By Luis Hernandez Espinoza and Daniel Fischer,
Staff Writers.
As the 2024-25 NBA season approaches, a new sense of excitement is building among fans after a wild off-season. Key players left old homes in search of an elusive championship, and new storylines have drastically changed the league’s landscape.
Ex-Golden State Warriors player Klay Thompson will be entering his first season away from the Bay Area. The guard has spent the last 13 years living it up in the bay, accumulating four NBA championships and five All-Star appearances. He and Stephen Curry earned the nickname ‘Splash Bros’ after revolutionizing basketball in the Bay Area and changing the way the game is played as a whole. This coming season, Thompson will play alongside former rival Kyrie Irving and young superstar Luka Doncic for the Dallas Mavericks.
Draymond Green, long-time forward on the Warriors is a controversial player due to his emotion and physicality on the court. Senior Micah Alchin said, “The Warriors should trade Draymond for Dillion Brooks. He is the new Draymond for real.” Although a questionable trade proposal, it is supported by the belief that Green has caused the Warriors’ damaging ripple effect, leading to the loss of multiple star players.
Despite other roster additions, the Warriors will be forced to rely even more heavily than previous seasons on star Stephen Curry to bail the team out. Curry, who is approaching 37 years of age, has expressed frustration with the lack of help in the past couple of seasons, hinting at a potential departure. This is a disappointing sight for a team that is only two years removed from a championship run.
The most popular belief is that the Boston Celtics will repeat as champions, but compared to past champions, they experienced a relatively easy road to the finals. With plenty of changes in both conferences and younger teams rapidly on the rise, there will be a multitude of teams in the race to make a big run this year.
Teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous Alexander and their promising young core, have as much of a chance as anyone. Over in New York City, the Knicks have banded together former college teammates Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, all of whom spent time together at Villanova. They also received Karl Anthony Towns in a trade, who has been the cornerstone of the Minnesota Timberwolves for years. Their chemistry should carry over as they look to pride themselves on energy and defense, becoming a fun team to watch this season and a sleeper for this upcoming playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers have made some big-time acquisitions this offseason, headlined by the signing of multiple-time All-Star Paul George. Led by their franchise player Joel Embiid, the 76ers have been solid yet haven’t been able to put the pieces together. Their hope is that George’s power and versatility will push them over the hump and finally bring a championship home for Philadelphia.
Senior Manuel Vargas predicted that the Finals winner this year will be the Mavericks: “Their hunger from losing [in] the Finals will help them. [Plus] they have Luka Doncic.”
The start of every NBA season spotlights the rise of young dynasties and teams falling on a downward spiral. This season is projected to be a memorable one, and we are all looking forward to see who will take home the championship.
