The NBA is back tonight with the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks getting their rings before facing the Brooklyn Nets in the early game. Then the Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers in the night game. The Boston Celtics begin their season tomorrow night in New York against the Knicks.
Here’s a quick look around the Eastern Conference and quick thoughts about each team to get you ready for the return of the NBA.
ATLANTA HAWKS - How real was last season? The Hawks seem poised to take a leap but I have serious questions about whether they can recapture the magic of last year’s late run. Forget about the breaks they caught along the way, which is what some people want to focus on when looking at the Hawks. I’m more worried about all the young guys who accepted certain roles getting paid and, as a result, looking to do more than they did last year.
Part of the beauty of the Hawks last year was how everyone bought into their role. If they do that again, then the Hawks will be good. Add to this the question of how Trae Young will be officiated now that some of his tricks will become no-calls or even offensive fouls, and I think the Hawks could take a step backwards, not forward.
BOSTON CELTICS - An underlying storyline to this whole season is whether Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can take another step in their progression, and whether Brad Stevens can use his resources to build around them or bring in a third star to support them.
Is the arrival of Ime Udoka a sort of second stage for this rocket? Will he be able to provide the fuel for Tatum and Brown to continue their ascent? The future of the team could be determined by how these two stars look this season.
BROOKLYN NETS - Obviously, the Kyrie Irving saga has been one of the biggest storylines in the league, so the bigger question for Brooklyn is whether their depth can be enough to support Kevin Durant and James Harden. Durant looked better than ever, but he played a lot of basketball and one has to wonder what kind of toll that will take on him. The Nets still have enough to be the favorites, but can additions like Patty Mills and LaMarcus Aldridge be enough to help ease the workload for Durant and Harden?
CHARLOTTE HORNETS - Charlotte has talented young players but they haven’t been able to consistently put it all together, partly because Gordon Hayward hasn’t been able to stay on the floor consistently enough to be the tie that binds.
Hayward is at the center of all of this, and you have to wonder where his head is at. He left Boston for a lot of money but also because he wants to be the main guy again. Then LaMelo Ball became the guy in Charlotte and Hayward is, again, more of an afterthought. If he can be what the Hornets hoped, then Charlotte can surprise people. If not, then we’ll see how the Hornets proceed in order to let their youth shine.
CHICAGO BULLS - One of the more intriguing teams in the league, they added DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to create an interesting mix of talent. They did well enough in the preseason for folks in Chicago to believe in their team, but the rigors of the regular season will provide the clearer picture.
This could be a fun team to watch because they may both score, and give up, a lot of points. The question is whether the talent can come together enough to score more points than the other team enough to live up to their payroll.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS - They’re a rebuilding team trying to figure out who to keep and who to move. They picked up Lauri Markkanen in an interesting offseason move, adding him to a frontcourt that already includes Jarrett Allen and the newly drafted Evan Mobley.
The Cavs have decisions to make.
Collin Sexton and Kevin Love are prime candidates to move, but where? And for whom? Not buying out Love makes me think Cleveland is keeping salary around for a big move somehow. The rebuilding Cavs need to find a direction and that will make them very interesting players on the trade market.
DETROIT PISTONS - It’s all about Cade Cunningham for the Pistons this season. They landed the number one pick in a highly anticipated draft and now they may have the type of transformative star they haven’t had since the Grant Hill days.
Detroit will be one of the worst teams in the league, but the record doesn’t matter. If they see a future where Cunningham, Killian Hayes, and Saddiq Bey fit together, they’ll feel great about the franchise.
INDIANA PACERS - How much does coaching matter in the NBA? The Pacers are about to let us know. The roster that, under Nate McMillan, was a playoff team and, under Nate Bjorkgren, was four games under .500, is now being coached by Rick Carlisle.
The Pacers have talent that clearly needs to be used and motivated correctly to work, but it’s still pretty good talent. If Carlisle can figure out how to use Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner together, he’ll be off to a good start.
The Pacers aren’t going to excite many people, but they could be more in the Eastern Conference mix than people anticipate.
MIAMI HEAT - Can Kyle Lowry do for Miami what he did for Toronto? He still has gas left in the tank, and his attitude seems to mesh with Jimmy Butler and a Heat team that isn’t afraid to get grimy.
While Lowry is going to be the focal point, Tyler Herro could be the biggest wildcard for the Heat. If he can get back to his form from a couple of seasons ago, he and Duncan Robinson can give the Heat two deadly shooting options while Butler operates from the midrange and Bam Adebayo destroys the middle.
The Heat have the talent to be a top four seed, but if Lowry regresses or gets hurt, then they might fall behind expectations.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS - Two thoughts on Milwaukee:
Has the championship eliminated the yips that almost cost them in the first couple of rounds of last year’s playoffs and in years past? They were the shakiest contender I’ve ever seen until Giannis Antetokounmpo realized his full powers in the Finals. Now that they know they can win it all, will they calm down and be the dominant force we know they can be?
How much will the short offseason hurt them? Will they ease into the regular season with the comfort of knowing their seed won’t really matter much? Will there be a spate of soft tissue injuries? They worked really hard to get that title and then Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday went to Tokyo to win gold with Team USA. That has to impact them somehow.
NEW YORK KNICKS - Another in the “was last season really real?” club. They got an All-NBA season out of Julius Randle, a pretty big improvement over years past. Was that an aberration, or a leap? The answer to that drives New York’s season.
On top of that, the additions of former Celtics Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier could be huge swings for the Knicks. They lacked offensive creators and added two this offseason, but they sacrificed defense to do it. Does Tom Thibodeau’s system help turn them into better defenders, or does it suffer with them on the floor?
ORLANDO MAGIC - Quite possibly the worst team in the league, but they might have found a gem in RJ Hampton. If he and Jalen Suggs can team up to show promise of a one-two punch, then the Magic could have a solid young core to build around. They could have decent supporting pieces with Cole Anthony, Jonathan Isaac, and Markele Fultz. This season is all about trying to foster that.
Watch for Terrance Ross to hit the market at the trade deadline. He could be a swing piece for a contending team.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS - The obvious question here is when the Ben Simmons drama will end. Simmons was kicked out of practice and suspended after reportedly refusing to enter a defensive drill, leading to incendiary comments from Joel Embiid.
The situation there is untenable, and now the only question left is who swerves in this game of chicken. Philadelphia is running out of time in “the process,” and the East is full of good teams now. They risk derailing an important season if this drags out.
TORONTO RAPTORS - This could be a transition year for the Raptors. Last season was a disaster for them in Tampa, and while they should clearly improve, they’re still not expected to be very good.
Scottie Barnes seems like a rookie ready to contribute at the NBA level, but the Raptors are small and their roster needs more tweaking. Will this be the year they move Pascal Siakam? Will they also move Fred VanVleet, go young, and make 24-year-old OG Anunoby their centerpiece while they rebuild? The early returns this season could dictate when Masai Ujiri starts the rebuild.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS - They picked up Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell in exchange for Russell Westbrook and then brought in Spencer Dinwiddie to run point.
Is this enough to keep Bradley Beal?
Beal has not asked out of Washington, preferring instead to maintain his level of authority in an organization desperate to keep their lone remaining superstar. If it’s not, Beal’s decision could reshape the NBA’s power structure. If it is, teams that had hoped for Beal to put them over the top will have to readjust their plans.