The 75th NBA season will be different, that is for sure. (More Sports News)
Having completed the previous campaign in a Florida bubble due to the coronavirus pandemic, the league starts a reduced 72-game schedule on Tuesday. That is not the바카라 웹사이트only change, though, as a play-in tournament will decide the final two qualification spots in each conference for the playoffs.
So, with free agency long over, trades made and the 2020 draft done and dusted,바카라 웹사이트every franchise starts with a fresh sense of hope and a clean slate.
Ahead of the opening games,바카라 웹사이트here are six players to keep an eye on during바카라 웹사이트the coming weeks and months, including some intriguing바카라 웹사이트rookies and a familiar face now in바카라 웹사이트a new home.
LAMELO BALL (CHARLOTTE HORNETS)
Ball will garner plenty of attention in his rookie campaign, even if the guard may have to go through some growing pains with the Charlotte Hornets.바카라 웹사이트
Selected third in the draft, the brother of Lonzo and LiAngelo바카라 웹사이트has the passing skills and court vision to produce바카라 웹사이트highlight plays. While only 19, it should be remembered he has already played professionally in both Lithuania and Australia.바카라 웹사이트
His three preseason outings바카라 웹사이트for the Hornets produced averages of 10 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds.바카라 웹사이트Dwyane Wade was바카라 웹사이트suitably바카라 웹사이트impressed by what he saw,바카라 웹사이트tweeting: "So breaking news: LaMelo Ball is a problem!"
SADDIQ BEY (DETROIT PISTONS)
Have the Pistons바카라 웹사이트found a바카라 웹사이트gem in바카라 웹사이트Bey, the바카라 웹사이트19th바카라 웹사이트pick바카라 웹사이트in the draft? The shooting guard바카라 웹사이트went to바카라 웹사이트DeMatha Catholic High School – the same establishment as Victor Oladipo and Markelle Fultz, as well as Jerai, Jerian and Jerami Grant – before moving on to Villanova.바카라 웹사이트
His final year in college saw Bey shoot 45.1 per cent from three-point range, placing him fifth바카라 웹사이트in the category for바카라 웹사이트Division I players with a minimum of 150 attempts from deep.바카라 웹사이트
Those numbers offer promise for a Detroit team that averaged 107.2 points per game in the 2019-20 season, ranking them a lowly 25th바카라 웹사이트in the league.바카라 웹사이트
CARIS LEVERT (BROOKLYN NETS)
The focus in Brooklyn will be on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, as the Nets finally get to put their two big-name free agency recruits from July 2019 in tandem together.바카라 웹사이트
Still, the dynamic duo will need help.바카라 웹사이트LeVert averaged 27.4 points in five games during March, including shooting 44.1 per cent from three. He can expect to get open looks this season too, with opposing teams more concerned with his superstar team-mates.
While that is a small sample size, the shooting guard's바카라 웹사이트presence has made a clear difference for the Nets in the past. In the 45 games he played last season, the team averaged 114.7 points. That number dipped to 107 when he바카라 웹사이트did not feature.바카라 웹사이트
CHRIS PAUL (PHOENIX SUNS)
Paul is preparing to start a third straight season on a different team and, while far from a new name, considering he was drafted back in 2005 and바카라 웹사이트is a 10-time All-Star, it will be fascinating to see what difference the바카라 웹사이트veteran point guard바카라 웹사이트can make to the바카라 웹사이트Suns.바카라 웹사이트
His solitary year with the Oklahoma City Thunder saw him become just the third player to average at least 17바카라 웹사이트points and 6.0바카라 웹사이트assists when aged 34 or older.바카라 웹사이트The others to manage that? LeBron James (also last season) and Kobe Bryant (2012-13).바카라 웹사이트
Now he joins a Phoenix바카라 웹사이트roster that dazzled during their stay in the NBA bubble,바카라 웹사이트despite eventually missing out on the playoffs. Devin Booker should certainly relish having Paul alongside him in the backcourt, while바카라 웹사이트center바카라 웹사이트and former No.1 overall pick바카라 웹사이트Deandre Ayton바카라 웹사이트should also benefit.바카라 웹사이트
OBI TOPPIN (NEW YORK KNICKS)
Toppin should feel right at home in the NBA;바카라 웹사이트the Brooklyn-born power forward was drafted in the first round by the바카라 웹사이트Knicks.바카라 웹사이트
The 22-year-old averaged 20 points, 7.5 rebounds and shot 63.3 per cent from the field for Dayton in college basketball last season, numbers good enough to see him바카라 웹사이트named national player of the year.바카라 웹사이트
Denied바카라 웹사이트the opportunity to have a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, Toppin will hope to make an instant impact in the Big Apple.바카라 웹사이트The opportunity to play regular minutes – whether it be off the bench or as a starter – makes him a real contender to be this season's바카라 웹사이트top바카라 웹사이트rookie performer.바카라 웹사이트
COBY WHITE (CHICAGO BULLS)
Coby White was a much-needed positive for the Bulls in an otherwise dismal season. They will at least be well rested having not been involved in the Orlando bubble, while바카라 웹사이트Billy Donovan is now in as coach to try and improve results.바카라 웹사이트바카라 웹사이트
Selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, White averaged 13.2 points in his debut season. That is the fourth most by a Bulls rookie since 2000-01, behind only Derrick Rose, Lauri Markkanen바카라 웹사이트and Ben Gordon.바카라 웹사이트
However, that number rose to 20.9 points (as well as 4.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists)바카라 웹사이트from February 1바카라 웹사이트onwards바카라 웹사이트– and there have been positive signs from the guard during a shortened preseason, too.
