many people by signing a contract extension with the Washington Wizards before the start of the 2019-20 regular season. The Wizards have no other stars on their roster and most likely won't make a playoff run anytime soon, leaving Beal in a position where he's playing for individual awards.
Timberwolves
Jazz
Spurs
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Nets
Magic
Hornets
Mavericks
European players are often overlooked in the NBA because many of them have been a bust over the past few decades, but the Dallas Mavericks decided to build a roster filled with European talent. In fact, their starting lineup had three European players: Luka Doncic, Kristap Porzingis and Maxi Kleber.
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Spurs
Knicks
The New York Knicks not only missed out on the superstars who were free agents in 2019, but they also didn't receive the first overall pick as many expected. That forced the Knicks to fill their roster with mid-level talent, and it showed on opening night when they lost 120-111 to the San Antonio Spurs.
Trail Blazers
Cavaliers
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Nets
Nuggets
Jazz
Spurs
Even as players have come and gone, including legends like Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs have not missed the playoffs since 1997. Continuing that trend in 2020 will be incredibly difficult considering the Western Conference is loaded with talent.
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Nuggets
Trail Blazers
Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have not come anywhere close to meeting the success the team had in the '90s. However, they do believe they have a star in Zach LaVine, who comes into the 2019-20 season off the best statistical year of his career.
Thunder
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Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets knew they needed to start over after missing the playoffs in 2019, so they refused to offer a huge contract to keep Kemba Walker. Instead, they signed Terry Rozier, as they look to add young talent like him moving forward.
Cavaliers
Nets
Kings
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Suns
Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum finally led the Portland Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals in 2019, but they lost in four games to the Golden State Warriors. With the Warriors roster decimated, the Trail Blazers believe the 2019-20 season is their chance to finally win it all.
Jazz
Magic
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Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have not recovered since the team lost LeBron James following their 2018 Finals appearance. They still have a few players from their last playoff team like Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, but the rest of the roster is still unproven in the NBA.
Thunder
Magic
Hawks
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Nets
Jazz
Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder once had three future MVPs on their roster: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. However, all three players are now suiting up elsewhere, which has set the Thunder back in terms of championship aspirations.
Kings
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Nets
Magic
In 2019, the Orlando Magic made the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Even though the team lost in the first round, it was a major step forward, launching them into the 2019-20 season with plenty of momentum.
Suns
Nuggets
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Timberwolves
Hawks
Suns
Jazz
The Utah Jazz has a starting lineup filled with players who are willing defenders. Rudy Gobert, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, leads the charge on that side of the ball, ensuring that the Jazz has plenty of protection underneath the rim.
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Nuggets
Nets
The Brooklyn Nets hit it big in the 2019 offseason by signing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. However, Irving had to make his debut alone on opening night, as Durant was still recovering from an Achilles tear from the year prior.
Kings
Suns
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Nuggets
Kings
Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a starting lineup filled with talent, but the heart of some of the players has been called into question. For example, Andrew Wiggins was the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, but he has yet to make an All-Star Game to match his draft status.
Hawks
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Kings
With athleticism all over the roster, the Sacramento Kings were one of the most entertaining teams to watch throughout the 2018-19 season. However, that didn't carry over into opening night of the 2019-20 season, as they suffered a blowout loss on the road.
Suns
Nuggets
Hawks
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Hawks
Nuggets
Clippers
Suns
The Phoenix Suns have suffered mightily over the past decade, not making the NBA Playoffs since 2010. They have had plenty of opportunities at the top of the draft to find talent, but none of the players have panned out as of yet.
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Hawks
Magic
Nuggets
Nikola Jokic was supposed to be an MVP candidate coming into the 2019-20 season, but he's struggled for much of the year so far. His conditioning, in particular, has been called into question, especially after he came into the season overweight.
Celtics
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Jazz
Heat
Hornets
Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks know their best bet to find success is to build a roster around Trae Young, who can shoot the ball from just about anywhere past half court. This floor-stretching ability is precisely what the modern NBA is about, and the Hawks understand this as well as anyone.
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