The 5 storylines to follow for the remainder of this NBA season
We're less than two weeks into the 2024/25 NBA season and there's already so much to dig our teeth into. So these are the 5 storylines that could shape this basketball season.
The NBA may not be advertised as your favourite drama TV show, but it sure does provide us with unlimited entertainment night to night, on and off the court. From the return of Ja Morant to capturing Cooper Flagg, to the Milwaukee Bucks and to the head-spinning Eastern Conference, these are the storylines that will shape this season.
1. Who is the best of the rest in the East?
As predicted, the Boston Celtics look like the primary contender in the Eastern Conference. But it begs the question, who is the No. 2? So far the answer to that is the Cleveland Cavaliers, firing out the blocks with a 7-0 record they find themselves atop the standings shooting an astonishing 52.6% from the field (all stats provided by NBA unless stated otherwise). Elsewhere in the East, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers is under fire for leading his team to an underwhelming 1-5 start, despite having the likes of Dame and Giannis at his disposal. While the star studded Philadelphia 76ers roster have just a singular win while Joel Embiid and Paul George recover from injuries.
The New York Knicks are next in line, having picked up Karl Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges in the offseason they sit at 3-2 so far. Over time it’s likely that they will gel together and provide a legitimate challenge to Boston come the post-season. But given the outcome of the season opener, there’s a still a large gap between those two.
Other than that, the East is, well, the East. Fringe teams like the Magic and Pacers could still make big jumps this year, led by budding stars Paolo Banchero and Tyrese Haliburton. The Miami Heat will run it back again while the Trae Young led Hawks will aim to escape a fourth straight year of mediocrity.
So, just about anyone could be the No. 2 seed come May, leaving nothing but chaos to ensue out East over the 75 remaining games.
2. Wembanyama’s next step
A talent so supreme he has been nicknamed ‘The Alien’. Victor Wembanyama is coming off of a historic rookie year, delivering on his astronomically high levels of hype. Averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks while only playing 29.7 minutes per game on his way to winning a landslide Rookie of the Year trophy. It was something we have never seen before, and may never see again.
His sophomore year has been mixed so far, highlighted with a career low 6 points against his nemesis Chet Holmgren. Wemby followed that with a 5x5 game, 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals in a blowout win against Utah. The mark of a great player is their reaction to a bad performance, and that he did. He will be helped this year with a veteran supporting cast of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes. San Antonio’s 2022 first round pick Jeremy Sochan looks much improved, averaging 17.3 points on 50% field goal percentage through 6 games. The Frenchman was also given extra incentive this summer following defeat in Olympic Basketball, at the hands of Team USA, no less.
The feeling with Wemby around the league is that it’s a matter of when, not if. When will he accomplish all-NBA level? When will he be DPOY? When will he be MVP? And can he do any of these things this year? As unbelievable as it sounds it is well within reach for the seven foot three phenomenon.
3. The return of Ja
It can be easy to forget the talents of Ja Morant and the trajectory in which the Grizzlies were on just 19 months ago. But following a timespan marred with controversy and injury, Morant finally has a clean slate. He’ll be playing with a particularly sharp chip on his shoulder as well, after his team fell into nothingness last season with a 21-52 record without him.
Turning 25 this season, the expectation will be for Morant to take his side back to the playoffs and seriously contend for an MVP, after 7th and 12th place finishes in 21/22 and 22/23 respectively. He isn't without help, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane both expanded their game in the absence of Ja. While former DPOY Marcus Smart will look to rekindle his form and compliment Morant when fully healthy. Rookie center Zach Edey provides an intriguing possibility in pick and roll situations, though that is yet to come to fruition in the early stages of this season.
That supporting cast has come in useful so far, as he’s averaging 9.8 assists per game this season (tied for 3rd highest in the league). He’s scoring 20 points per game, on track to be his lowest since his rookie year in the league, but its clear Morant sees the talent that Zachary Kleiman has supplied him with, and is using it to the teams beneficiary. After a polemic year and a half, filled with pain and suspensions, Morant is starting to mature on and off of the court.
4. The MVP race
MVP talk is a constant, whether it be game one or game eighty two it will always be the talk of the town and the most highly thought of individual award. And only 7 games deep this season, nothing has changed. Can an American born player reclaim the award? Will Jayson Tatum or Luka Doncic finally put it all together? Or will Nikola Jokic defy the odds and win his 4th?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the one raising eyebrows so far, yes the seasons only 11 days old, but the Canadian guard has an unbeaten record and is excelling on both ends. Luka follows closely behind as he embarks on yet another statistical barrage of a season, setting up the Mavericks nicely in the West. Meanwhile Tatum’s revenge tour is off to a flying start, with the Celtics at 6-1 and the forward averaging over 30 points per game. Piling on top of all this we will have the dedicated fanbases of possible MVP’s ready to shout out stats, videos and highlights of their respective players.
As the season develops, no doubt that the candidates for the Michael Jordan trophy will become crystal clear. But until then, the debate will rage on until the winner is announced, and even after that.
5. Capture the Flagg
Many can be forgiven for batting an eye at the 2024 NBA draft class, with the talent ceilings of the entrants lower than usual, it’s fair to say it was a down year. But the talent in this years upcoming class cannot be ignored, and it creates an intriguing prospect to tank for a higher draft pick. Much of this narrative has been single-handedly created by Duke superstar Cooper Flagg. The consensus no.1 overall pick is seen as a franchise altering talent, while six foot six guard Dylan Harper will pick up tonnes of buzz this college season. This makes the trusty tank ever more tempting for NBA franchises.
Out in the stacked Western conference, Portland and Utah will likely be vying for the No.1 pick come June but will face stern competition from the bottom of the East. The Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls made their stance clear in roster selection, while others like the Wizards, Hornets and Pistons are teetering on the brink of purposefully losing and building young, hungry rosters. But seven games into this NBA season and all of that has gone out of the window. Two supremely talented teams in the Bucks and 76ers have two wins between them, while the aforementioned Nets and Bulls have three wins each.
There is parity out West with Utah at 0-6 and Portland just a spot above them in the conference standings. But if the start of the tank race is anything to go by, just about anybody could be in with a shot of ‘capturing the Flagg’ come the end of the season.