Who are the title favorites?
First and foremost, the very deep defending champion Boston Celtics with their stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. In the East, the rebuilt New York Knicks are particularly strong. In the West, last year’s runner-up Dallas Mavericks and the young, extremely promising Oklahoma City Thunder team are among the final contenders. The Denver Nuggets may have the best player in the world in the Serbian Nikola Jokic in their ranks, but behind them there is a lack of depth. Two of the dominant teams of the past decade(s) no longer have anything to do with the title fight: the Golden State Warriors around Stephen Curry and the Los Angeles Lakers under LeBron James are searching for meaning.
What about LeBron? And with Bronny?
Only 31 players have ever played in the NBA after their 40th birthday, James will be the 32nd as of December 30th – and in significantly better condition than any of his predecessors. For phenomenon James, the best scorer in NBA history, the 22nd NBA season could be a special one, as he would play together with his son Bronny – if the unfortunately only moderately talented junior makes it into the Lakers squad. In terms of sport, however, there is a threat of a rather dreary season: the celebrity franchise from Los Angeles simply lacks quality beyond James and co-star Anthony Davis.
What mode is used to play?
The 30 teams – 15 each in the Eastern and Western Conferences – will each play 82 regular season games until April 13th. The top six teams in the East and West then move directly into the play-offs, and the teams in seventh to tenth place each determine two further play-off participants in a play-in tournament. The future champion must win four knockout rounds based on the best of seven mode. The final series begins on June 5th. During the course of the season, the “in-season tournament” for the NBA Cup will be held for the second time. (SID)
