{"id":117237,"date":"2024-10-23T00:07:48","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T17:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117237"},"modified":"2024-10-23T00:07:48","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T17:07:48","slug":"twenty-four-big-questions-for-the-nba-season-celtics-repeat-knicks-challenge-wembys-ceiling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117237","title":{"rendered":"Twenty-four big questions for the NBA season: Celtics repeat? Knicks challenge? Wemby\u2019s ceiling?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>To ascertain whether you should spend the next 15 minutes reading what falls below, it\u2019s fair to go back and look at how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/4967080\/2023\/10\/20\/nba-key-questions-nuggets-wembanyama-harden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">last year\u2019s version of 24 Questions went<\/a>, along with my answers to them, and very, very fair grades assigned based on whether or not the question\/prediction came true. Mind you, those answers were the result of more than three decades of intently following the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/\">NBA<\/a>, establishing deep relationships with decision-makers on teams and in the league office and mining my sources for meaningful and pertinent information from which I could fearlessly express my expert opinions. You\u2019re lucky I do this for you.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the first question I asked last season was:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"82\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/nuggets\/\">Nuggets<\/a> do it again?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hell yeah, I said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5506157\/2024\/05\/20\/timberwolves-nuggets-rudy-gobert-karl-anthony-towns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hell no, they didn\u2019t.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Grade:<\/strong> C-minus<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"xj359Qh34ugWFbVp\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/james-harden-xj359Qh34ugWFbVp\/\">James Harden<\/a> a 76er by the trade deadline?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I said no on Oct. 20. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5016163\/2023\/10\/31\/james-harden-trade-grades-sixers-clippers\/\">He was traded to the LA Clippers on Halloween night<\/a>. Big W for me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grade:<\/strong> A-plus<\/p>\n<p><strong>Biggest non-Lillard (!!) impact for a new player: <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"DJq74red8aTFXbfg\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/fred-vanvleet-DJq74red8aTFXbfg\/\">Fred VanVleet<\/a> in Houston, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"mb7gZfksSkvZCBxf\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/bradley-beal-mb7gZfksSkvZCBxf\/\">Bradley Beal<\/a> in Phoenix or <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"iXclBS6oo11am7Ru\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/kristaps-porziis-iXclBS6oo11am7Ru\/\">Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is<\/a> in Boston?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I picked FVV. VanVleet was good in Houston last season, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5573339\/2024\/06\/19\/boston-celtics-kristaps-porzingis-nba-finals\/\">it was Porzi\u0146\u0123is by a nautical mile.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Grade:<\/strong> C-minus<\/p>\n<p><strong>Are the rest of the Wolves as nice as <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"od38ONt5aEAWM6H0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/anthony-edwards-od38ONt5aEAWM6H0\/\">Anthony Edwards<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m bullish on a Wolves relaunch,\u201d I wrote. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canishoopus.com\/2023\/7\/13\/23793368\/minnesota-timberwolves-rank-draftkings-opening-season-win-totals-nba-playoffs-anthony-edwards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">An over-under of 43.5 wins?<\/a> Take the over!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5505355\/2024\/05\/20\/karl-anthony-towns-timberwolves-game-7-nuggets\/\">Minnesota made the Western Conference finals<\/a> for the first time in two decades. Even bigger dub for me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grade:<\/strong> A-plus<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"83\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/grizzlies\/\">Memphis<\/a> survive <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"O9seJiOia3fxGmjz\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/ja-morant-O9seJiOia3fxGmjz\/\">Ja Morant<\/a>\u2019s 25-game suspension?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I said yes, and that the Grizzlies would be a top-four seed in the West.<\/p>\n<p>The Grizzlies were 21-52 without Morant, who played just nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in January. Why do you take anything I say at face value? Why?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grade:<\/strong> F<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which of <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"sbpm1Ty4vmeY5sa9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/chet-holmgren-sbpm1Ty4vmeY5sa9\/\">Chet Holmgren<\/a>, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"xKlJ0Tp1E53cb36Q\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/cade-cunningham-xKlJ0Tp1E53cb36Q\/\">Cade Cunningham<\/a> or <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"ovP4Zjm8PFLcjKlm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/lamelo-ball-ovP4Zjm8PFLcjKlm\/\">LaMelo Ball<\/a> would have the biggest impact on their team after coming back from injury?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I picked Holmgren. He was in the 93rd percentile last season in estimated defensive plus-minus, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uZ7H1Z8fsMk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">per Dunks &amp; Threes<\/a>. OKC was the top seed in the West and finished fourth in the league in defensive rating.<\/p>\n<p>I am The King.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grade:<\/strong> A<\/p>\n<p><strong>Since Wemby is going to be Rookie of the Year, who comes in second?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I retorted: Who says he\u2019s going to be Rookie of the Year?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you high?\u201d the omniscient narrator asked.<\/p>\n<p>As it turned out \u2026 yes.<\/p>\n<p>I also said that, while <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"0lNu4P1JXZca9gqU\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/victor-wembanyama-0lNu4P1JXZca9gqU\/\">Victor Wembanyama<\/a> might well wind up winning, the ROTY voting would end up being much closer than people thought it would be.<\/p>\n<p>Wembanyama was <a href=\"https:\/\/ak-static.cms.nba.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/05\/2023-24-Kia-NBA-Rookie-of-the-Year-Voter-Selections.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection.<\/a> I voted for him too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grade:<\/strong> F-minus-minus<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ime Udoka, Quin Snyder, Monty Williams, Darko Rajakovi\u0107: Which new coach of a non-contender will squeeze the most wins above replacement out of his squad?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Naturally, I said Williams. The <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"76\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/pistons\/\">Pistons<\/a> went 14-68 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5575692\/2024\/06\/19\/monty-williams-fired-pistons\/\">and fired Williams after the season<\/a>, willing to eat the remaining $65 million on his contract. This is your reminder to never allow me to represent you in contract negotiations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grade:<\/strong> F<\/p>\n<p>So, on these questions, I had three A\u2019s, three F\u2019s, and a couple of C\u2019s. But grading on a curve \u2014 my curve, which involves tossing out the worst grade or two \u2014 that works out to, like, a B-minus. And with that unassailable record of excellence, it\u2019s on to 2024!<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>1. Can the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"71\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/celtics\/\">Celtics<\/a> repeat?<\/h3>\n<p>Hell yeah, they\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Well, let\u2019s first see how quickly Porzi\u0146\u0123is recovers from his surgery to repair his torn medial retinaculum. He\u2019s supposed to be back in December, but given that Porzi\u0146\u0123is has a history of lower-body injuries, let\u2019s see. Boston can tread water for a few weeks, but if there are any setbacks, milking 38-year-old <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"1bdxkLwov50QIyiQ\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/al-horford-1bdxkLwov50QIyiQ\/\">Al Horford<\/a> for big minutes for any extended stretch of time is suboptimal. Having said that, the C\u2019s are so experienced, so loaded and have so many different ways they can beat you, with <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"EAiBkBxmqCrObLg7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/jaylen-brown-EAiBkBxmqCrObLg7\/\">Jaylen Brown<\/a> and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"3O7MInr4zV5KKhZ5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/jayson-tatum-3O7MInr4zV5KKhZ5\/\">Jayson Tatum<\/a> having beaten back all the doubters, that they still are prohibitive favorites to get out of the Eastern Conference. But I\u2019d feel better about it if Porzi\u0146\u0123is is back to his old self by New Year\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5851821\/2024\/10\/18\/celtics-predictions-2024-jayson-tatum\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/05\/24021656\/GettyImages-2154379239-scaled-e1716532436665-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Celtics predictions: It&#8217;s Banner 19 or bust this season in Boston<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>2. Can the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"68\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/knicks\/\">Knicks<\/a> beat Boston in the East?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Even if Porzi\u0146\u0123is returns healthy for Boston, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"hLzEwRUGfKRoGAbX\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/karl-anthony-towns-hLzEwRUGfKRoGAbX\/\">Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a> will provide a rare defensive challenge to Boston\u2019s bigs. I would point to Game 2 of the Timberwolves\u2019 second-round series with the defending champion Nuggets last spring, when Towns got the start in the middle in place of <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"HoB7w4Z5ROZnzHO4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/rudy-gobert-HoB7w4Z5ROZnzHO4\/\">Rudy Gobert<\/a>, who missed the game in Denver to remain in Minneapolis to be at the birth of his son. Towns went 10-of-15 from the floor against <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"bCjsyLGuQMrMSWNr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/nikola-jokic-bCjsyLGuQMrMSWNr\/\">Nikola Joki\u0107<\/a>, made 3 of 5 3-pointers and scored 27 points in a 106-80 Wolves rout, posting a plus-21 plus-minus. Joki\u0107 went for 16 and 16 but was a minus-16. One game isn\u2019t determinative, of course, much less a trend. But it does show that, in a big postseason game for his franchise, Towns could handle the assignment. The question with the Knicks is their depth, but their starting five with Towns in the middle matches up as well as anyone in the league can match up against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5860923\/2024\/10\/22\/celtics-repeat-championship-rewrite-history\/\">Celtics<\/a>\u2019 starting firepower.<\/p>\n<h3>2a. Will they?<\/h3>\n<p>See below.<\/p>\n<h3>3. How will JJ Redick do?<\/h3>\n<p>Pretty well. It is not a criticism of the 40-year-old, first-time coach that he has a particular skill that should resonate with the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"89\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/lakers\/\">Lakers<\/a>: He\u2019s glib. He can get his point across quickly, and pointedly, if needed; with his TV and podcasting background, he can talk in sound bites. He\u2019s smart about basketball. And, given their podcast work together, he obviously has a great relationship with <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"dxRvkEThnxpMbhcr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/lebron-james-dxRvkEThnxpMbhcr\/\">LeBron James<\/a>. This is obviously vital for any James team.<\/p>\n<h3>4. What\u2019s the weather like in Oklahoma City in, say, late May and early June?<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/weatherspark.com\/m\/8231\/5\/Average-Weather-in-May-in-Oklahoma-City-Oklahoma-United-States\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Starts to get warm.<\/a> Bring your slides. You may be there for a few days. Or a couple of weeks. (Is the Skirvin Hotel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/article\/20211028-the-skirvin-the-us-most-haunted-hotel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">haunted?<\/a> Judge for yourself.) Let me put it this way: You should check to see if your favorite watering hole in Bricktown is still open, because you\u2019re probably going to be closing some bars down there over several nights in late May and early June.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5825360\/2024\/10\/18\/nba-predictions-shai-gilgeous-alexander-mvp-wembanyama\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/17155536\/hollinger_predict_2024_25-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Hollinger: SGA for MVP, Cavs&#8217; rare heights and more fearless season predictions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>5. Am I underthinking the Wolves\u2019 side of the Towns trade?<\/h3>\n<p>Maybe. At first blush, I thought about it through the lens of how unfair it is that the <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.betmgm.com\/en\/blog\/nba\/what-is-the-second-apron-explanation-nba-bm06\/#:~:text=The%20second%20apron%20is%20a%20new%2C%20additional%20layer%20of%20penalties,and%20maintain%20a%20competitive%20team.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">collective bargaining agreement\u2019s second apron<\/a> essentially forced the hand of a mid-market team such as the Wolves, who did most everything right in building a true title contender, into having to move a key player like Towns because of his monster contract. But \u2026 maybe the Wolves will be a better team moving forward? They clearly needed a wing who could shoot, so if you believe <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"5yeG2wUB9RTaEEGd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/donte-divincenzo-5yeG2wUB9RTaEEGd\/\">Donte DiVincenzo<\/a>\u2019s 3-point volume (705 attempts) and percentage (40.1 percent) in New York are for real, getting him and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"ZOBqK4RMFKL7YI2Q\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/julius-randle-ZOBqK4RMFKL7YI2Q\/\">Julius Randle<\/a> for Towns makes sense.<\/p>\n<p>Randle\u2019s physicality will be a badly needed change-up for the finesse-heavy Wolves. If he\u2019s willing to anchor second-man units, that would allow \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=715717350633381\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Naz Reid<\/a> \u2026 to space the floor as a starter at power forward off Rudy Gobert. Either way, with Randle or Reid, DiVincenzo, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"HdXueFndMt2cxLGS\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/nickeil-alexander-walker-HdXueFndMt2cxLGS\/\">Nickeil Alexander-Walker<\/a> and rookie blur <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"XPzAl6E08o6lhWDu\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/rob-dillingham-XPzAl6E08o6lhWDu\/\">Rob Dillingham<\/a>, Minnesota might have the best bench in the league.<\/p>\n<h3>6) Best French lottery rookie this season: <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"Zng3Zo5hhgflPsWe\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/zaccharie-risacher-Zng3Zo5hhgflPsWe\/\">Zaccharie Risacher<\/a>, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"AJWfHkfYma4qJxfr\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/alex-sarr-AJWfHkfYma4qJxfr\/\">Alex Sarr<\/a> or <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"v1vKvgHkoiPqsECP\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/tidjane-salaun-v1vKvgHkoiPqsECP\/\">Tidjane Salaun<\/a>? (Apologies to French non-lottery rookies <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"8zEFeALf5JMFMs5f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/pacome-dadiet-8zEFeALf5JMFMs5f\/\">Pac\u00f4me Dadiet<\/a> and Melvin Ajinca)<\/h3>\n<p>Risacher, the 6-foot-9 forward from JL Bourg, went first in last June\u2019s draft to Atlanta. <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"63\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/wizards\/\">Washington<\/a> took the 7-1 Sarr, who played in Australia\u2019s National Basketball League with Perth last season, with the second pick. And <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"64\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/hornets\/\">Charlotte<\/a> took a flier on the 6-9 Salaun, who came on after playing for Cholet in France\u2019s Pro A League, with the sixth pick. I\u2019m too chicken to pick Salaun, who\u2019s going to have some monster nights in Charlotte getting set up by LaMelo Ball, so I\u2019m going with Risacher, because he should get plenty of straight-line drives and open looks playing off <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"pMqz7IIVkDhPCk6P\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/trae-young-pMqz7IIVkDhPCk6P\/\">Trae Young<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>7. So, Risacher gets Rookie of the Year?<\/h3>\n<p>No. That will be <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"84\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/rockets\/\">Houston<\/a>\u2019s <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"ObEDLp0svldxDw79\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/reed-sheppard-ObEDLp0svldxDw79\/\">Reed Sheppard<\/a>, who\u2019s set up perfectly to shine this season with occasionally gaudy numbers from deep for the up-and-coming Rockets, who\u2019ll post a better record than <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"65\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/hawks\/\">Atlanta<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5860377\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-5860377 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21102124\/241021-James-Harden-Kawhi-Leonard-scaled-e1729525493443.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2227\" height=\"1113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21102124\/241021-James-Harden-Kawhi-Leonard-scaled-e1729525493443.jpg 2227w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21102124\/241021-James-Harden-Kawhi-Leonard-scaled-e1729525493443-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21102124\/241021-James-Harden-Kawhi-Leonard-scaled-e1729525493443-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21102124\/241021-James-Harden-Kawhi-Leonard-scaled-e1729525493443-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21102124\/241021-James-Harden-Kawhi-Leonard-scaled-e1729525493443-2048x1024.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2227px) 100vw, 2227px\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"table-cell-span\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">James Harden and Kawhi Leonard will help the Clippers open the Intuit Dome, but Leonard\u2019s season debut is up in the air. (Juan Ocampo \/ NBAE via Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>8. With <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"kIIUTtsJtSpaZfu1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/paul-george-kIIUTtsJtSpaZfu1\/\">Paul George<\/a> gone and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"ZVBR9DRffqJpzLHV\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/kawhi-leonard-ZVBR9DRffqJpzLHV\/\">Kawhi Leonard<\/a> unavailable again, what do Steve Ballmer and the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"90\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/clippers\/\">Clippers<\/a> do to fill their beautiful new Intuit Dome until 2026, when they\u2019ll have cap space again?<\/h3>\n<p>May I suggest bringing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GwMmjgkzS80\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">this lady<\/a> in for a two-year residency?<\/p>\n<h3>9. Most likely contract year\/incoming player option explosion this season?<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LL8ikyQ1GWU\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">James R. Buckets, Esq.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>10. Is <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"77\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/bucks\/\">Milwaukee<\/a> done?<\/h3>\n<p>No. While I wonder how patient <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"FV8e23LS5qDkPy4W\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/giannis-antetokounmpo-FV8e23LS5qDkPy4W\/\">Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> will be if there\u2019s another early-round flameout, I don\u2019t know that the Bucks could have done better with their second-apron limitations than adding <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"zZoHqRt2NYjJg9ul\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/gary-trent-jr-zZoHqRt2NYjJg9ul\/\">Gary Trent Jr.<\/a>, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"1gOgT4FqrokIq2xc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/taurean-prince-1gOgT4FqrokIq2xc\/\">Taurean Prince<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/55E0Pr-laOo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">King of Deflections<\/a> Delon Wright in free agency. That depth will give Doc Rivers an opportunity to put Antetokounmpo and Lillard on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsportsboston.com\/nba\/boston-celtics\/rivers-faces-tough-task-of-lowering-garnetts-minutes\/363857\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">the Kevin Garnett minutes plan<\/a> during the regular season, so they both should be fresher in the playoffs. It may cost Milwaukee a seed or two in the East, but so what? A healthy Dame and Greek Freak can challenge anyone in a seven-game series, including Boston.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5837441\/2024\/10\/16\/milwaukee-bucks-season-preview-giannis-dame-doc-rivers\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/15212958\/1016_MILBucksBigPicture.png?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Why the Bucks believe they&#8217;ll be better: Motivation, peace and the power of Doc (and talk)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>11. New coach who\u2019ll have the greatest impact: Charles Lee (Charlotte), Jordi Fern\u00e1ndez (<a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"70\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/nets\/\">Brooklyn<\/a>), J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit), Kenny Atkinson (<a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"74\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/cavaliers\/\">Cleveland<\/a>), Mike Budenholzer (<a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"91\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/suns\/\">Phoenix<\/a>) or JJ Redick (Lakers)?<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019m Team Bud. You win Coach of the Year in two different shops, you know what you\u2019re doing. And it\u2019s safe to say that, while Budenholzer had a two-time NBA MVP in Giannis in Milwaukee, he\u2019s never had this much talent to work with. My expectation is that he\u2019ll be able to get more out of <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"ho6h1sijyi2PAURU\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/kevin-durant-ho6h1sijyi2PAURU\/\">Kevin Durant<\/a> at power forward than Frank Vogel could, that he\u2019ll find ways to better unlock Bradley Beal and that he\u2019ll squeeze slightly more defense out of the Suns (they were 13th in the league last season in defensive rating) to make them a final four team in the West. Still, the obvious tanking for Cooper Flagg that will permeate much of the East\u2019s also-rans will allow one of Detroit or Charlotte to make a Play-In run, for which either Lee or Bickerstaff should get a significant raise. And, a parade. And, a pony. (Doc Rivers in Milwaukee and Brian Keefe in Washington are technically in their first full seasons with their teams, but they obviously got a head start finishing with them last season, so I didn\u2019t include them here.)<\/p>\n<h3>12. Wemby, Year 2: Are the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"86\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/spurs\/\">Spurs<\/a> a playoff team?<\/h3>\n<p>If they were in the East, absolutely. But in the ridiculously stacked West?<\/p>\n<p>Well, this will be <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"T2sfGOMEeDjjOrJH\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/chris-paul-T2sfGOMEeDjjOrJH\/\">Chris Paul<\/a>\u2019s 20th (!) NBA season. In his first 19 seasons, his team has made the playoffs 15 times. And two of the four times his team didn\u2019t make the postseason were his first two years in the league. Since Year 3 of the Point God as a pro, he\u2019s 15 of 17. Yes, most of those years, CP3 has been on stacked teams in LA or Houston or Phoenix. But in 2020, he led a decidedly un-stacked OKC team, with a second-year <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"Ghni3y9TrL9rBSl5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/shai-gilgeous-alexander-Ghni3y9TrL9rBSl5\/\">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>, to 44 wins and a spot in the Orlando bubble, where the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"80\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/thunder\/\">Thunder<\/a> damn near took out James Harden\u2019s Rockets in the first round. And in exactly none of those years has Paul played with a big like Wembanyama, all apologies to Blake Griffin. Uber-vet <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"QhjHBSSlCIrC3T5Y\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/harrison-barnes-QhjHBSSlCIrC3T5Y\/\">Harrison Barnes<\/a> is joining them and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"D9J8oeujNTrvu7Sw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/devin-vassell-D9J8oeujNTrvu7Sw\/\">Devin Vassell<\/a> and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"Qxtxx7Hv9piN389t\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/keldon-johnson-Qxtxx7Hv9piN389t\/\">Keldon Johnson<\/a>. Rookie Stephon Castle has looked the part of a lottery pick during the preseason. If it sounds like I\u2019m trying to talk myself into a Spurs run to postseason fun, I am.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019m stopping San Antonio at the Play-In round.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5827436\/2024\/10\/08\/victor-wembanyama-spurs-playoffs\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/08\/14071754\/wemby-1024x683.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">How soon could Spurs taste postseason with Victor Wembanyama?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>13. Best under-the-radar pickup in free agency?<\/h3>\n<p>I really like the fit of <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"cDcdOi2cm1gPv2zF\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/naji-marshall-cDcdOi2cm1gPv2zF\/\">Naji Marshall<\/a> in Dallas, essentially replacing <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"dCHS5R1hLEo4AXgQ\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/derrick-jones-jr-dCHS5R1hLEo4AXgQ\/\">Derrick Jones Jr.<\/a>, who went to the Clippers. The 26-year-old Marshall is a year younger than Jones, cost the Mavs a little less than Jones wound up getting in LA and shot it better from deep last season. And defensively, Marshall and Jones were a wash last year; per Dunks &amp; Threes, Jones was in the 92nd percentile last year in estimated defensive plus-minus; Marshall was in the 91st. That\u2019s going to be important as <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"87\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/mavericks\/\">Dallas<\/a> imports <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"JyZHl24VVa8twrMw\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/klay-thompson-JyZHl24VVa8twrMw\/\">Klay Thompson<\/a> to play big minutes this season; Marshall and the Dereck Lively II\/<a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"q5AikFj1T9qkrAq2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/daniel-gafford-q5AikFj1T9qkrAq2\/\">Daniel Gafford<\/a> center combo are going to be all that stands between the Mavs and giving up 110-plus every night.<\/p>\n<h3>14. Who needs to make a trade by the deadline?<\/h3>\n<p>I wonder how patient the Nuggets can be, especially if they fall off the pace of the top four in the West out of the gate. With their free agent losses the last two summers (<a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"33OEvvnRGShoQseF\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/bruce-brown-33OEvvnRGShoQseF\/\">Bruce Brown<\/a>, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"l5E2diAwkPs8PAta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/kentavious-caldwell-pope-l5E2diAwkPs8PAta\/\">Kentavious Caldwell-Pope<\/a>), they feel at least one player short. But I also wonder exactly what they\u2019d be willing to do; the earliest first-round pick they can move is their 2031 first. Geesh. And the only non-Joki\u0107\/<a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"HSa72b2APm5BkRHi\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/jamal-murray-HSa72b2APm5BkRHi\/\">Jamal Murray<\/a> player who would be certain to bring back someone of quality would be <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"dfSD7VDfYU1PUPtL\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/aaron-gordon-dfSD7VDfYU1PUPtL\/\">Aaron Gordon<\/a>, whom they just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5862238\/2024\/10\/21\/aaron-gordon-nuggets-max-extension\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gave a juicy four-year, $133 million extension<\/a> before the deadline Monday. I know the Nuggets love their young guys; now they have to count on them.<\/p>\n<h3>15. OK, give me a name: Who\u2019s gone by the deadline?<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019ll go with <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"6YEYoGmoBlSfpHhs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/jonas-valancinas-6YEYoGmoBlSfpHhs\/\">Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas<\/a>. I get the Wizards\u2019 rationale: Wanting to keep Sarr from getting beaten up in the paint as long as possible, they went in for three years and $30 million for the 32-year-old Valan\u010di\u016bnas, allowing them to bring Sarr off the bench. But the main thing is the main thing in D.C.: Washington\u2019s 65 or so losses this season from potentially getting a chance at a marquee talent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5820364\/2024\/10\/10\/nba-season-tanking-cooper-flagg-duke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">at the top of the 2025 draft<\/a>. That\u2019s the mission. Valan\u010di\u016bnas is still big and strong and tough and liable to ring up some double-doubles after the All-Star break against also-rans in games that could, uh, impede the mission. So, instead, I\u2019m imagining Washington would rather use the last two months of the regular season to get a real good look at, say, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/tristan-vukcevic-cvfIUWklFPa9lMIz\/\">Tristan Vuk\u010devi\u0107<\/a>\u00a0in the middle. Hey, he\u2019s part of their future!<\/p>\n<p>LeBron James pushed hard for the Lakers to get Valan\u010di\u016bnas in free agency before he signed with the Wizards; the Lakers can deal either or both of their 2029 and 2031 first-rounders outright, or use pick swaps in 2026, 2028 and 2030, if they still want to get Valan\u010di\u016bnas before the deadline. But there are a half-dozen other teams that could also use the Jonasaurus down the stretch.<\/p>\n<h3>16. You buying the Sixers as a legit contender?<\/h3>\n<p>I want to. But PG-13 is already hurt, and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"jcKI7IrySH9vZuXQ\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/joel-embiid-jcKI7IrySH9vZuXQ\/\">Joel Embiid<\/a> is going to be on a pitch count all season. I\u2019m just not feeling confident that they\u2019ll both get to May healthy, and they both have to be healthy for Philly to have any chance to knock off Boston.<\/p>\n<h3>17. Who will be the biggest free agents available after this season?<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5531128\/2024\/07\/19\/inside-the-nba-tv-show-tnt-praises\/\">Them.<\/a> I still can\u2019t believe this is going to actually happen.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5860594\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-5860594 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21114413\/241022-LeBron-James-In-Season-Tourney-scaled-e1729525664679.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2425\" height=\"1216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21114413\/241022-LeBron-James-In-Season-Tourney-scaled-e1729525664679.jpg 2425w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21114413\/241022-LeBron-James-In-Season-Tourney-scaled-e1729525664679-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21114413\/241022-LeBron-James-In-Season-Tourney-scaled-e1729525664679-1024x513.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21114413\/241022-LeBron-James-In-Season-Tourney-scaled-e1729525664679-1536x770.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/21114413\/241022-LeBron-James-In-Season-Tourney-scaled-e1729525664679-2048x1027.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2425px) 100vw, 2425px\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"table-cell-span\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">The Lakers won the first Emirates Cup (aka In-Season Tournament) championship last season. (Kyle Terada \/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>18. Will the Lakers defend their, uh, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/nba-cup-101\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Emirates NBA Cup<\/a> championship?<\/h3>\n<p>This really is important to you, isn\u2019t it? I\u2019m guessing they won\u2019t, for what it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n<h3>19. Eastern Conference playoff teams, non-Play-In?<\/h3>\n<p>Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Orlando, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Miami, Indiana.<\/p>\n<h3>20. And the Eastern finals?<\/h3>\n<p>The C\u2019s and \u2026 I can\u2019t pick \u2019em, Gotham! We\u2019re going back to the Land of the Mouse! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5812856\/2024\/10\/07\/kentavious-caldwell-pope-orlando-magic\/\">I\u2019m all in on the KCP Effect, Orlando!<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5812277\/2024\/10\/04\/paolo-banchero-orlando-magic-year-3\/\" class=\"go-deeper\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"go-deeper\">\n<div class=\"go-deeper-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/03191712\/GettyImages-2150903825-scaled-e1727997466685-1024x512.jpg?width=128&amp;height=128&amp;fit=cover&amp;auto=webp\" class=\"go-deeper\" alt=\"go-deeper\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-label\">GO DEEPER<\/p>\n<p class=\"go-deeper-title\">Developing his game and voice, Paolo Banchero seeks to dominate in Year 3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>21. Western Conference playoff teams, non-Play-In?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Oklahoma City, Dallas, Phoenix, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"78\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/timberwolves\/\">Minnesota<\/a>, Denver, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"85\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/pelicans\/\">New Orleans<\/a>, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"92\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/team\/sac-kings\/\">Sacramento<\/a>, L.A. Lakers.<\/p>\n<h3>21a. Excuse me. I\u2019m an owner of a team in Los Angeles, with my own arena and I couldn\u2019t help but notice you haven\u2019t included my team in the postseason.<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_OKBsUWR0wY&amp;t=15s\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">This isn\u2019t Jeanie,<\/a> right?<\/p>\n<h3>22. And the Western finals?<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s the new Red River Shootout: OKC and the Mavericks.<\/p>\n<h3>23. And the champion will be?\u2026.<\/h3>\n<p>To hell with parity. Boston and Dallas run it back. But this time, it\u2019s Luka Time!<\/p>\n<p>Numbers, sticky ones, keep me from picking the C\u2019s to repeat: 24, 20 and 19. Those are the playoff games Boston\u2019s logged the last three seasons, 63 total \u2014 three-fourths of another full season, in three years. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have played in each of those 63 games; Al Horford has played in 62. Tatum has logged 2,550 playoff minutes during that stretch; Brown, 2,378; Horford, 2,007. Boston has other key players in its rotation, to be sure: <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"F5hrjac6YFBzx2nI\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/jrue-holiday-F5hrjac6YFBzx2nI\/\">Jrue Holiday<\/a>, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"btl33fruaaNWhIrW\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/derrick-white-btl33fruaaNWhIrW\/\">Derrick White<\/a> and Porzi\u0146\u0123is. But its big three have shouldered the biggest load. At some point, that pounding, at the highest levels of intensity, catches up with most everyone. Hope I\u2019m wrong, but it\u2019s hard for anybody to keep going to the well.<\/p>\n<p>Concurrently, I love how the Mavs have built around their superstar.<\/p>\n<p>Thompson\u2019s arrival is not without its challenges for the Mavericks, but he brings championship credibility to Dallas\u2019 locker room, and opposing defenses still have to honor his range, which will open things up even more for Don\u010di\u0107 and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/kyrie-irving-c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD\/\">Kyrie Irving<\/a>. Marshall\u2019s two-way impact was noted above. Add to that Dallas getting a full season out of Gafford and P.J. Washington, both added at the deadline last season, and Lively improving in his second season. Add to that the Mavs\u2019 low-key lengthening of their bench by bringing back <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"huzVN9MOnuJR3hwP\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/spencer-dinwiddie-huzVN9MOnuJR3hwP\/\">Spencer Dinwiddie<\/a> and getting <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"DgQtYWocCVzY7MN8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/quentin-grimes-DgQtYWocCVzY7MN8\/\">Quentin Grimes<\/a> from Detroit in the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"XTVgkXYgkNjL4k2I\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/player\/tim-hardaway-jr-XTVgkXYgkNjL4k2I\/\">Tim Hardaway Jr.<\/a>, deal. Add to <em>that<\/em> my belief that Irving would fare much better if he got another crack at the Celtics in a finals.<\/p>\n<p>And, finally, add the biggest factor of all.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u010di\u0107 is elite. And elite players, once they get a taste of playing for a ring, and lose, usually come back in with even better focus, and greater determination to win it all. There are no <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"42\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/olympics\/\">Olympics<\/a> or World Cup for Don\u010di\u0107 next summer. He can leave everything on the NBA floor in June. And he will. Boston will have to wait on Banner 19, as the Mavs raise Banner 2.<\/p>\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/css\/in-content-modules.css?1729540912\"\/>\n<div class=\"in-content-module\" data-module-type=\"book\" data-module-id=\"BASKETBALL100\" data-module-category=\"commercial\" data-module-type-id=\"1\">\n<div class=\"in-content-module-book\"><a class=\"in-content-module-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harpercollins.com\/products\/the-basketball-100?variant=42563464232994\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=auto\/app\/in-content-modules-images\/in-content-module-BASKETBALL100.png\" alt=\"The Basketball 100\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"in-content-module-contents\">\n<div class=\"in-content-copy-container\"><a class=\"in-content-module-headline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harpercollins.com\/products\/the-basketball-100?variant=42563464232994\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Basketball 100<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"in-content-module-intro-copy long\">The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"in-content-module-intro-copy short\">The story of the greatest plays in NBA history.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"in-content-module-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harpercollins.com\/products\/the-basketball-100?variant=42563464232994\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pre-order<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/icon-arrow-right.svg\" alt=\"Buy The Basketball 100\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>24) Tell me, again, why it\u2019s 24 Questions?<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s my tribute to the 24-second shot clock, which turns 70 years old this year, and is the most important innovation in the history of the league. It\u2019s clear: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/2884740\/2022\/01\/18\/nba-75-like-all-successes-the-24-second-shot-clock-has-many-fathers-though-one-has-been-forgotten\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The shot clock saved the NBA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb \/ <\/em>The Athletic<em>; Photos: Barry Gossage \/ NBAE, Glenn James \/ NBAE, Mark Blinch \/ Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5843372\/2024\/10\/22\/nba-biggest-questions-season-start-celtics-knicks-wembanyama\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To ascertain whether you should spend the next 15 minutes reading what falls below, it\u2019s fair to go back and look at how last year\u2019s version of 24 Questions went, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=117237\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=117237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117237\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=117237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=117237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=117237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}