Grant Hughes Featured Columnist IV

Stacy Revere/ With just a few days until the start of the 2024-25 regular season, NBA teams are facing crunch time. The offseason is almost gone, and any unanswered questions will have to be sorted out during games that actually count.
Scan the league, and every squad has a critical issue or two. Rotation spots are unsettled, directions are uncertain, strategies are still mostly theoretical and trades everyone agrees have to happen remain unconsummated. Every franchise—from shameless tankers to title-chasers—faces uncertainty.
As the season approaches, let's take one last chance to highlight a question for every NBA team.

Atlanta Hawks: How Much Playmaking Can Jalen Johnson Handle?

Kevin C. Cox/ When you triple your scoring average, it tends to draw attention away from any other gains, but we shouldn't overlook the facilitating aspect of Jalen Johnson's 2023-24 breakout. He tripled his assists per game from 1.2 in 2022-23 to 3.6 last season.
With Dejounte Murray replaced in the rotation by the defensive-minded Dyson Daniels, significant touch time should open up on offense. Atlanta has Trae Young, whose ball dominance and high usage rate essentially defines his game. But the Hawks peaked at second in offensive efficiency during 2021-22 and have failed to meet that mark the last two seasons, so it's fair to question whether extreme heliocentrism is still the way to go.
Head coach Quin Snyder's extremely successful (and notably egalitarian) schemes in Utah suggest one-man shows aren't his favorite.
If Johnson can further increase his playmaking, he'll give Atlanta a less predictable, more dangerous set of attacking options. The trickle-down effects of him succeeding as a creator could be substantial, with one of the key benefits being more clean looks for No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.
Nothing helps a rookie get past the early jitters like loads of open shots set up by teammates. And if we're being practical about it, Johnson and Risacher matter more to Atlanta's long-term future than Young. It makes sense to operate in ways that prioritize their growth over anyone else's.

Boston Celtics: Is Jayson Tatum's Shooting Hitch Gone for Good?

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Jayson Tatum was key to the Boston Celtics hanging their 18th banner, despite developing a hitch in his jumper that submarined his three-point percentage. After shooting 37.6 percent in the regular season, Tatum slipped to 28.3 percent in the playoffs.
Fixing it was an offseason focus , and his shooting form appeared much smoother in preseason workouts and during exhibition games in Abu Dhabi.
The yips are notoriously tricky, and they tend to manifest in real competition—not during practice or low-stakes situations. The hitch Tatum developed won't truly be gone until we see his retooled stroke hold up throughout the games that actually count.
This isn't concern-trolling. In fact, Tatum's work on his jumper should actually concern teams around the league. He proved extremely adaptable during his struggles, embracing a facilitating role that produced 36 assists across five Finals games against the Dallas Mavericks.
If Tatum's threes start falling at or above his career hit rate of 37.5 percent he sustains his playmaking gains, Boston will get additional advantages. As far as the competition is concerned, a team this good doesn't need any more of those.

Brooklyn Nets: Is Literally Everyone a Trade Candidate?

Adam Hagy/NBAE via When the Washington Wizards traded Deni Avdija, a 23-year-old starter on a team-friendly deal, it upped the stakes for the rest of the league's rebuilders. He'd profile as a key piece of almost any team's young core, the kind of player/asset you hold onto unless you're a title-chaser that needs veteran help for a win-now run.
If Washington could justify giving up a player like that (for the No. 14 pick and a future first-rounder), what might it mean for the Brooklyn Nets, who don't have any youth of Avdija's quality?
Normally, you'd think someone like Noah Clowney, a second-year big who's shown some facility as a passer during the preseason, would be off limits. Cam Thomas, a five-alarm-fire scoring threat, is only 23 and playing on a rookie-scale deal. Untouchable, right?
Based on the Wizards' willingness to sell off 23-year-olds for 19-year-olds and picks, there might not be a limit to how young and stripped-down rebuilders are willing to get these days.
Everyone knows the Nets will make Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson available, but it's also possible that no one on the roster is safe.

Charlotte Hornets: Is This the East's Playoff Party-Crasher?

Grant Halverson/ Just look at the prospective starting five, assuming decent health: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Grant Williams and Mark Williams.
That's a balanced unit with a lot of the ingredients—star lead ball-handler, two-way wing, athletic combo forward, multi-position defender, rim-protector—you'd expect to see in a playoff team's starting group. That's not to say the Charlotte Hornets are without uncertainty; Williams is recovering from a strained tendon in his foot, and Ball's health will be a question mark until he proves it isn't.
But (drops to a whispered tone) Charlotte looks pretty good on paper!
The Hornets revamped their front office and hired new head coach Charles Lee. They also drafted one of the rawer prospects in the lottery, 19-year-old Frenchman Tidjane Salaün. Many signs suggest chasing every last win during the 2024-25 season is not Charlotte's biggest concern.
The talent and potential is undeniable, though. Ball was an All-Star in his last healthy season, and Miller's growth could spike in his second year. Forty-something wins and a postseason trip probably shouldn't be the expectation, but let's agree not to sleep on the Hornets as a potential breakout team.

Chicago Bulls: When Is the Zach LaVine Trade Coming?

Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Zach LaVine hasn't played a game yet, and his trade value already seems higher than it was a few months ago. Some of that has to do with the fact that LaVine's market bottomed out, to the point that Chicago might have needed to give up first-round picks to move him.
There was nowhere to go but up.
Another factor: The market may simply be correcting for what always felt like an overly negative stance on the two-time All-Star. Now that LaVine is healthy and saying all the right things during the preseason, you'd imagine suitors are warming to the idea of making the Bulls an offer.
Chicago can't really move into a new era with LaVine on the roster, so it should probably look to move him sooner than later. With a top-10-protected first-round pick owed to the San Antonio Spurs, the Bulls should be particularly careful LaVine doesn't snag them a couple of extra wins early in the year, increasing the odds that pick conveys and potentially setting back the rebuild.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Will Evan Mobley Let It Rip?

Jason Miller/ Evan Mobley shot 24 threes in 30 games prior to the All-Star break last season, and he got up 35 triples in the 20 games afterward.
The totals on either side of that split are way too low, but at least the Cleveland Cavaliers defensive ace increased his volume as the season progressed. That moderate growth needs a major boost in 2024-25.
In fairness, there's more than one way for Mobley to take the offensive leap many want to see from him. He could continue to hone his game as a roll man, and increased elbow touches as a facilitator would go a long way toward diversifying the Cavs' attack. But even if the basic "more threes!" adjustment seems like an oversimplification, the fact remains that nothing has the potential to upgrade Cleveland's offense more than legitimate spacing from Mobley.
New head coach Kenny Atkinson was in charge with the Brooklyn Nets when Brook Lopez completely transformed his game. A post-up center, Lopez had attempted just 31 threes (and made three) prior to 2016-17...when he reeled off 387 triples and canned them at a dangerous-enough 34.6 percent. He's been a premier spacing big ever since.
If Mobley can follow that blueprint, it'll change everything for the Cavaliers, possibly allowing them to pair a top-five offense with what should be a top-five defense.

Dallas Mavericks: Can They Keep Perspective?

Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via There are going to be nights when Klay Thompson looks washed. In fact, the Dallas Mavericks have already endured one. Thompson went 0-of-9 and failed to score in a 110-96 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 14.
No one should overreact to a preseason goose egg, and it'll be important to keep that same perspective as the Mavs move through a year that'll be dotted with similar efforts from the 34-year-old sniper.
Players, even the greats, rarely lose it all at once. Thompson is a good example of what actually happens as players age: They can still look like themselves pretty often, but they pepper in more and more efforts that don't resemble their peak level of performance.
It'll be critical for the Mavs to remember that Thompson's real value to them won't show up until the postseason, when his reputation (and, hopefully, production) will make it impossible for defenses to succeed like they did in the 2024 playoffs by sagging off of support pieces and cramming the lane to slow down Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.
Thompson is part of a long game in Dallas. The team and its fans will need to keep that in mind on the bad nights that are bound to come.

Denver Nuggets: Can They Get Some 3s Up?

AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post The Denver Nuggets won 57 games last season, four more than they did in their championship campaign of 2022-23, and ranked a matching fifth in offensive efficiency . However, they achieved that success on offense in spite of the 30th-ranked three-point attempt rate in the league.
With the Oklahoma City Thunder ascending in an increasingly brutal West, the Boston Celtics reigning in a top-heavy East and threats arising all over the place, Denver cannot afford to keep losing the math game this way.
General manager Calvin Booth defended his team's thinking in comments to reporters, via MIke Vorkunov of The Athletic:
"As a philosophical question, if you're better than somebody—like Nikola Jokić is better than everybody in the world—why do the same thing they can do and make it random? If we shoot the same number of 3s as the worst team in the league and they make more than us that night, they might beat us. Nikola Jokić should not lose games like that."
Here's the thing: It doesn't have to be one way or the other—lots of threes or lots of Jokić doing all the special things he does. It can be both.
Denver lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a key starter and shooter. It can't keep giving away advantages with an outdated shot profile.

Detroit Pistons: Can Jalen Duren Anchor a Defense?

Chris Schwegler/NBAE via We've spent plenty of time in this space worrying about which of the Detroit Pistons' young guards and wings will fit best next to Cade Cunningham, to the point that we've neglected another important aspect of the team's rebuild.
Jalen Duren, Detroit's 20-year-old center, must prove he's a good enough back-line anchor to stick as a long-term frontcourt partner for Cunningham.
Duren certainly looks the part of a defensively dominant big man. He has excellent size at a burly 6'10" with a 7'5" wingspan, and he moves around the floor with notable power and grace. An elite rebounder, particularly on the defensive glass, he's got the "end the possession" part of defense down.
As a rim-protector and overall difference-maker, though, Duren's production doesn't match his physical tools. He allowed opponents to shoot 63.1 percent as the primary defender inside six feet, one of the worst figures of any big man who defended at least 5.0 field-goal attempts at that range last year. His 2023-24 Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus was in negative territory.
Duren is young and should be expected to speed up his processing speed as he gets more reps. Already a strong finisher and intriguing passer at his position, he needs to prove he can firm up a shaky back line on D.

Golden State Warriors: Can Brandin Podziemski Create His Own Shots?

Rocky Widner/NBAE via The search for a second star, whether through a trade or the development of Jonathan Kuminga, continues. But the Warriors also need secondary playmaking from the rest of their lower-ceilinged contributors.
Brandin Podziemski does a number of things well on offense. His court-mapping and unselfishness make him a strong connective passer, and he tends to attack the basket with the intention of setting up others. He pushes the pace in transition and probes the lane in half-court sets, always looking for the best shot possible.
Struggles arise when defenses play him to pass and dare him to finish against single coverage.
Podziemski struggles to create space when attacking in isolation, and he lacks the explosion to get past or finish over interior defenders. When opponents force him to become a scorer, the results aren't great.
What might seem like a niche issue confined to one player is actually a pretty fundamental concern for the Warriors. If Podziemski can develop more finishing craft, speed up his pull-up jumper and generally make himself more of a threat with the ball, it'll open up vital opportunities for the offense as a whole.

Houston Rockets: How Will Everyone Get Time to Shine?

Cameron Browne/NBAE via The Houston Rockets can't play all seven members of their youth corps at once, so one of the most pressing issues for head coach Ime Udoka is determining how to sort out the minutes distribution between Alperen Sengün, Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard.
Oh, and he'll have to do that while making sure veterans Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks get the playing time their more established track records say they deserve.
Some of this will sort itself out naturally as the season progresses. Maybe Thompson and Smith, say, will develop chemistry so obvious that they can't be split up. Perhaps Sheppard will endure some rookie struggles that trim his role. Green might show up looking like the guy who blew the doors off in March, leaving few questions about the guard hierarchy.
But if everyone looks good, and if it continues to seem like there aren't enough minutes to go around, it'll be interesting to see how Houston handles it. Someone (or several someones) could get marginalized.
This is one of the best problems a team can have, of course, but having too much young talent is an issue nonetheless.

Indiana Pacers: Can Andrew Nembhard Keep It Up?

Jason Miller/ If you're going to have a major difference between regular and postseason production rates, you'd certainly prefer the good stuff coming in the playoffs. What's better than a player who gets up for the biggest games?
Still, Andrew Nembhard's spike in playing time and production during the 2024 playoffs raises some questions about what kind of player he'll be throughout a pivotal 2024-25 campaign.
After averaging 9.2 points and 4.1 assists on a 49.8/35.7/80.4 shooting split during the year, Nembhard racked up 14.9 points, and 5.5 assists on a 56.0/48.3/76.9 shooting split in 17 playoff games. Yes, he upped his minutes by nearly 8.0 per game in the postseason, which juiced his counting stats. And yes, that kind of three-point shooting is unsustainable for anyone. But Nembhard's efficiency, aggression and general level of impact were simply higher.
It's certainly encouraging that the Indiana Pacers believed in the third-year guard enough to sign him to a three-year, $59 million extension this past summer. And even if Nembhard simply reproduces his regular-season stats from last year, his defense and secondary playmaking will still make him the best option next to Tyrese Haliburton.
But the Pacers need to see the postseason version of Nembhard from October to April. If that guy shows up for the whole year, Indy will be that much closer to threatening the East's top four.

Los Angeles Clippers: What's the Plan in Case of Emergency?

Liv Lyons/NBAE via Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. And, well, if we're going to be completely practical about things, the Los Angeles Clippers should be prepared to fail this season.
Their current over/under for wins is just 37.5, which would slot them in Play-In position, at best.
Are the Clippers prepared with a fallback plan in the event Kawhi Leonard is again unable to suit up regularly and James Harden follows the predictable aging trend you'd expect from a 35-year-old who's never been accused of overconditioning?
The Clips agreed to operate without a safety net when they traded away roughly a decade's worth of first-round picks in the deals that brought Paul George and Harden aboard, and the best possible contingency plan would be sending Leonard out to recoup some of their own picks. Would the Oklahoma City Thunder even consider giving up those potentially valuable selections (especially the unprotected 2025 first they own) for Leonard?
Considering OKC's proximity to a championship, that's not as impossible as it seems. Teams have gambled on a half-year of Leonard in the past with good results. Just ask the Toronto Raptors if they'd change anything about renting Leonard in 2019.
A rebuild has to happen at some point, and the Clippers should already be thinking about the best way to kick one off.

Los Angeles Lakers: How Many Games Will LeBron and AD Play?

Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via You can play the "Their Fate Depends on the Health of Their Best Players" card for every team in the league. But that angle applies in a particularly salient way to the Los Angeles Lakers, who got a whopping 147 combined games from Anthony Davis and LeBron James a year ago.
The scary part: James' 71 appearances were his most since 2017-18. Davis' 76 were a career high. Their frequent availability was the exception to the rule, and all it got the Lakers was 47 wins in a Western Conference that was weaker than the one we expect to see in 2024-25.
Gabe Vincent is healthy and should suit up for more than the 11 games he managed last season. Jarred Vanderbilt might finally shake the injury bug. Max Christie could develop into a nightly contributor, Rui Hachimura might have another step to take, and rookie Dalton Knecht could offer spacing.
But even if all those breaks go the Lakers' way, Davis and James are almost certain to play less than they did a year ago. James' immunity to the aging curve is legendary. But no one should expect an age-40 season to trend up from a durability standpoint.
Forget the pressure JJ Redick faces, please stop mentioning Bronny James and leave aside the trade chatter that never seems to stop. The singular issue that'll determine L.A.'s season is the amount of time James and Davis are on the floor.

Memphis Grizzlies: Is Ja Morant Back on an MVP Track?

Ron Jenkins/ Seventh in 2021-22. Twelfth in 2022-23.
Those were Ja Morant's finishes in MVP voting during his last two relatively healthy seasons, and the question for the one ahead is whether he'll match or beat those efforts. In that sense and many others, 2024-25 is a prove-it campaign for the two-time All-Star who lost all but nine contests last year to suspension and injury.
The Memphis Grizzlies have plenty of uncertainties. They're likely to start rookie Zach Edey in the middle, Jaren Jackson Jr. needs to get back to DPOY form after failing to make an All-Defensive team last season and Desmond Bane must prove he can sustain his playmaking gains while continuing to function as a lethal catch-and-shoot threat.
None of those issues matter as much as Morant's potential return to MVP contention.
Entering his age-25 season, he can either reinsert himself into the "future face of the league" conversations that Anthony Edwards dominated last year, or validate all the criticism that suggested he got a little too far out over his skis during Memphis' last two 50-win seasons.

Miami Heat: Can the Offense Catch Up?

Eric Espada/NBAE via The Miami Heat have finished in the top 10 on defense for nine straight years but only managed to rank 10th or better on offense once in that same span.
Considering the personnel changes over the course of that sample, it's almost reaching the point at which you have to wonder if there's something about Miami's core cultural principles that ensures great defense at the expense of middling-or-worse play on the other end.
Is Heat Culture only good for preventing buckets?
At any rate, the Heat have to find ways to improve on an offensive trend that, even for them, is alarming. They've finished 25th and 21st in scoring efficiency the last two years and didn't make any significant additions to their attack over the summer. That means healthy seasons from Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier are hugely important, as is Jimmy Butler's availability.
From there, Bam Adebayo probably needs to get serious about expanding his range, and head coach Erick Spoelstra might want to reconsider Miami's historic aversion to crashing the offensive glass.
It seems like the Heat are getting slept on ahead of 2024-25, but their offense has been enough of a snooze-fest lately to justify that feeling.

Milwaukee Bucks: Can Gary Trent Jr. Play Stopper?

Gary Dineen/NBAE via Brook Lopez has a pair of top-10 finishes in DPOY voting, and Giannis Antetokounmpo actually won the award in 2020, so it's not like the Milwaukee Bucks are hurting for high-end defensive talent.
What they lack, though, is a wing they can throw at dangerous opposing scorers on a night-to-night basis. Khris Middleton's durability is highly questionable following multiple seasons marred by injury, and he's at a point in his career where stamina-sapping tasks like checking the top opponent threat aren't on the menu anymore.
Gary Trent Jr. will be a bargain signing no matter what he does on D, but Milwaukee's minimum-salaried wing could really add value if he excels as a stopper.
To this point, Trent's high steal totals have created a defensive reputation that doesn't quite match reality. He's disruptive off the ball but has never been a smothering, screen-avoiding presence on it. Trent is in an important but ultimately supplementary role on offense, and his duties as a spot-up threat shouldn't be so taxing as to prevent him from max-effort work on the other end.
The Bucks have to hope he's up for the challenge.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Is Julius Randle Really Wanted Here?

Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via There are so many angles to consider in the trade that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns.
One question that won't quit rattling around in my head: Are the Wolves interested in Julius Randle, the player, or Julius Randle, the contract?
The more you think about it, the more Randle makes sense on the second unit, where playmaking is at more of a premium. Naz Reid fits so cleanly into KAT's vacated spot next to Rudy Gobert with the starters, and the backups might not be able to score enough if rookie Rob Dillingham is the one running the show.
Randle is such a logical fit with Dillingham, DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Less so with the first unit and Gobert. And yet it's almost impossible to imagine the Wolves relegating Randle to the bench.
So was this about basketball fit? It's certainly true the Wolves are deeper now than they were before the deal. Or was the motivation chiefly financial, and Minnesota wanted Randle mostly because he can hit free agency via a player option in the summer of 2025? Towns, in contrast, is just now starting his four-year, $220 million extension—a burden the Wolves would be justified in not wanting to bear, especially with Reid as a cheaper alternative and other players they'll need to pay to keep.
Shortly after the deal went down, Randle said , "I feel wanted here." It's just not clear what that actually means from Minnesota's perspective.

New Orleans Pelicans: How Long Until the Brandon Ingram Trade Happens?

Eric Espada/NBAE via Broken-record alert: The New Orleans Pelicans need to trade Brandon Ingram if they're not going to give him the $200 million extension he wants. If the former All-Star forward walks away for nothing in free agency, it'll constitute a fairly egregious mismanagement of assets but also, more immediately, delay the cohesion process of a somewhat ill-fitting team.
New Orleans needs to determine whether CJ McCollum should come off the bench, which would allow both Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones to man the wings—a must if the Pels are seriously going with small-ball looks more often.
And by the way, using Daniel Theis at center is basically a small-ball look. He's listed at 6'8" and hasn't posted above-average defensive rebound rates since his rookie year in 2017-18.
Dejounte Murray needs to be integrated into the offense, Jordan Hawkins needs reps and Zion Williamson must develop chemistry in an attack that will almost certainly look and feel very different without Ingram. None of those processes can really start until Ingram's gone.

New York Knicks: Are They Deep Enough?

Jacob Kupferman/ The Celtics went a long way with their top six last year, and there are worse plans than emulating that 64-win championship squad.
But the New York Knicks, who've conspicuously loaded up on wing-stopping defenders (Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby) to tangle with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and who've also more recently added their own floor-stretching center (Karl-Anthony Towns) to offset Kristaps Porzingis, are suddenly looking thin on the depth chart.
Landing Towns cost them Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle, and the only reliable bench option on the roster is Miles McBride. If Mitchell Robinson recovers from ankle surgery by midseason, he'll give New York a seventh rotation-caliber threat...but wagering on his health has been a losing bet for a while now.
Teams go as far as their best players take them, but let's not dismiss what Boston got from Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr.
The Knicks' starters are as formidable as anyone's. But they're even more reliant on Jalen Brunson staying healthy because Randle was the team's only other playmaker. And the options in reserve simply aren't established enough to trust.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Is SGA's Scoring Efficiency Going to Slip?

Zach Beeker/NBAE via The NBA changed the way its rules were enforced midstream last year, resulting in significantly fewer shooting fouls and free-throw attempts. One of the league's top contract-drawers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was hit harder than most. He averaged a season-high 10.8 free-throw attempts per game in January before those numbers dipped to 7.5 and 7.2 in February and March, respectively.
A jump back up to 9.8 attempts per game in four April contests was short-lived. He shot just over 8.0 freebies per game in the playoffs.
Combine that drop in foul shots with a three-point hit rate that fell from 37.1 percent before the All-Star break to 31.9 percent afterward, and Gilgeous-Alexander lost a decent chunk of his scoring efficiency down the stretch of last season.
We've spent a lot of brain power wondering if Jalen Williams and others are ready to take on more of a scoring and playmaking mantle in support of SGA, who'll still be an All-NBA superstar even if he scores at rates that match his second-half numbers from last year. But it's also possible the lift for whoever takes on those duties will be heavier than expected.
And yes, these are the nit-picky things you have to ask about with a team that otherwise looks ready to run away with the West.

Orlando Magic: Can Jonathan Isaac Play More?

Fernando Medina/NBAE via The Orlando Magic finished third in defensive efficiency last season, and their success in the coming year will again depend on an elite defense covering for an offense that may struggle to finish above the bottom 10.
One way to ensure another successful season: Get Jonathan Isaac on the floor as much as possible.
Durability has been a core issue for Isaac, originally drafted sixth in 2017, as he's missed two entire seasons due to injury and played more than 60 games just once. Last year, he suited up 58 times and averaged just 15.8 minutes. If players were gauged on per-minute impact, Isaac would be regarded as a superstar.
During his time on the floor, Orlando held opponents to 102.1 points per 100 possessions . When he sat, that number climbed to 112.2—effectively the difference between a defense that was far better than the Minnesota Timberwolves' league-best outfit and one that would have barely cracked the top 10.
If Isaac can make himself available for more of the season, it could help the Magic top 50 wins. If injury strikes again, we might quickly learn that Isaac was more important to Orlando's success than almost anyone else.

Philadelphia 76ers: How Will They Manage Joel Embiid's Health?

Elsa/ Carefully and thoughtfully , it seems.
With Paul George and an ascendant Tyrese Maxey as running mates, Joel Embiid has more high-end supporting talent than ever. Coming off yet another season interrupted by injury that left him looking like something less than his best self in the playoffs, you'd think the 2022-23 MVP would finally be ready to throttle back from October to April.
At 30 and toting an ever-lengthening list of disappointing seasons, Embiid knows a measured approach is more necessary than ever.
Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps : "That's why Embiid has come into this season talking about focusing on one thing: making it through the season healthy, and giving himself a chance to finally capture the postseason success he and Philadelphia have been chasing."
It's easy to lay out a conservative plan in the preseason, but the real test of whether or not Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers can truly keep the big picture in mind will arrive when the action starts.
How often will he rest? What will his minutes look like? Might he even take a backseat to George or Maxey on certain nights? The Sixers know what happens when they lean on Embiid for six months straight. It's time for them to prove they can resist that urge.

Phoenix Suns: Should Jusuf Nurkić Shoot Threes?

David Berding/ When rumors arise that a big man is working on his range over the summer, we usually ask whether he get enough threes up in a game to actually change his team's offense.
Nurkić is only a career 28.0 percent shooter from deep and has never been a high-volume gunner. Even if real accuracy gains are possible for the 10-year vet, it's not clear more jumpers are what the Suns need. Over the last four seasons , Phoenix's highest finish in rim-attempt frequency was 25th in 2023-24. It had finished dead last the previous three years and ranked in the top four in long mid-range frequency across that entire sample.
The counter: Nurkić has been a poor finisher at the rim throughout his career and can't help Phoenix's efforts to pile up more point-blank attempts and finishes. So he might as well fire away from deep.
We'll see whether that strategy yields any useful results.

Portland Trail Blazers: How Will the Center Rotation Work?

Alika Jenner/ Between Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III, Duop Reath and Donovan Clingan, the Portland Trail Blazers have an overstuffed center rotation that works as a microcosm of their entire operation.
The presence of an overpaid veteran, an injury-plagued trade chip, a valuable floor-spacer and a high-lottery prospect in need of developmental reps is a reflection of a half-baked roster in need of some organization.
Head coach Chauncey Billups will have his hands full juggling all four options, though injuries will probably sort out some of the decisions for him. Still, that doesn't change the fact that the Blazers' roster construction makes playing-time decisions trickier than they should be. In an ideal world, Portland would trade Ayton and Williams for future assets and turn all 48 center minutes over to Clingan and Reath.
Unfortunately, the Blazers need to play the former two to prop up trade value. Or, at least that'd be the logical justification. It's not clear whether the Blazers, who gave up the No. 14 pick and a future first-rounder for Deni Avdija, are actually clear on what a team in their position ought to be doing. Portland might play Ayton and Williams in an effort to win as many games as possible this year, which would be a mistake.

Sacramento Kings: Is Keegan Murray Flying Under the Radar?

Rocky Widner/NBAE via Rest assured, no one within 100 miles of Sacramento is guilty of underrating Keegan Murray. The third-year forward could run for any office he chose and expect to be at work in the nearby state capitol immediately.
Nationally, though, Murray isn't getting the attention he deserves.
Much of that owes to the Sacramento Kings landing DeMar DeRozan, another high-scoring star on a team that already has De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk. Another factor: Murray's contributions over his two seasons have often been subtle and defined by deference. Head coach Mike Brown has basically had to threaten Murray in order to get him to shoot.
As a rookie, Murray canned 41.1 percent of his threes. Last year, he upped his scoring average to 15.2 points per game, added some off-the-dribble juice and became something pretty close to a shutdown wing defender. Early preseason play showcased even more growth on that front, as Murray smothered Stephen Curry in isolation
It may be tough to find shots in an offense this loaded, but Murray is poised to quietly become one of the top two-way role-players in the league this season. He deserves more recognition than he's gotten.

San Antonio Spurs: Who's Coming with Wemby?

Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via No, this question isn't a reference to which other San Antonio Spurs earthlings will get to go with Victor Wembanyama when he heads back to his home planet. It is, however, focused on which of his teammates are ready to join him in a more figurative takeoff.
The Spurs have made five top-12 picks since 2020, and it's not totally clear which of them has enough upside to be considered long-term running mates for the imminent, Wembanyama-driven rise up the standings.
Devin Vassell, picked 11th in 2020, is furthest along and has already signed a five-year, $135 million extension that kicks in this season. He averaged 19.5 points per game last year, has hit 37.2 percent of his career threes and has quietly developed as a playmaker (career-best 4.1 assists per game in 2023-24). But he's entering his age-24 season and probably doesn't have an All-Star nod in his immediate future. A very good player, but maybe not a great one.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Spurs have the No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft, Stephon Castle. A forceful athlete who might or might not be a point guard, he'll be a key focal point in the search for Wembanyama's top co-star.
San Antonio has a while before real expectations arrive, unless Wembanyama drags it to 40-plus wins as a sophomore. Soon enough, though, somebody else on the roster will need to emerge as a fellow building block.

Toronto Raptors: How Do They Avoid the Middle?

Cole Burston/ The Toronto Raptors aren't your ordinary rebuild.
Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett are in the midst of nine-figure contracts, and veteran center Jakob Poeltl is due to collect $19.5 million per year through 2025-26. With costs like those, Toronto isn't in the same boat as teams like the Brooklyn Nets or Washington Wizards—bereft of cornerstones and heavily incentivized to lose as much as possible.
The Raptors are built to be reactive. If they come out hot and look like a potential playoff team, they can trade Bruce Brown Jr. and ride their developing young core as far as it'll go. If they stumble early or lose one of their top players to injury, it'd be easy enough to pivot into a soft tank.
Optionality is a positive, but the Raptors' range of potential outcomes is still fairly narrow unless they really pull the ripcord late in the year. Too good to finish below the true cellar-dwellers and not good enough to threaten anyone in the East's top six (and possibly top eight), Toronto looks stuck in the middle.

Utah Jazz: Can Taylor Hendricks Emerge as a Sophomore?

Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Still just 20 years old and coming off a solid uptick in production after he earned real post-All-Star-break playing time, Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks is in position to make strides as a second-year contributor to the rotation.
Hendricks, picked ninth in 2023, spent time in the G League until the Jazz cleared up playing time with midseason trades. Though understandably inconsistent as he adjusted to more minutes against better competition, he averaged 9.3 points and 5.9 rebounds on a 47.9/40.4/81.0 shooting split in 23 post-break starts, often defending the opponent's top scoring threat.
The 21 blocks Hendricks accumulated in those final 23 games offered hints that, in addition to checking wings, he could also help out as a weak-side rim-protector.
Utah has a decent idea of Keyonte George, who was drafted seven spots after Hendricks but who saw much more playing time as a rookie. On the other extreme, rookie Cody Williams is completely raw and untested.
Somewhere in the middle is Hendricks, a potentially transformative two-way force at the forward spot who enters a "prove it" second season.

Washington Wizards: How do the Wizards Position Alex Sarr for Success?

Patrick Smith/ The Washington Wizards are wisely playing to Alex Sarr's strengths, which are mostly apparent on the defensive end of the floor.
"Right now," head coach Adam Keefe told Josh Robbins of The Athletic, "the main focus for Alex is his defense. We think he can be an elite, versatile defender. So that's our main focus right now, to get him (up to speed on) all the terminology and schemes that we're going to do but just getting that energy nice and high. We think he can be a really impactful defender."
Washington doesn't have the personnel to surround Sarr with quality support, and it actively diminished its defense when it traded Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers. That move highlighted a conundrum for the Wizards, in that it made sense for their overall plan to hoard rebuild-worthy assets while also adding weight to the burden on Sarr's shoulders.
It's going to be difficult for everyone who suits up for the Wizards this season. Losses will mount, morale could suffer and bad habits could form as players realize how steep of an uphill battle they'll have to fight every night.
Sarr's development is absolutely critical in Washington, but it'll be difficult to build him up with so little support around him.

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