The defending National Basketball Association (NBA) champions Golden State Warriors will begin their title defense facing the New Orleans Pelicans at the Oracle Arena this Tuesday.
Golden State will be having interim head coach Luke Walton on the sidelines with main head coach Steve Kerr still recovering from two back surgeries in the offseason.
Tuesday's opener against the Pelicans will also be a championship ring ceremony for the Warriors.
The Warriors did not really load up their roster in the offseason, with the biggest move made being the trading of former All-Star big man David Lee to the Boston Celtics.
Seven-year veteran forward Jason Thompson was the only significant addition to the Dubs as he was acquired via a trade deal.
But beside those moves, the Warriors did not land or sign a big name player and will rely on who brought them to the top in the 2014–15 season.
Golden State will still be led by reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Stephen Curry who played well in the preseason.
The Pelicans, on the other hand, will have to live up to the expectations, especially All-Star forward Anthony Davis who played his best year last season.
Davis finished fifth in the MVP voting last season, according to Basketball-Reference.com, and led the Pelicans to their first playoff appearance after a three-year absence.
The 22-year-old player was unable to help New Orleans make it past Tuesday's opponents in the first-round of the playoffs, but his efforts in the 2014–15 season led to the organization signing him to a huge five-year extension deal worth $145 million.
Along with Davis, looking to make an impact for the Pelicans is returning veteran point guard Nate Robinson who was signed late in the preseason and made it to the final roster.
The game between the Warriors and Pelicans will be on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 10:30 p.m. EST, and to watch via live stream, click here.
