As the 75th season of NBA Basketball is coming up, there are plenty of storylines to watch. Several teams from the east to the west coast look to contend for a championship while others look to rebuild.
Like every season before it, this season should be exciting and filled with storylines. Some teams will accomplish their goals, while others will fall short. Only one team can take home the NBA Championship in June and these storylines will impact who wins the NBA Championship.
Boston has new guards and Al Horford, again
Last year’s Celtics team was disappointing, to say the least, especially after being a contender in the 2019-20 season. The Celtics were plagued with injuries and inconsistent play, leading to a first-round loss to the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs 4-1.
The offseason saw Kemba Walker traded to the Thunder for Al Horford, Moses Brown, and a 2023 second-round pick. The Celtics signed Dennis Schroder to a one-year 5.9-million-dollar contract to bring depth to the guard position.
The Celtics still bring back all-stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and will still be competitive. The question is, how high is their ceiling and can the Celtics live up to their potential? Only time will tell.
The Stacked Lakers
After last season’s disappointing first-round exit to the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers look to return to championship form. They are well on their way to doing this by allowing their dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis to return to full health. The Lakers also made some strong off-season moves to increase their chances at a championship.
Superstar point guard and former MVP Russell Westbrook will join the Lakers after being traded from the Washington Wizards, and ten-time all-star, Carmelo Anthony signed in free agency.
The Lakers are stacked, and if they have good chemistry and can stay healthy, they very well may hang an NBA record, 18th NBA championship banner. The question is, will they?
Brooklyn’s Finest?
Many people believe that if Kevin Durant’s shot in game 7 of the eastern conference semifinals counted as a three-pointer, the Nets would have gone on to win the NBA championship. That didn’t happen, but with James Harden and Kyrie Irving both injured, it was more difficult for the Nets to stop the eventual NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks’.
With everyone coming back healthy, Brooklyn will once again be a contender. Last year’s NBA Finals was predicted by many to be a duel between the Lakers and the Nets, but both teams lost before the conference finals. This year, there is a strong chance that this finals matchup will happen if both teams stay healthy.
Hopes of the Nets having a super team rely on a full roster. Kyrie Irving has taken a strong stance against the COVID-19 vaccination and was willing to sit out all 41 home games for the Nets. The Nets will not allow Irving to play or practice at all with the team, unless he follows the New York City vaccination mandate.
If Irving does get vaccinated, the Nets will have three of the league’s top scorers and will once again be a title contender. If Irving does not get vaccinated, the Nets may not be able to live up to their full potential.
The Defending Champions
The Milwaukee Bucks finally managed to win their second NBA title after fifty years. The Bucks were led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and complimentary stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, taking out the Phoenix Suns in six games.
The Bucks will have a target on their backs after winning a championship. A healthy Nets team will be their biggest challenge in the east. In the west, the new-look Lakers, a healthy Warriors team, and a vengeful Suns team, and many others will look to take down the defending champs.
The Milwaukee Bucks may not be favored to repeat as champions, but they still have chemistry from a championship-winning team.
Klay is Back
In game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, all-star shooting guard Klay Thompson went down with an injury, right as the Golden State Warriors were on the verge of tying the series at three games apiece with the Toronto Raptors. The Warriors have since missed the playoffs twice with countless injuries to their star players.
Another season-ending injury to Thompson in 2020, injuries to superstar, Stephen Curry, and the loss of Kevin Durant to Brooklyn saw the Warriors stuck in mediocrity. Now that Klay Thompson is healthy, the Warriors once again look to be contenders. Golden State has won a title with the core of Curry, Thompson, and Green with hopes of doing it again.
Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole will back up the big three with superb scoring as well. Wiggins has quietly improved with the Warriors, averaging 18.6 points last season and Poole has been phenomenal in the preseason. Poole has averaged 25 points a game on 44 percent three-point shooting. Expect the Warriors to be serious title contenders.
Don’t Trust the Process?
The Philadelphia 76ers were championship contenders before losing to the Atlanta Hawks in the second-round last season. Star center Joel Embiid has been getting better each year with stifling defense and a superb inside game that earned him a top 3 finish in last year’s MVP race.
Although Embiid has developed into a superstar, All-Star teammate Ben Simmons has seen his production drop every season. Simmons lacks a jump shot holding the 76ers back from reaching their full potential.
With no real threats from the three-point line, many fans and analysts have given up on the 76ers as title contenders and Ben Simmons as a player. It seems as if the organization is giving up on Simmons too, with coach Doc Rivers answering that he wasn’t sure if Simmons could be a franchise player for Philadelphia.
Ben Simmons has recently agreed to return to the team, but distrust will exist between him and the front office. The chances of Simmons being traded during the season are high. Don’t expect Philly fans to be very excited with Simmons in the line-up this season.
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