Rockets Matchup is an Ideal Season Opener for Thunder

While the Denver Nuggets gave the Oklahoma City Thunder the most trouble in the Western Conference last season, the Houston Rockets might be the most interesting championship contender it'll have to go up against this season.

The Rockets made a huge splash in the offseason by trading for Kevin Durant, which should give them a huge boost this year. Jalen Green had promise, but Durant is the type of player who can take them much further in the next year. Houston still has Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun as strong pieces of its young core, too.

It's a new-look roster that brings a ton of intrigue, and it just so happens that Oklahoma City gets to see it first on the NBA's opening night of Oct. 21. The Thunder will also get its championship ring ceremony beforehand — an ironic occurrence with Durant being on the sideline for it. However, this is not a matchup that it can take lightly.

Oklahoma City may be the championship favorite this season, but the Rockets are a team that can legitimately spoil the fun if the Thunder isn't prepared. Despite getting up there in the 30s, Durant is still one of the best players in basketball and can whip up a dominant scoring performance. Houston is going to be much different than it was last season, simply because of what he brings to the lineup.

It's a nice test for Oklahoma City to get immediately, and the nature of the Rockets being a little unpredictable makes the matchup all the more important. The Nuggets made moves, but those moves likely won't change the playstyle of the team that drastically. That goes for the rest of the teams in the top half of the West, for the most part.

The matchup also serves as an opportunity for a statement. If the Thunder come out with guns blazing and gains a convincing win, that'll show to the rest of the league that it hasn't gone anywhere. If anything, another year of development and a championship under its belt will make Oklahoma City even more deadly than it was a year ago.

There's a lot riding on this game for both teams. It might just be the first game of 82, but that doesn't make it any less important. They'll compete to prove each other's storyline and start off the slate in the way they want — undefeated.