Defending champions the Golden State Warriors take on the Los Angeles Lakers as the 77th NBA season starts on Tuesday.
The Warriors – led by Steph Curry – are favourites to retain the title but there are big questions about the cohesion of the team. Their head coach Steve Kerr described a recent clash between two players as the “biggest crisis” he’s faced during almost a decade in charge.
LeBron James’ Lakers are not expected to mount a title challenge – but the 37 year-old is on a course for a historic solo achievement as he vies to become the league’s all-time points scorer.
Add to all that the possibility of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award going to the same player for a third consecutive year and the next six months promises to be another rollercoaster of thrills and spills for basketball fans.
Here are some of the key talking points and players likely to affect the destination of the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy.
Worrying times for the Warriors
No-one is questioning the ability or self-belief of the defending champions.
By winning the 2022 NBA title they and particularly star player Curry seemingly silenced the doubters who had claimed the glory days of the franchise were over.
Having also been crowned champions in 2015, 2017 and 2018 the Warriors are the early favourites to lift the trophy again next April.
But – and it’s a big but – will they self-destruct?
Last week footage emerged of Warriors forward Draymond Green punching his team-mate Jordan Poole at a training session.
“This is the biggest crisis we’ve had since I’ve been coach here,” said head coach Kerr. “It’s really serious stuff. We’re not perfect, but we’re going to lean on the experience that we have together over the last nine years.”
Green is a key component of the Warrior system and vital to the type of basketball Kerr likes to play. The 32 year-old was fined and asked to stay away from team for several days.
And while he has since apologised to Poole and the rest of team, many are questioning if it’s just a matter of time before the off-court issues start affecting the play on it.
An ageing GOAT
What’s the quickest way to start an argument between two basketball fans? Ask them to name their top five players of all time. And then try putting them in order…
Lakers star James is always in the conversation yet often it’s trailing Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Although many think he can close that gap at some point during this campaign.
The 37 year-old – who’s playing his 20th season – is on course to become the all-time leading points scorer in the NBA.
James is currently second with 37,062 points – hot on the heels of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on 38,387 – a record Abdul-Jabbar has held since 1984.
It seems more a question of when rather than if he will break the record, although James has increasingly been susceptible to injuries which saw him play just 56 of a possible 82 games during the 2021-2022 regular season.
All eyes on Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is without doubt one of the best players to ever walk on to a basketball court. He is a two-time NBA champion – yet it is those two titles which have some doubting his credentials.
They were won alongside Curry during Durant’s stint with the Golden State Warriors between 2016-2019.
The question now is: can he win a championship elsewhere? And more importantly without Curry?
So far with Brooklyn Nets he’s failed to do so. It seemed a formality when he was a part of the so-called ‘Big Three’ alongside James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Harden has since left the Nets and joined the Philadelphia 76ers.
Last season Durant was forced to play the majority of the team’s home games without Irving due to the latter being unable to play in New York because of his Covid vaccination status.
With the team now at full strength and the added bonus of Ben Simmons being fully fit again, many think this season could have a big impact on Durant’s legacy.
The best of the rest
Kawhi Leonard: Sidelined for more than a year with an ACL injury, Leonard is back and, alongside Paul George, should make the Los Angeles Clippers a threat. The key to their season will be how many games the pair can play together, with both having long lay-offs with injuries in the past.
Nikola Jokic is on course to do what no player has done since Boston Celtics great Larry Bird: win the MVP award for a third consecutive year. At a time when the game is increasingly being shaped by three-point shooting, the 6ft 11in centre continues to prove he can do it all, dominating opponents below and above the rim.
Last season’s beaten finalists the Boston Celtics have kept the core of their squad despite the pre-season being littered with trade rumours. However the team will be entering the campaign without head coach Ime Udoka who was suspended after a relationship with female staff member.
And last but by no means least, the return of 2019 first overall draft pick Zion Williamson is enough to have New Orleans Pelicans fans dreaming of a late post-season run. However, the 22 year-old’s injury record has some hoping he can just make it to the end of the season.
That’s just a taster of what this season has in store. We know there is so much more to look forward to.
