The 2024-25 NBA common season is right here. Motion is about to kick of Tuesday night time with two video games, starting with the Knicks at Celtics on Boston’s ring night time, adopted by the Timberwolves visiting the Lakers and the possibility of LeBron James sharing the courtroom along with his son, Bronny James.
Does it not really feel like final season simply ended? The Olympics undoubtedly gave the offseason a shorter really feel, however alas, we’re again at it once more and this season just about guarantees to offer tight races everywhere. By no means had the league been this deep with each gamers and groups. So buckle up.
Under are 20 storylines to look at because the common season unfolds.
1. The Knicks prepared for title rivalry
The commerce for Mikal Bridges. The following commerce for Karl-Anthony Cities. The re-signing of OG Anunoby. Jalen Brunson because the MVP candidate on the team-friendly contract. No Jap Convention staff is healthier outfitted to match up with Boston’s two-way perimeter energy. Cities suits completely as a floor-spacing 5. Josh Hart’s function feels in flux, however this staff is able to legitimately contend. Lastly.
2. The Wemby takeover
Victor Wembanyama averaged 23.5 factors, 12 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 4.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per recreation after the All-Star break as a Spurs rookie final season. As our Sam Quinn famous in our Prime 100 participant rankings (the place Wemby ranked twelfth), “no participant has ever finished that for a full season. Nobody has even come shut. When you trim each a type of numbers by 10%, it is nonetheless solely been finished as soon as… by peak Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”
And the loopy factor is, this felt like straightforward work for the 7-foot-3 Wemby. Chris Paul brings competent level guard play and Wembanyama is quickly creating his really feel for when and the place and easy methods to assault along with his best effectivity. It’s bonkers how nice this man may be, and we’re not going to have to attend lengthy to see it. He is already the most effective defender within the league and will legitimately be within the MVP dialog this season if the Spurs had been able to truly contend for a playoff spot. Sadly, they are not. However Wemby is definitely worth the worth of admission on his personal.
3. Luka vs. SGA for MVP?
These really feel like the 2 clear favorites for MVP. Anthony Edwards might undoubtedly sneak in there and win. Lots of guys might, in actual fact. However Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are poised to go face to face for the sport’s high particular person trophy. It looks like Doncic’s time, however SGA and the Thunder have been forward of schedule for some time now. Talking of …
4. OKC primed to stage up
In the event that they keep wholesome, the Thunder really feel like a damn-near lock to win 60 video games. SGA is hypnotically watchable. Jalen Williams is a beast. Chet Holmgren might be the league’s second-best rim protector subsequent to Wemby and a three-level scoring star ready to blow up, although that evolution might take a bit longer than it could in one other state of affairs given the sheer variety of mouths to feed in OKC.
The ball zips on this staff. Everybody cuts. Everybody defends. Isaiah Hartenstein (finally) and Alex Caruso be part of the fold. 1,000,000 draft picks nonetheless within the holster, together with the Clippers‘ first rounder subsequent summer season. OKC might legitimately win the title this season AND find yourself with Cooper Flagg in 2025. The upside on Thunder inventory would not even make sense. That is like Apple within the early 2000s.
5. Now or by no means in Philly
I really assume Tyrese Maxey is essentially the most thrilling a part of this 76ers staff. He is a borderline famous person, whereas Joel Embiid goes to handle his physique all season and Paul George is likely one of the most routine star gamers within the league, which is to say he is extra of a pencil-him-in sort man than somebody you HAVE to look at. However George is the large addition — even when his well being is already a difficulty. The one that’s alleged to launch Philly into the realm of trustworthy contenders. He may be a 3rd choice on paper, however he will not have the luxurious of enjoying like that. He is on a max deal and might be anticipated to justify that form of money in a now-or-never state of affairs in Philadelphia.
6. Can LeBron and A.D. keep wholesome (once more)?
That is all that matter for the Lakers. We are able to sit right here and discuss new coach JJ Redick and the way they’ll shoot extra 3s and the way huge of a steal Dalton Knecht would possibly’ve been. But when LeBron James and Anthony Davis do not play in no less than 65 video games every, this staff is sunk. And so they would possibly even should play in additional than that.
Final season these two performed in 76 (A.D.) and 71 (LeBron) video games, and the Lakers STILL needed to get into the playoffs by way of the play-in spherical. Then they had been rapidly dispatched by the Nuggets. It is simply unlikely that LeBron at 40 years outdated and Davis, who outdoors of final season is often a strolling damage, maintain up like that once more.
The Celtics aren’t a really intriguing regular-season staff. We all know they’re superior and but not all that thrilling. They may win 60 video games fairly quietly. The buzziest factor about this staff is Jayson Tatum, who took an actual ego hit within the Olympics when he was principally lowered to staff supervisor and now it may be enjoyable to see if he heads out on a season-long revenge tour. He is an MVP-level famous person. Do not get that twisted. He would possibly simply go loopy.
8. Zion and the intriguing Pelicans
Zion Williamson performed in 70 video games final season and was excellent. He was about to take out the Lakers within the Play-In Event when he had 40 factors earlier than having to go away down the stretch of the sport with a hamstring concern. The position-less Pelicans are tremendous bizarre and not using a actual middle and a Brandon Ingram-sized elephant within the room. However Williamson has the power to make this a playoff staff. This looks like a giant season for Williamson to again up final season and get some sustained momentum happening his profession.
9. Can the Grizzlies decide up the place they left off?
Ja Morant was alleged to be again final season, however then he solely ended up enjoying 9 video games. Now he is again, again once more, and the Grizzlies have an opportunity to be fairly rattling scary within the West. Keep in mind, it is a staff that gained 56 video games and was the West’s No. 2 seed two years in the past. Issues received derailed as Morant spiraled by way of a sequence of off-court incidents and a suspension earlier than his damage, however he is nonetheless simply 25 years outdated and will fairly leap proper again into MVP-level type. Jaren Jackson Jr. Desmond Bane. This staff is excellent, and do not look now, however rookie Zach Edey may be form of an issue.
10. The high-variance Warriors
Most Warriors followers had been disillusioned when what appeared like potential marquee commerce alternatives for Paul George or Lauri Markannen did not occur, however Golden State had a quietly strong summer season and that is doubtlessly a Western Convention sleeper with nice depth, extra lineup versatility, one other world-class 3-point shooter in Buddy Hield, and a still-at-the-height-of-his-powers Stephen Curry. Could possibly be enjoyable. May be a low 40-win staff. Excessive variance within the Bay.
Hey, I am into it. I feel if we’re all being trustworthy, we’re all into it. Is Bronny ok to play within the NBA proper now? Is that this factor going be a spectacular bust? He’ll most likely loads of the yr within the G League, however who is aware of? Possibly he’ll find yourself on the again finish of the Lakers’ rotation. Both means, if and when he will get up with the large membership, let’s be actual, we are going to all have our eyes on the Lakers as quickly as we see the tweet that he is on the ground.
12. Jamal Murray holds key to Nuggets
With out Jamal Murray trying like Jamal Murray, the Nuggets are most likely screwed. I do know Nikola Jokic is otherworldly superior, however this staff has gone backward. I do not need to make an excessive amount of out of shedding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, however he tied loads of issues collectively on each ends. If Murray would not play huge, an excessive amount of turns into required of Michael Porter Jr. and even Christian Braun.
Murray had a very good yr final season, however he shot terribly within the playoffs (game-winners in opposition to the Lakers however) and all however disappeared within the Olympics. Denver wants a famous person Murray this yr, whereas up to now he might extra save his famous person performances for postseason takeovers.
Pat Riley has stated that is principally a make-or-break yr for this roster, and if it begins leaning extra towards the break facet, you are going to hear Jimmy Butler’s identify in trade-deadline talks. He can flip down a $52 million participant choice subsequent season and turn out to be a free agent this summer season. If Miami does decide to a rebuild, or no less than a revamping, buying and selling Jimmy would clearly be preferable to doubtlessly shedding him for nothing.
14. Ant and the Wolves
Minnesota is coming off a convention finals run and Anthony Edwards is poised to say himself as fairly presumably the face of the league. He would possibly already be there. The Wolves are totally different. Karl-Anthony Cities is out; Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle are in.
There is a world during which it is a higher staff than final yr and it is also a definite risk that they are worse. We’ll see if Naz Reid is basically able to fill Cities’ footwear and if Randle might help as a non-spacing particular person scorer. Nonetheless it performs out, the Timberwolves have all our consideration, if solely as a result of Edwards is formally must-see TV.
15. Sophomore Scoot
To say Scoot Henderson was a disappointment as a rookie can be an understatement. He was, for essentially the most half, a catastrophe. The Blazers guard and No. 3 decide in 2023 had some encouraging numbers down the stretch, to be honest, nevertheless it’s additionally arduous to know easy methods to interpret loads of these video games late within the season. Can he shoot persistently? Can he not be a turnover machine?
This a giant yr for a man who was rapidly anointed by many as a future famous person, solely to then appear like a possible bust. You possibly can say it is too early to even be pondering the phrase bust, however all of us keep in mind James Wiseman and the way dangerous he seemed early in his profession. He was younger. Hardly any faculty expertise below his belt. However it was clear very early that he simply wasn’t going to pan out relative to his supposed potential, and time has finished nothing to disprove that conclusion. We’ll see about Scoot.
Final yr was a dream season for Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks. Irving, particularly, was a famous person participant and a dream teammate fully absent of the drama that has dominated his previous couple of seasons.
That is easy: Can it proceed? I feel and hope that it’ll. Irving appeared to be a genuinely good place all of final season and he’s once more proving how nice he may be in his sweet-spot as a wingman to an all-time expertise.
17. Can Dame turn out to be Dame once more?
Let’s give Damian Lillard a mulligan on Yr 1 in Milwaukee. He wasn’t dangerous by most gamers’ requirements, however he was not Dame. The Bucks want him to be the flame-throwing murderer he was in Portland. Doc Rivers will put the ball in his fingers extra, and Giannis goes to be Giannis. However what about Khris Middleton? We’re again on the “when will he be prepared?” bus. And when he’s prepared, how impactful can he nonetheless be? When will Brook Lopez lastly decline?
The Bucks are outdated. They weren’t significantly good even after Rivers took the job from Adrian Griffin. This feels determined. Like Lillard has to go supernova to provide Giannis any form of combating likelihood to compete. I do not see it. However it’ll be enjoyable watching Dame attempt to change again into his outdated superhero outfit.
18. Had been the Pacers a fluke?
if you would like, you may fairly simply paint the Pacers with the colours of the 2021 Hawks, who additionally made a shock run to the Jap Convention finals on the power of an offensive-magician level guard and a pleasant bracket. These Hawks made the error of pondering that run was legit, and never a one-off, and introduced just about the identical staff again. They’ve been horrible ever since.
Will Indiana be horrible? No. For starters, I belief Tyrese Haliburton to get essentially the most out of a staff way over Trae Younger at this level. They’re getting Bennedict Mathurin again. And so they have Pascal Siakam for the entire season. Nonetheless, this was most likely not a real convention finals staff final season. They received the Bucks with out Giannis and Lillard for 2 video games, after which they beat the Knicks, who had been principally pulling the distributors out of the stands to play by the top of that sequence. Indiana might, with a number of dangerous breaks, go from the convention finals to the play-in, similar to the Hawks did, and it would not be terribly shocking.
19. Coach Bud’s Suns
I kind of assume we’re sleeping on the Suns. Tyus Jones ties some stuff collectively, and Mike Budenholzer goes to unlock the offense that one way or the other, in opposition to all odds, was the worst fourth-quarter staff in the complete league. With Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, that ought to be not possible, however they pulled it off. There’s simply no means that occurs once more.
Booker and Durant are coming off big Olympic performances, and that has at all times boded effectively for gamers coming again the next season. I feel they shoot extra 3s below Bud and Bradley Beal, who’s kind of like a bonus on this staff, makes the offense nice sufficient to not should be a defensive monster, which I feel Frank Vogel was extra suited to encourage. Good coach match, two famous person gamers, it is a good staff that too many individuals are keen to put in writing off as a result of it did not go all that effectively final season.
That is the most effective story in basketball proper now. This man was all however completed. Virtually three years he was away from the sport. For all intents and functions, he received a brand new knee after three surgical procedures, the final being a cartilage transplant from a cadaver. No participant has ever efficiently returned from this process, however Lonzo seemed unimaginable in his first preseason recreation, like he truthfully hadn’t missed a beat, drilling his first two 3-pointers and enjoying with all his identical tempo and strain on each ends. The Bulls stink, however rooting for Lonzo goes to be the simplest factor to do all season.