After four endless months, the National Basketball Association (NBA) is ramping up for another action-packed season. In the 2022-23 campaign, we witnessed a seemingly insurmountable record get broken, the birth of a first-time champion and a deluge of dramatic feuds that rivaled any fictional TV show or movie. With all of last season’s memorable moments in mind, here are four key storylines to look for as you prepare for the long-awaited return of basketball.
A Neck-and-Neck Rookie of the Year Race
The NBA’s newest rising star is a highly-lauded, seven-foot-four French phenom named Victor Wembanyama. As the 2023 draft’s first overall pick, Wembanyama has some high expectations to meet. He’s been the most hyped-up draftee since LeBron James in 2003, with freakish highlights from his time with the French team, Metropolitans 92, circulating the internet for months in anticipation of the draft.
While it may seem like Wembanyama is a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year, another 2023 draftee won’t let it be a runaway. Third-overall pick Scoot Henderson of the Portland Trailblazers has a chip on his shoulder and an unapologetic swagger (in April, he proclaimed himself the rightful number-one pick) that inspires his explosive style of play.
When the two prodigies matched up in an exhibition game last year, Henderson had 28 points and Wembenyama had 37, but their first head-to-head NBA matchup is not until December. Both 19-year-olds are poised to shine on their new rosters, and their competitive sprint to the Rookie of the Year trophy will undoubtedly be an entertaining one.
New Faces in New Places…
Two of the most intriguing off-season additions were Bradley Beal joining the superteam Phoenix Suns and Chris Paul heading to the dynastic Golden State Warriors.
Beal has cemented himself as one of the best pure scorers in the league. He’s logged eleven seasons with the Washington Wizards where he climbed the team’s leaderboards to become their second all-time leading scorer and their all-time leader in three-point field goals. Simply put, Beal can put the ball in the hoop at all three levels of the court.
But on a new squad in Phoenix, which is already led by All-NBA talents Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, how will Beal fit in? He’ll need to cut back on the frequency of his shot attempts and find other ways to contribute to winning, perhaps by stepping up on defense or acting as more of a facilitator on offense.
The universal critique of Beal has been his team’s lack of success in the past, so his move to Phoenix offers him a fresh start. Now, he has the opportunity to shed the unfavorable reputation of being an empty stats machine and prove that he can be an indispensable member of a championship team.
Chris Paul is also starting over in a new city entering his nineteenth NBA season. The savvy veteran joins four-time champs Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on the Warriors, a team that boasts no shortage of success in the past decade. But as the team transitions into a new phase with aging stars, Chris Paul’s presence adds yet another layer to their balanced attack.
Much like the Beal trade, the minutiae of how Paul will fit on a new team is very much undecided. The Curry-Paul duo should be an interesting experiment as the tandem of experienced point guards iron out the specifics of ball-handling responsibilities. The potential of Paul coming off the bench to anchor a unit of young players has not necessarily been met with excitement, but only time will tell which lineup works best. If nothing else, Golden State offers CP3 a chance to win the ever-elusive ring whose absence has plagued most of his career.
…and Stranded, Stubborn Stars
One of the most captivating storylines to watch will be the fate of disgruntled players who requested (or, more accurately, demanded) trades this off-season but have yet to find a suitable match. Damian Lillard and James Harden have let the tension with their teams reach a blistering boiling point, and as teams head into training camp, the future is still undetermined.
Lillard has always hinted at the possibility of parting with the Portland Trailblazers if they can’t build a winning team around him, but he made it official with a trade request to the Miami Heat on July 1. In an unprecedented move, he also declared that if he’s traded to any team besides the Heat, he simply won’t play for them and will continue requesting trades until he reaches his preferred destination. Rumors of a potential trade to the Toronto Raptors have also gained momentum in the past few days.
Harden, on the other hand, has blown up every franchise he’s played for, dating back to 2021 when he forced his way off the tanking Houston Rockets. The following season, he abandoned the star-studded Brooklyn Nets when the superteam struggled to stay healthy. And now, contract disputes have soured Harden’s relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers as he once again seeks an escape route.
As of September 26, neither All-NBA guard has been moved. With both threatening a refusal to suit up for their current teams on opening night, the situation is a ticking time bomb leaving fans waiting for their next unpredictable move.
Can Denver Go Back-to-Back?
Denver became a city of NBA champions for the first time as the Nuggets triumphed over the Miami Heat in last year’s finals matchup. Their championship-winning formula is driven by the one-two punch of former MVP Nikola Jokic and crafty guard Jamal Murray, as well as a rotation stocked with quality role players like Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr.
In the offseason, though, Denver lost some key pieces in Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, who were integral to their championship run. The Nuggets have gone from the hunters to the hunted, and plenty of teams are hungry to dethrone the champs from their spot atop the NBA’s power rankings. Western Conference contenders like the Suns, Warriors and Lakers are formidable opponents, and Eastern Conference hopefuls like the Bucks, Celtics and Heat are another set of obstacles waiting eagerly if the Nuggets do prevail in the West.
Experience is often the greatest preparation for reaching the finals, but no team has replicated that level of success (or even had two consecutive finals appearances) since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Denver is poised to continue their regular-season dominance, but the Larry O’Brien Trophy could very well find a home in a different city come June.
The NBA season tips off on Oct. 24 on TNT with a pair of star-studded games between the Lakers and Nuggets followed by the Suns and Warriors. If you (like me) can’t wait that long to watch your favorite players, preseason games begin on Oct. 5 for a glimpse into the action.
