Another year and another NBA season is here. The past two seasons COVID really made things hard for the league. The 2019-20 season ended in a “bubble” in Disney. It was odd when watching the games in the bubble because there weren’t any fans in the stands. Fans had to be virtual on a screen, and they even used sound effects to make it seem like fans were present in the stadium. Then last season the teams played primarily in empty arenas until the postseason when some cities loosened their COVID restrictions on attendance. Still, it was not a normal season.
Prep senior Bryce Kalie was one of the many NBA fans who noticed the games had a different feel.
“I think last year’s NBA season didn’t bring the full excitement it could have until playoffs came around,” he said. “COVID played a huge role in that case because there were no fans for the first six months of the season. I think it made the season worse, but like I said before, when playoffs came so did the fans and it all felt like what we were used to or at least close to it.”
In the off-season, there were a couple of big moves that really could shake up the power rankings this year. The 2020 champions, the Lakers, made a lot of moves and got major players like Russel Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rando, Kendrick Nunn, Dwight Howard, and DeAndre Jordan.
“The Lakers are looking like a veteran dream team right now, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are good,” Bryce said. “As the season goes on they will have to prove that even though age isn’t on their side they can still ball like they used to.”
Other teams that have made big moves are the Miami Heat, who got Kyle Lowery, and the Chicago Bulls who picked up Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and Demar DeRozen.
This year’s draft seemed very strong, which gave teams another chance to pick up some key players that can help their team now and even in the future.
Some of these important picks include Jalen Green to the Rockets, Cade Cunningham to the Pistons, Jalen Suggs to the Magic, and Josh Giddey to the Thunder.
“Someone who stood out to me in the preseason is Alperen Sengun for the Rockets,” Bryce said. “The way he is playing shows signs of him being a potential breakout candidate for Rookie of the Year.”
It may be too early to say which team will do what or what player will be MVP or Rookie of the Year, but it’s never too early to be excited for another year of NBA basketball. After the past two years of having COVID affect different aspects of how fans watch the NBA everyone is ready for a more normal season.
This year should be a very interesting one with the diversity each team brings since almost every team has done some type of big trade or free agent signing this summer.
“I think this season is going to be really exciting, which is why I’m looking forward to watching a full season of the NBA with fans back in the stands,” Bryce said.
