NBA 2024-2025 season opens
‘Defending champ’ Boston succeeds in generational change
Winning member Healthy Aim Jeong achieves 2nd consecutive victory
New York Knicks and Philadelphia strong rivals
Western line, Dallas, Denver, etc., a challenge to the top
The National Basketball Association (NBA), a feast of superstars that are enjoyable just to watch, opens the long-awaited 2024-2025 season. Attention is focused on whether the ‘defending champion’ Boston Celtics, who signaled a generational change by lifting the championship trophy last season, will achieve their second consecutive victory.
The regular season of the NBA 2024-2025 season begins with the opening game between Boston and the New York Knicks at 8:30 a.m. on the 23rd (Korean time). Next, the Los Angeles (LA) Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves will face off. In the regular league, 30 teams will play 82 games each until April next year. Afterwards, the playoffs (PO) and championship match will continue until June to determine the strongest player.
Luka Doncic (from left), Stephen Curry, LeBron James
In the NBA last season, superstars born in the 1980s, who dominated an era, retreated, and new stars born in the 1990s and 2000s emerged as leading players. A large number of veterans who dominated the 2010s, including LeBron James (39, Lakers), Kevin Durant (35, Phoenix Suns), and Stephen Curry (35, Golden State Warriors), were eliminated from PO, and Boston, a group of people in their 20s, won the championship trophy. Raised it. The ‘First Team’, the best players by position in the regular league, are Shai Gilgeous Alexander (26, Oklahoma City Thunder), Luka Doncic (25, Dallas Mavericks), Giannis Antetokounmpo (29, Milwaukee Bucks), and Jayson Tatum (26). Boston) and Nikola Jokic (29, Denver Nuggets) were all in their 20s.
This season is also expected to continue with the young blood racing to become the protagonists of a new era and the veterans’ final spark.
The most likely winner is Boston of the Eastern Conference. Boston’s ‘unicorn’ Kristaps Porgis leaves early in the season due to a left ankle injury, but winning members such as Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still in good health. Boston was selected as an overwhelming candidate to win the championship with a response rate of 83% in a survey conducted by the NBA Secretariat among general managers from 30 teams ahead of the opening of the season.
Boston is preparing for a second straight loss by investing an astronomical amount of money to protect its key players. Golden State recently achieved two consecutive championship wins in 2017-2018.
In the same East, Boston’s opponents are the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers in the opening game. New York recruited All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who played for Minnesota, earlier this month. Towns is a versatile center with a large physique and a natural shooting feel. The ‘Big 3’ combination of ‘Ace’ Jaylen Brunson, Michal Bridges, and Towns is a force worthy of challenging for the presidency. In addition, Philadelphia, which has recruited veteran forward Paul George and formed a luxurious lineup with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, is no slouch.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, which ranked first in the regular season last season, and Dallas and Denver, which advanced to the championship game and took second place, are considered strong teams.
Oklahoma City, led by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who ranked first in the general manager’s survey for this season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate, dreams of reaching the top by recruiting Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. Oklahoma City is trying to erase the pain of being eliminated in the second round of the PO despite taking first place in the regular league last season. In addition to the existing ‘one-two punch’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas strengthened its offense by bringing in ‘3-point machine’ Klay Thompson, who played for Golden State.
Denver, with MVP Jokic, and Minnesota, which advanced to the Western Conference finals last season, are also aiming for the trophy as the powerhouses of the West. Attention is also focused on how far Golden State, led by Curry, the league’s best star, will rise with young players. Lakers’ ‘King’ LeBron James will set a new record by playing on the same team with his son Bronny. I am also interested in what kind of scenes these father and son will produce during the season.
Reporter Jang Han-seo jhs@segye.com
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