NBA coverage is probably the most unique among the major sports. Interest in the goings on of the league does not die down during its offseason. Intrigue piques as a matter of fact as the playoffs wane. For instance, following major injuries to Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, and Jayson Tatum in the postseason, everyone immediately began to figure out how the conferences would shape out this season. That set the table for the offseason that we’re currently in. What we’re realizing is that we’re in for a hell of a ride.
The east is wide open
For starters, with the Boston Celtics severely compromised by Tatum’s Achilles injury, it opens the Eastern Conference up for a new champion. In that one moment, the Knicks, the Cavaliers, and a few other teams tangibly have a shot at the NBA Finals. In boisterous markets like New York and Cleveland, that type of optimism is priceless.
When it comes to the NBA, it benefits from the name recognition of its players and their abilities. Unlike many other sports, you can get a sense of a player’s style and personality through their game. When certain players end up on the same team, it’s much easier to imagine how well they will or won’t gel. That’s part of the excitement of the upcoming season.
With new faces in new places, we’ll be on the lookout for how teams have either improved or regressed this season. The blockbuster acquisition of the summer was finally Kevin Durant being traded to the Houston Rockets. Seeing him run in a high-octane offense with head coach Ime Udoka at the helm will be a sight to see. But there are other squads who feel they leveled up as well. Potentially to a lesser degree, the Clippers have added Bradley Beal to the fold, which gives them more ball-handling and balanced scoring. Along with Beal, the legendary Chris Paul is back with the Clippers for potentially a final season. Will it be lob city once again?
The old guard still guards
The scenarios can go on and on, from how good the Knicks will be with a bench that actually plays. How about this: What will the Lakers look like after LeBron James and Luka Doncic share a full training camp with one another? There’s such a bevy of storylines that will play out this season. It may be one of the most competitive seasons ever, with no true juggernaut in the league outside of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
As the season’s schedule has already been released, we see that from opening night, the league’s OG’s are still at it. In a league that features tons of superstar talent, the people are still flipping on the games for James, Curry and Durant. In the twilight of their respective careers, there’s no telling how many more seasons we’d be able to see these guys match up. That’s an added silver lining to this season as well. It’s what will make it special. Hopefully, by next June, we’ll all be able to look back at the season that was in utter amazement. After all, it is the NBA, where amazing happens.
