Five biggest questions going into the NBA season
Kevin Korbel
Staff Writer
The 2018-19 NBA season looks to be an interesting season once again in the NBA. With a lot of drama and confusion surrounding the league in the offseason, the season can’t come soon enough for teams and fans. Here are five of the biggest questions entering the NBA season:
- How far will LeBron and Kawhi take their new teams?
As LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard land on new teams this season, it’s uncertain just what heights both these teams will reach in the first year of both these players joining their teams.
The Lakers have not made the playoffs ever since Kobe Bryant has left the team, and the team hasn’t played the best basketball with the core players they have now.
Along with LeBron, the Lakers added role players in two-guard Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley at the three, and Rajon Rondo at guard. Is this enough talent to make a run in the playoffs this season? Or will we see a young, inexperienced team start to crumble in the playoffs?
As for Kawhi and the Raptors, this is arguably the biggest move of the summer. One can argue that LeBron going to L.A. is the biggest, but it was rumored all season long that he’d be on the move, while Kawhi being moved seemed to just happen overnight.
Kawhi adds another element to a talented Raptors team that always seems to come up short in the playoffs. Kawhi’s playoff experience could provide the Raptors’ that added push they need to finally make the Finals this season.
- Will anybody contend with the Warriors?
The Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers are the only teams in my opinion that have enough talent to play against the Warriors in a best of seven series.
While one can argue LeBron going to the Lakers makes them contenders against the Warriors, I give it another year yet until that becomes a reality.
The Raptors also seem to be a tough team that can hang with the best, but it seems like a longshot especially since they can’t even make it to the finals.
- Will Jimmy, Thibs stick with Wolves for long-term?
This has become the biggest drama storyline of the season, and nobody knows how this will end. Will Jimmy even be on the roster once the regular season begins? Will the team support him after this season?
There are a lot of looming questions surrounding this organization, and it’s all surrounding Jimmy wanting to get traded to another team.
As for Tom Thibodeau, his tenure with the Wolves looks to be bleak after rumors surrounding the organization questioning Thibs’ coaching strategies. Will he and Jimmy both run away from this team, or will they decide to try and build something in Minnesota?
- How will rookies fair this season?
DeAndre Ayton and Trae Young, in my opinion, are the two biggest acquisitions for their franchises from the NBA draft this season.
It’s not every day you find on the street a big man who’s 7’0” and weighs 261 lbs. and can move like Ayton can. He’s a vital piece of what looks to be a big rebuilding season for the Phoenix Suns.
Trae Young for the Atlanta Hawks also is a huge acquisition for their respected team. Often getting compared to Russell Westbrook coming out of college, he adds a new dynamic to what was a boring Hawks team last season. He brings a high basketball IQ to a historical franchise that looks to get back to the playoffs.
- Who’s the best team in the East?
Raptors? Celtics? 76ers? Bucks? There’s no clear favorite to win the conference title this season.
All these teams have their positives and negatives, and none seem to have that extra element to their team that separates them from the pack.
The most talented team out of the four hands-down is the Boston Celtics, a team that features one of the most talented point guards in the game in Kyrie Irving, and an up-and-coming star in Jayson Tatum.
The one negative is that they have a tendency to not be able to finish games, and also have their players stay healthy the whole season.
It looks very bleak as of now either four of these teams will contend with the Warriors, due to all of the talent the Warriors still possess on their roster. It’ll take a miracle like LeBron’s run in 2016 with the Cavaliers for a team to defeat the Warriors this season.
Conclusion
This looks to be another exciting year of basketball in the NBA this season. Let’s only hope that most of these questions are answered sooner rather than later in the season.