As the baseball season ends and football hits full swing, the start of the professional basketball season can get a little lost in the chaos.
Nevertheless, NBA players have been waiting for this all summer. With many key players having switched teams, teams drafting young exciting players and others making strides from last season, it’s time to take a look at the top storylines for the upcoming season.
How Quickly Can the Warriors Put it Together?
The Warriors grabbed the top offseason free agent in superstar Kevin Durant. He turns one of the best teams into the league into an absolute nightmare matchup. A few weeks into the season, it is clear that it will take some time for the chemistry to build between him and other players, as they have already lost by 29 to the Spurs and dropped a game to the young Lakers.
Can Anyone Challenge Cleveland in the East?
As long as LeBron James is around, the path to an NBA Finals berth goes through him. He has made it seven straight years and the Cavaliers have the looks of a team ready for back- to-back championships. A 6-0 start shows there is no hangover for them. The Raptors may challenge them offensively, but the Celtics and Brad Stevens look to present the biggest defensive challenge, which is how you have to beat this team.
Will the 76ers Finally Make Strides?
Philadelphia has been blasted the past five years for purposely tanking their team to get high draft picks in the hopes of taking a start. Injuries have curbed those efforts, but they finally have center Joel Embiid on the court after sitting out his first two years with injuries and he looks to be a revelation for them. He has shown off some serious skills to start the season and could create a frontcourt nightmare for other teams when this year’s first overall pick Ben Simmons returns to the court.
Are the Knicks Really Contenders?
After a series of high profile trades and free agent acquisitions, the Knicks possess a lot of big names, but do they have the right pieces? They believe they can contend for a title, 1 but a 2-4 start to the season and defensive struggles suggest otherwise.
Which Second Year Player Will Make the Biggest Strides?
There are too many to choose from. Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns is a monster and could receive his first all star selection this year. The Laker’s D’Angelo Russell impressed in preseason but has struggled with his shot to start the season. The Sun’s Devin Booker who just turned 20 a week ago is surely a future franchise player. He was taken ninth overall in last years draft but has started the season with 38 and 39 point games.
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