What I’m most looking forward to is…
I can’t wait to see What does Anthony Edwards look like? After getting his first taste of postseason success and taking inspiration from playing alongside his heroes over the summer. With the departure of Karl-Anthony Towns, the key to the franchise now rests with him as the Wolves’ only remaining No. 1 pick. He’s primed for a true breakout season. CDL
LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry Try channeling Tom Brady. While the trio are still performing at a high level and show no signs of retirement, a new group of stars are rising. Similar to Brady’s final season in Tampa Bay, LeBron, Durant and Steph will challenge young NBA stars to prove that their reign is over. as
In the second half of last season, the NBA seemed to shift from allowing tricky fouls to allowing fouls. Allow players to better utilize their physical fitness. Referees can swallow their whistles. I grew up in the basketball era of the 1990s, when the final score was sometimes in the 60s. While we don’t need to go back to the past, I wish the league would focus more on physical play and stop allowing players like James Harden to trick referees into calling 10,000 fouls per game. Yes
The biggest development of the offseason…
The most high-profile trade of the summer is undoubtedly the Towns/Julius Randle swap between New York and Minnesota, but personally I’m most interested in first Big trades the Knicks made this summer: Acquired Mikael Bridges from neighboring Brooklyn. Bridges is exactly what the Knicks are missing and they are now ready to compete with Boston. CDL
New Hope for the Knicks. Since 1973, Knicks fans have entered most seasons with unreasonable expectations of a championship. This season, that dream can come true. With Jalen Brunson playing at an all-league level, the offseason additions of Bridges and Towns put the Knicks in the best position to beat the Celtics. as
The most notable are Paul George heading to Philadelphia and Towns heading to New York. While I’m more interested in the latter than the former, the basketball fan in me is most What I’m looking forward to seeing is New additions in Oklahoma City. Often, winning a championship means making the right moves around the edges, and the Thunder getting Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein was a coup. Yes
The surprise gift pack will be…
This has been discussed far too much by diehards to warrant “surprise,” but the basketball audience as a whole has forgotten this. memphis grizzlies. That was a mistake, as Ja Morant was on a revenge tour, GG Jackson was having a breakout season, and Dillon Brooks was replaced by the equally enthusiastic but more mature Marcus Smart. Memphis is definitely going to be a playoff team. CDL
Grizzlies and Morant’s return. It’s easy to forget that before Morant’s off-court incident and season-ending injury, the Grizzlies were the second-best team in the Western Conference. If Morant gets back to his best and avoids off-court mischief, the Grizzlies are well positioned to make a deep playoff push. as
this orlando magic Will get off to a 20-5 start and people will start to wonder if they are a championship contender. While they won’t ultimately be that, the team will become a darling of the NBA and one of the most attractive destinations for a potentially disgruntled star like Giannis. Yes
LeBron James and Bronny James’ connection is…
Really, really cool, but caused a lot of undue anxiety. Young James will likely spend most, if not all, of his season in the G-League. So much hoopla over a late second-round pick is excessive. CDL
moments worth cherishing Because it probably won’t happen again. A rare father-son duo in the NBA will make it a must-see when the regular season happens for the first time. But as Bronny endures the learning curve as a rookie, critics won’t be kind. as
Cute, beautiful and rich in history. But in the end it doesn’t matter in terms of the end goal. I hope all is well with Brownie. I hope he gets time to develop. There’s no point in arguing about nepotism in this case: when it comes to the actual game, it doesn’t really matter that much. Still, it would be impressive if JJ Redick can turn Bronny into a player. Yes
A bold prediction…
Denver’s troubles may be worse than many think. They lost some key supporting players and added Russell Westbrook, whose honeymoon period was notoriously short. The rest of the West has gotten better around them, and it will take a huge effort from Nikola Jokic to make sure they aren’t the worst in years. CDL
Lakers will have a hard time making the playoffs. James and Anthony Davis will continue to put up league-wide numbers, but the Lakers won’t beat the Warriors for the final playoff spot. This will be Redick’s first season as Lakers head coach and his last – a possibility he jokingly acknowledged. as
Jimmy Butler will be traded. His time has just come. He was known for his violent exits, and the Heat didn’t want to give him a ton of money as they started to recalibrate and he was already in his late 30s. If and when they struggle this season, they get a call and someone is going to take Butler for a good contract regardless. Yes
MVP
Voters for NBA awards tend to be a bit sadistic. That said, they like it when candidates take the hard road to MVP glory—a few close calls on the way to victory are usually rewarded. Luka Doncicaccording to these and several other indicators, is due. My guess is he’ll finally get it this year. CDL
Anthony Edwards After a run with the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals and a stellar performance with Team USA at the Paris Olympics, he proved he’s ready to be the new face of the league. Without Towns, Edwards’ offensive numbers will increase significantly as he leads the Wolves into the top three in the Western Conference. There’s no denying that Ant-Man will be catapulted to superstardom in 2024-25. as
Luka Doncic. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum will make their claims, but now is the Slovenian’s time. The Mavericks should be great and Luka is their eye of the storm. SGA is a quieter player, and Tatum has a great team around him. Therefore, they will join Clowney and Brunson in the top five. Yes
Eastern Conference playoff teams
Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers. CDL
Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat. as
Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat. Yes
Western Conference playoff teams
Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors. CDL
Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors. as
Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers. Yes
Eastern Conference Finals
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics. CDL
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks. as
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics. Yes
Western Conference Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves. CDL
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder. as
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks. Yes
NBA Finals
New York Knicks 4-3 Oklahoma City Thunder. Granted, there’s some reality that the New York Knicks will eventually break through and win a championship, but they have new top talent and retain last year’s great core. They have plenty of playoff experience, great offensive and defensive talent, and a true star in Jalen Brunson. The Thunder are strong and will be good, which is why I have them standing out in a crowded West. But they are still a year away from lifting the trophy. CDL
Boston Celtics 4-2 Minnesota Timberwolves. The NBA Finals will pit Edwards’ Timberwolves against the Celtics led by Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Edwards’ skill and toughness were enough to make the Celtics uncomfortable every second. But the Timberwolves will ultimately be outgunned by the Celtics’ depth and star power in Tatum, Brown, Holiday and Porzingis. The Celtics will become the first team since the Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back NBA championships. as
Boston Celtics 4-3 Oklahoma City Thunder. This year’s NBA lineup is deep and full of talent. That means the regular season and playoffs are going to be tough. But there are two teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences that have more depth and talent. Boston and Oklahoma City are just a hair above them. While their opponents — the new-look Knicks and defending Western Conference champion Mavericks — will push them, it won’t be enough. It will be a seven-game series, including the final. But Boston would win consecutively. Yes
