11-12 NBA Season: What to Expect

The 11-12 NBA season is just around the corner and basketball fans are eagerly anticipating what their favorite teams and players will do. Many experts have made predictions about the season, but no one knows for sure what will happen. Here’s a look at what to expect from the upcoming season

The new season: what’s different?

The 2020-2021 NBA regular season is finally here! After a hectic offseason full of player movement and a shortened training camp we are ready for what should be an exciting season. What can we expect to see this season? Here are some things to keep an eye on:

-A more competitive Western Conference With the addition of All-Star Players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to already talented teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers the Western Conference is going to be extremely competitive this year.
-A new Head Coach for the Golden State Warriors After leading the Warriors to five straight NBA Finals appearances, Steve Kerr will not be on the sidelines for Golden State this season. Instead, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue will take over.
-The rookie class: This year’s rookie class is headlined by Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies Both players were electric in college and should provide some much-needed energy to their respective teams.
-The return of fans: One of the most significant changes this season will be the return of fans in arenas. After playing in front of empty seats for most of last season, players will once again have the support of their fans this year.

Key Players to watch

Now that the smoke has cleared from one of the most eventful offseasons in recent memory, it’s time to take a look at the upcoming NBA season After a summer of blockbuster trades and free agent signings, there are a lot of new faces in new places. Let’s take a look at some of the key players to Watch This Season

Jimmy Butler (Minnesota Timberwolves): After demanding a trade from the Chicago Bulls last season, Butler was finally sent to Minnesota in exchange for a package of young players and draft picks He will be teaming up with fellow All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to form a potent 1-2 punch for the Wolves.

LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers): The greatest player of his generation decided to take his talents to Hollywood, signing with the Lakers in Free agency He’ll be joining a young core of players that includes Lonzo Ball Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma

DeMarcus Cousins (Golden State Warriors): One of the most controversial moves of the offseason was when the Warriors signed Cousins, who is still recovering from an Achilles injury, to a one-year deal worth $5 million. When he’s healthy, Cousins is one of the best centers in the league. If he can return to form, the Warriors will be even more dominant than they were last season.

Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors): In one of the biggest trades of the offseason, Leonard was sent from San Antonio to Toronto in exchange for All-Star guard Demar Derozan Leonard is one of the best two-way players in the league and should help lead the Raptors to an NBA Finals appearance.

Key games to watch

The regular season for the NBA is set to start on Tuesday, December 22. Below are some key games that fans should keep an eye out for:

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers (December 22): The first game of the season will be between two of the league’s best teams. The Lakers are coming off of a championship season while the Clippers have added superstar Kawhi Leonard to their already stacked roster. This will be a must-watch game.

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks (December 25): This Christmas Day matchup will feature two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. The Celtics are led by All-Stars Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum while the Bucks have reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo This should be a great game to watch.

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors (January 3): This will be the first time that former Warriors stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will face off against their old team since leaving in free agency last offseason. The Warriors have struggled this season without Durant but they are still a dangerous team with Steph Curry leading the way. This should be an entertaining game to watch.

storylines to follow

The 2020-2021 NBA season is around the corner and there are plenty of storylines to follow. After a very eventful offseason, there are a lot of new faces in new places. Here are some of the most notable changes and storylines to keep an eye on this season.

The biggest story this offseason was undoubtedly the move of All-Star guard James Harden from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets Harden will team up with fellow All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to form one of the most talented trios in NBA history The Nets are already being pegged as the favorites to win the championship and it will be interesting to see how they gel during the Regular Season

Another big story this offseason was the Los Angeles Lakers losing superstar forward Anthony Davis to free agency The Lakers were able to add some key pieces in free agency but they will have their work cut out for them if they want to repeat as champions. With Davis gone, all eyes will be on Lebron James to see if he can carry the team on his back once again.

The Golden State Warriors lost one of their superstars this offseason as well, as Klay Thompson tore his Achilles tendon while training for next season. Thompson is expected to miss the entire upcoming season which is a tough blow for a Warriors team that is already without star point guard Stephen Curry who is recovering from a broken bone in his hand. The Warriors are still a talented team, but it will be interesting to see how they fare without two of their best players.

After being pegged as preseason title favorites for much of last season, the Milwaukee Bucks fell short of expectations and were bounced from the playoffs in the second round by eventual champion Toronto Raptors The Bucks made some changes this offseason, most notably firing Head Coach Mike Budenholzer and hiring former Indiana Pacers Head coach Nate McMillan. The Bucks have all the talent in the world and they will be looking to take that next step this season and prove that they are a legitimate title contender.

These are just some of the many storylines that will be worth following during what promises to be an exciting 2020-2021 NBA season

predictions

The 2020-2021 NBA season is finally upon us after an eventful offseason. After a hellish 2020 in general, the new season offers a much-needed sense of normalcy. Although there are many question marks surrounding the league heading into the first game, there are also a few predictions that can be made.

The Golden State Warriors will once again be title contenders. Despite losing Klay Thompson to an Achilles injury, the Warriors still have two of the best players in the world in Stephen Curry and Draymond Green They also added some much-needed scoring depth by signing Kelly Oubre Jr. The Warriors will be a tough team to beat and should be in contention for the title once again.

Another team that should be near the top of the standings is the Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers made some big moves in the offseason, acquiring both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. With those two superstars leading the way, the Clippers will be a force to be reckoned with. They also have a deep bench and should be one of the top teams in the league once again.

The Milwaukee Bucks are another team that should be near the top of the standings. The Bucks have one of the best players in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo and they surrounded him with shooting this offseason. They added Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jrue Holiday and D.J. Augustin to spread the floor for Giannis and give him more space to operate. The Bucks will be a tough team to beat and could very well end up winning the title this season.

rookies to watch

The 2020-2021 NBA season is just around the corner, and there are a lot of talented rookies set to make their debuts. Here are a few players to keep an eye on:

LaMelo Ball: The 19-year-old point guard was the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets He is the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball and recent ESPN rookie projections have him pegged as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year.

James Wiseman: The 7-foot-1 center was taken 2nd overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors He is a highly skilled big man who has been compared to former Warrior greats such as Chris Webber and JaVale McGee.

Killian Hayes: The 19-year-old point guard was selected 7th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2020 NBA Draft He is a crafty playmaker with a High Basketball IQ, and he should be able to make an immediate impact for a Pistons team that is looking to rebuild.

players on the rise

There are a few players that we think are on the rise this season. One player to keep an eye on is Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans Zion was the number one pick in the 2019 NBA draft and he did not disappoint in his rookie season. He averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. Zion is an electrifying player who is fun to watch, and we think he will only get better with more experience.

Another player to keep an eye on is Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies Ja was also a rookie last season and he made a big impact, averaging 17.6 points and 7 assists per game He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and we think he has a bright future ahead of him.

Finally, we think Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz is poised for a big season. Donovan had a great 18-19 season averaging 23 points per game but he struggled at times last season and only averaged 20 points per game We think Donovan has put in the work this off-season and he will be back to his 2018-19 form this season.

teams to watch

The NBA season is just around the corner, and there are a few teams that everyone will be watching.
The Golden State Warriors are obviously at the top of this list. They are the reigning NBA champions and they have added All-Star Demarcus Cousins to an already star-studded lineup that includes Stephen Curry Kevin Durant Klay Thompson and Draymond Green The Warriors are the heavy favorites to win it all again this year and it will be fun to watch them try to live up to those expectations.

Another team to watch is the Boston Celtics They came one game away from making the NBA Finals last year and they have added All-Star Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to an already talented roster. The Celtics are going to be a tough team to beat and they should make a deep run in the playoffs.

The Houston Rockets are another team to keep an eye on. They came within one game of dethroning the Warriors last year and they have made some big changes this offseason. They have added All-Star point guard Chris Paul to play alongside MVP runner-up James Harden The Rockets are going to be a tough team to beat in the Western Conference and they could very well end up facing the Warriors in the NBA Finals

Finally, there is the Oklahoma City Thunder They lost All-Star forward Paul George in free agency but they replaced him with All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony They also have two of the best players in the league in Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams The Thunder are going to be a tough out for any team in the playoffs and they could make a run at an NBA title

potential breakout stars

There are a lot of young, up-and-coming players in the NBA right now. With the influx of talented rookies and the development of 2nd and 3rd-year players, we could be seeing a lot of new faces in the Playoff Picture come next season. Here are a few potential breakout stars to keep an eye on during the 11-12 season.

Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving
The first overall pick in this year’s draft has already shown glimpses of greatness during the preseason. He’s got the skills and athleticism to be a big-time player in this league, and he should have no problem putting up big numbers for the Cavs this season. I expect him to come out firing and win Rookie of the Year honors.

Most Improved Player Kemba Walker
Walker had himself a solid rookie season for Charlotte, but I think he takes things to another level this year. He’s going to be their go-to guy on offense, and with more responsibility comes more production. Expect him to stuff the Stat Sheet on a nightly basis and be in contention for Most Improved Player

Sixth Man of the Year: Lamar Odom
This is really more of a hunch than anything else, but I think Odom is going to have a big year coming off the bench for Dallas. He’s been one of the best 6th men in recent years and withadded motivation after being traded from his hometown Lakers, I think he could put up some monster numbers in limited minutes.

potential sleeper teams

The NBA is back and there are a lot of potential sleeper teams this season. Some of these teams might be flying under the radar, but they could make some noise in the standings. Here are four potential sleeper teams to keep an eye on in the 11-12 NBA season

1. The New Orleans Pelicans
After finishing with a record of just 30-52 last season, the Pelicans are primed to make a jump in the standings this year. They have an young and talented core led by players like Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis and they added some key veteran pieces in the offseason. The Pelicans could easily find themselves in the playoff mix this season.

2. The Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are coming off a disappointing 29-53 season, but they could be much improved this year. They added some nice pieces in the offseason, including veteran shooting guard Jodie Meeks. With Meeks and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope providing some outside shooting, the Pistons could be a tough team to beat on any given night.

3. The Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are another team that could make a jump in the standings this season thanks to some key additions. They added point guard Jeff Teague and center Al Jefferson in trades this offseason, and they also drafted shooting guard Miles Bridges in the first round of the 2018 NBA draft With those pieces in place, the Pacers could be a force to be reckoned with in the East this year.

4. The Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets might not be a team that many are talking about heading into the new season, but they could end up being one of the better teams in the West. They have a solid mix of young players and veterans, and they added some nice pieces in free agency this offseason (including signing All-Star Power Forward Paul Millsap). Keep an eye on the Nuggets as they could be a team to watch out for this year.