Metro Manila, Philippines — The new NBA season is upon us.
Over 1,200 regular season games will be played by the 30 teams spanning in six months.
In the opening night, the Boston Celtics will begin their title defense bid against the New York Knicks at the TD Garden, while the Los Angeles Lakers battle the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 23 (Philippine time).
Here are some of the notable storylines to watch in the coming weeks:
Post-Splash era
Steph Curry had a memorable summer as he helped the USA Basketball Men’s National Team win the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
He probably did not miss playing alongside Klay Thompson in the Summer Games as he was busy running the floor with fellow greats LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
But when the season begins for Golden State, it will be a strange feeling for the Warriors faithful to watch Curry play without Thompson.
The duo, known as the Splash Brothers, is considered as the best shooting backcourt in NBA history.
With Thompson choosing to join the Dallas Mavericks, how will this affect the Warriors’ identity?
Curry will be in his usual lethal offensive self and produce for Golden State but he is not getting any younger.
Now it’s up to the promising core of Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody to forge the future of the franchise.
MVP race
It might be too early to have this conversation but the Most Valuable Player (MVP) debate will never be restricted by time.
International players have won the MVP award in the last six years. The last American-born player who captured the highest individual honor was James Harden.
This is a testament to basketball being a global sport.
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets will always be in the discussion as he continues to put up impressive numbers, but the odds are pointing to Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (last year’s runner-up) hoisting the hardware called the Michael Jordan Trophy.
Not to be counted out, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is also seen to contend for the plum.
Injury-riddled big man Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers could win his second if he exceeds the minimum games threshold and be at his dominant form.
Antman’s ascension
If there is one pro sports league that is built on the star power of its individual players, it’s the NBA.
These superstars build their own brand while they elevate the league.
As the NBA enters the stage where LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry are the elder statesmen, there is a search for who can take the crown as the face of the league when these future Hall of Famers hang their jerseys.
There are plenty of worthy options to carry the torch, one of which is Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 23-year-old guard has the talent, personality, charisma, and flair that leaves fans breathless.
Despite performing at an All-NBA level while carrying the Timberwolves to one of their best campaigns last season, Edwards still showed flaws.
If he can surpass what he previously achieved, there’s no doubt he is the rightful heir to the throne.
Wemby sophomore year
Victor Wembanyama is the best prospect the NBA has seen since LeBron James.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman lived up to the hype as the top overall pick in the 2023 Draft and showed glimpses of what he is capable of doing.
What will his second year be like?
The San Antonio Spurs managed Wembanyama’s workload last season, limiting him to just 29.7 minutes per game. This resulted to Wemby becoming the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in less than 30 minutes per outing.
The sky is really the limit for Wembanyama. It will be inevitable to see him in multiple All-Star games, win a couple of Defensive Player of the Year trophies and All-NBA selections.
He will greatly benefit from playing with one of the greatest point guards ever in Chris Paul through their pick-and-roll plays.
Exciting times ahead indeed for fans in San Antonio.
Back-to-back for Celtics
The NBA has not had repeat champions since 2018, this means the league is in an age of parity.
The Boston Celtics have the best odds to win the NBA title this season, but they are not the runaway favorites.
With an intact lineup from their championship core, the Celtics will most likely come out on top again in the East.
Boston has the chemistry, depth, confidence, versatility, athleticism, and shooting to go along with its disciplined and fierce defense.
