The NBA season formally started Tuesday evening with a New York Knicks-Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota Timberwolves doubleheader.
Karl-Anthony Cities debuted with the new-look Knicks and Bronny James made historical past alongside his father, LeBron James. The evening was stuffed with 3-point motion and rookie debuts, and that was solely the start. A number of different groups kick off their seasons tonight, together with the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) and the Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers (10 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Accidents have already taken a toll on a number of stars this season. The 76ers’ new duo of Paul George and Joel Embiid should wait on their debut, as each are sidelined with accidents. George’s former teammate, Kawhi Leonard, will likely be out indefinitely as he continues to rehab a lingering knee damage. And the Bucks will open the season with out Khris Middleton.
However the Chicago Bulls, nevertheless, will open the season getting one star again from a protracted damage. How does Lonzo Ball match into the Bulls’ offense after two years?
Can Mike Budenholzer flip the Suns into contenders? Has Steve Kerr discovered the Warriors’ beginning 5? Are the Sixers and Clippers in hassle with out their stars?
ESPN’s NBA insiders break down the largest questions for Wednesday’s slate of video games.
How have Giannis and Dame discovered methods to attach throughout the offseason?
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have one season underneath their belts enjoying alongside each other, they usually’re relying on that have to profit them in 12 months 2 of this partnership. Bucks followers have been disenchanted to study the 2 didn’t spend any time with one another throughout the offseason — Antetokounmpo was busy enjoying within the 2024 Paris Olympics, rehabbing an damage after after which bought married — however the two stars stated they have been in fixed communication about their targets for this season. Mix their elevated familiarity together with a full season underneath Doc Rivers, who was introduced in due to his historical past teaching stars, and the Bucks imagine continuity will result in a bounce-back season. — Jamal Collier
How will the Joel Embiid and Paul George accidents influence Philadelphia’s begin to the season?
The story of Philadelphia’s season was all the time going to be centered across the well being of Embiid and George. However the crew definitely hoped to have its stars in uniform slightly than on the bench in road garments to begin the season. Each gamers have stated they do not imagine they’re far-off from enjoying, and this might simply be a small pace bump for the 76ers. On the identical time, although, there’s already numerous skepticism across the league about these two making it to the playoffs wholesome. Opening the season with each on the bench will do nothing to quiet the skeptics who assume this may simply be one other disappointing season for the Sixers. — Tim Bontemps
What’s Chicago’s plan to maintain Lonzo Ball wholesome this season and the way will he match on the crew?
After greater than 1,000 days, Ball is again on an NBA courtroom. The Bulls and Ball have acknowledged managing his well being will likely be a piece in progress all through the season, particularly contemplating Ball is the primary NBA participant to return to motion after a cartilage transplant surgical procedure. Ball performed with out points by two preseason appearances and stated he hasn’t had to consider his knee throughout sport motion. He’ll begin the season on a strict minutes restriction coming off the bench and he’s nearly sure to keep away from back-to-backs. But when his first two preseason video games are an indicator — 21 factors, 4 assists and 5-of-11 from 3 — he is usually a useful contributor for the Bulls coming off the bench. — Collier
Do Ja Morant and the Grizzlies look poised for a bounce-back season?
There’s little doubt that Memphis will bounce again after bottoming out as a 27-win crew final season, when the Grizzlies stumbled out of the gates throughout Morant’s 25-game suspension and had any hopes of rallying doomed by all types of medical distress.
Can the Grizzlies return to their 50-plus-win normal from the earlier two seasons? That will likely be powerful in a loaded Western Convention that noticed the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and Timberwolves blossom into contenders because the Grizzlies final made the playoffs (and fizzled out within the first spherical).
If the Grizzlies are granted a minimum of affordable damage luck — and it isn’t an awesome begin {that a} hamstring damage will sideline Jaren Jackson Jr. to open the common season — rookie middle Zach Edey is likely to be the figuring out think about Memphis’ ceiling. If his 23-point, nine-rebound preseason efficiency in opposition to the Pacers is an indication of issues to return, the Grizzlies could possibly be nearly as good as ever. — Tim MacMahon
Can Mike Budenholzer flip the Suns into contenders?
The largest downside that Budenholzer wants to repair is Phoenix’s fourth-quarter offensive woes. With all that firepower, the Suns ranked lifeless final in fourth-quarter offensive effectivity final season, scoring solely 105.1 factors per 100 possessions.
However Budenholzer is not the one newcomer in Phoenix who ought to have a significant hand in cleansing up that mess. He has a luxurious that one-and-done Suns coach Frank Vogel — who additionally introduced a championship pedigree to the desert — didn’t get pleasure from: A authentic, seasoned NBA level guard. Tyus Jones, the league’s all-time chief in assist-to-turnover ratio, ought to immediately present a way of calm and construction down the stretch of video games that the Suns lacked final season.
Assuming Jones begins and closes alongside the three stars, the Suns lack a main perimeter defender within the lineup. Budenholzer has earned a repute as an elite defensive coach, and he’ll must stay as much as it for the Suns to emerge as contenders. — MacMahon
What ought to the Clippers anticipate from Kawhi Leonard this season?
It’s tough to set expectations on Leonard this season because of the irritation he’s coping with in his proper knee. Getting into coaching camp, Lawrence Frank and Leonard stated they felt they’d a greater deal with on the irritation than they did throughout the postseason when he was restricted to 2 video games within the six-game first-round loss to Dallas. They each stated they wished to take each precaution to get the entire irritation out of the knee earlier than returning to motion.
With Leonard out indefinitely to begin the season, the two-time Finals MVP will not return till his knee is again to 100%. After which as soon as he’s on the courtroom once more, Leonard should have the ability to preserve the irritation from returning in his surgically-repaired proper knee. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Has Steve Kerr discovered his go-to beginning 5?
The lineup Kerr makes use of within the opener in opposition to Portland is not assured to be the 5 gamers he begins each evening. Kerr has been clear on the tough selections he faces naming starters and an 11-man rotation, saying he feels he might play each participant on his roster.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced are assured beginning jobs, however the different three spots could possibly be crammed by a mixture of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, De’Anthony Melton, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney. Kerr has additionally stated there are some nights the place the beginning lineup will likely be decided by their opponent, however his purpose is to nonetheless discover a group he can depend on on any given evening — a luxurious the Warriors didn’t have final season. — Kendra Andrews