The Pelicans were riding high, but the start of their new season would not be easy.
They faced the Rockets in the Opening Game, then the Warriors in their second game. In October, they would also face the Spurs and Mavericks. The schedule was downright brutal.
But with last season's experience, that might not be a bad thing. If they could weather this stretch, the games afterward would be smooth sailing.
The second game would be on the road, and the Pelicans arrived in Oakland the day before.
That same day, two Western Conference games drew a great deal of attention.
They were in the spotlight because they featured the top two teams in ESPN's projections.
The Pelicans had struggled against the Rockets, so fans naturally paid attention to the Lakers-Spurs games as well.
The Lakers' first game of the season would be no easy matchup either: the Thunder, led by Westbrook, Griffin, and Oladipo.
The Lakers had tried and failed to make a trade with the Thunder during the Offseason, but in hindsight, that was good news for both teams.
Now that the two teams were facing each other, it was a classic clash of powerhouses.
The Spurs' Opening Game opponent was just as formidable: the Trail Blazers, who had beaten the 80-Win Pelicans last season.
Both games were matchups between elite teams.
After Tatum regained control of the League, he had packed the Opening Game schedule with intrigue.
The two games also drew a considerable number of viewers.
But the results caught everyone by surprise.
The Lakers' LeBron-Durant combo was simply unstoppable. Even against a defensive team like the Thunder, they used the attention they drew for each other to get whatever they wanted.
Middleton, in particular, kept knocking down shots from outside thanks to the gravity of