The Golden State Warriors begin the 2023-24 NBA campaign by welcoming the Phoenix Suns to Chase Center on Tuesday night (03:00 Wednesday morning UK time).

The Warriors are seeking to make another title run after retooling in the offseason, by shipping out the likes of Jordan Poole and Donte DiVincenzo and acquiring veteran guard Chris Paul as well as Dario Saric for some size in the paint. The championship core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green remains intact, but do they have enough to go all the way?

As for Phoenix, they arguably have the most star power in the league after adding Bradley Beal to a talented starting lineup that features Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. They had an up-and-down season last year, mainly due to injuries, but an overhaul of the roster could be what they need to make it to the promised land.

Team News

Tuesday’s game marks newly-acquired guard Chris Paul’s first-regular season game with the Warriors and will also be his first matchup against his former team. Draymond Green has been ruled out of the season opener due to a lingering ankle injury.

Suns forward and former Warrior Kevin Durant is scheduled to play at Chase Center with fans in attendance, for the first time since his departure in the 2019 offseason.

Phoenix also saw a change on the sidelines in the offseason – former Coach of the Year Monty Williams has been replaced by 2020 championship-winning coach Frank Vogel.

Golden State Warriors @ 10/11

There are plenty of storylines and star power on both sides coming into this game, making it a must-watch.

I think both teams will go deep into the playoffs this campaign, and they’ll want to start the new season with a win.

The Warriors struggled massively on the road last year, but at home they were brilliant, going 33-8 in front of their own fans. In addition, I think Phoenix’s changes, both on and off the court, could take some time to gel so I’m expecting Golden State to edge this contest.

The absence of Draymond Green will be a big miss for the Warriors, but they’ll still have the likes of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins on the court to get the job done.

Under 234.5 points @ 10/11

I’m playing the under on the points total here, as I believe both sides will need time to get familiar with their offseason changes.

As mentioned, I can see there being some teething problems for Phoenix as they adjust to their new lineup, which could result in a misfiring offense.

Last season the Warriors played with the fastest pace in the NBA, but I expect that to change this term with the addition of Chris Paul. When Paul was plying his trade in Phoenix in 2022-23, the Suns ranked 22nd in pace — so I’m expecting the Warriors to fall somewhere in between when Paul is running the offense.

Both teams were in the top 14 for defensive rating last season, and combined with both clubs trying to become more accustomed with the new additions, I’ve opted for a low-scoring game.