The off-season is gone, the pre-season has been concluded, and the NBA regular season is officially here.
While last season was undoubtedly underwhelming, with stars like Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, and Jamal Murray missing most of the season, there are indications that this season holds much more promise.
Here, we discuss the general outlook for the season from the games already played and what you can expect until the finals next June.
King James Set Breaks Another Record
LeBron James is no stranger to making history, and he has proved it time and time again. LeBron is currently the only player to win three Finals MVPs in three different teams. He is also the first and only NBA player to rank top ten in both all-time assists and career points.
However, the looming question on the minds of most fans is whether LeBron will eventually pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer this season. Estimations show that this might be right.
LeBron currently has 37,217 points, with a second position on the career points list. The all-time leader, Kareem, has 38,387 points. This means LeBron needs at least 1,170 points to meet and beat Kareem’s record.
With LeBron averaging 30.3 points per game last season, he would be on track to break the record by mid-season if he plays every game in the season till then. LeBron already got 155 points from the six games played by the Lakers this season.
The Ham Strategy: Westbrook as Sixth Man
Russel Westbrook has been the subject of multiple trades in the past four years. The point guard was traded from the Wizards to the Lakers last year.
There were also talks of possible Westbrook trades from the Lakers in the offseason, although these plans ultimately fell through.
After the disappointing performance by the Lakers last season, new coach Darvin Ham seems to have a winning strategy in mind, and it involves Westbrook coming off the bench.
While there were initially mixed reactions on whether Russ would ultimately embrace his role as sixth-man, the doubts seem to have been unfounded. Days ago, Anthony Davis praised Westbrook for embracing and flourishing in his sixth-man role.
The Ham Strategy seems to be working pretty well. Westbrook led the Lakers to their first-ever win in the season last Sunday. In the game against the Nuggets, Westbrook led the Lakers to a 121-110 win by finishing with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.
For many, this indicates brighter times ahead for the Lakers. as they seem to have found a suitable strategy. As Westbrook continues to embrace his new role in the team, he has a fair chance at becoming the Sixth Man of the Year by the end of the season.
Return of the Stars?
Last season was fraught with many inconsistencies. Injuries kept many stars from the court, and many fans ended the season feeling like there could be more. Fortunately, the stars are returning this season.
Murray is one of the stars. After an ACL tear last year, he missed about the Nugget’s last 18 games in the regular season and the NBA playoffs.
With Murray’s return, he is expected to join hands with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic to lead the team’s offense. Murray already seems to be performing, scoring a season-high of 21 points in the game against the Lakers on Sunday.
Another 20-pointer that returned this season was Zion Williamson. After an injury last year, he seemed to be back healthy and energetic to lead the Pelicans with his impressive speed.
However, hopes were dashed when he suffered another injury again during the Pelicans' game against the Utah Jazz. This time, a hip contusion.
There are no confirmations that Williamson will be back anytime soon, and this might impact the performance of the Pelicans. At this stage, the team needs a skillful forward like Pelican to have a fighting chance at the Western Conference.
Strong Contenders for the MVP
This season, competition for the MVP award is set to get stiffer. Of course, the sport betting markets will be following this very closely.
Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic is on the lineup, alongside two-time winner Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, both Jokic and Antetokounmpo are expected, contenders. Likely new contenders this season include Joel Embiid of the 76ers and Luka Doncic of the Mavericks.
However, Doncic seems to have a fighting chance. The point guard has constantly featured in the top six in MVP voting and recently made history as the first player (since Michael Jordan) to score over 30 points in the season's first six games.
With these accolades already under his belt this early in the season, it would be unsurprising to have him feature yet again as one of the MVP's top contenders.
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The season is already off to a great start and promises to be exciting for many fans. Of course, it is difficult to predict the exact outcome of the league, but a few pointers already show the likely strong contenders.
