The NBA is resuming its rights. Four months after the coronation of the Nuggets, winners of Miami in five rounds, the 2023-24 season begins this Tuesday. More precisely, during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in our latitudes, with Denver-L.A. Lakers at 1:30 a.m. and Phoenix-Golden State, at 4 a.m. An enticing campaign in more than one way. “We say that every time, but this year, there are so many new things that we’re going to enjoy,” salivates Chris Singleton, beIN SPORTS consultant, NBA broadcaster. Among these “things”, there is notably a large French thing measuring 2.24m, near San Antonio. But not only. Overview.
Nothing prevents you from thinking so. In any case, the Denver club leaves with the same starting five, around the monstrous Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. “I always give credit and respect to the outgoing champion. As long as the title belongs to the Nuggets, it will have to be snatched from them. But behind it, there are teams that are arming themselves,” underlines Chris Singleton. Same story for George Eddy, the voice of basketball on Canal: “Denver has kept practically the same team and has a great collective experience. The Nuggets are necessarily one of the favorites.” Of which act.
Besides Denver, “there is such a traffic jam in the West, with a lot of teams that are armed, like Phoenix, with the trio Durant/Booker/Beal… What a trio in attack,” enthuses Singleton. No leader? In today’s NBA, all three of them can run the ball. I almost want to say that even Jusuf Nurkic can do it (smile)! But it’s true that in key matches, this creative player can be missing. But there is such a striking force…” George Eddy is less convinced. He cites the Suns as a favorite because of their individual talent. But… “I fear a flop in Phoenix. Everyone sees them very highly but they have no leader, no defense and no bench. It all depends on the three superstars, big scorers. I fear this will be a team that beats the weak but will struggle against the strong who defend well. Same fear for Dallas.
What about the two Los Angeles clubs? A lot will depend on the ability of their stars to start the playoffs in good health. We think of Anthony Davis on the Lakers side, even LeBron James, who will be 39 years old, and the Kawhi Leonard/Pau George duo for the Clippers. We will closely follow the progress of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s young Thunder, the latter having hurt the Blues so badly last summer at the World Cup. He and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), “young guns who will average 30 points per game and dominate,” says George Eddy. To get involved in the fight for the title, OKC and the T-Wolves will probably have to wait. Ditto for Memphis and the turbulent Ja Morant. Despite the talent of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas simply does not have the weapons.
Also read: NBA: $186 million extension over three years for Antetokounmpo
In the East, history seems written in advance. “We can count on a final between Milwaukee and Boston. It seems pretty easy to predict,” notes George Eddy. The two clubs have indeed recruited heavyweights, with Damian Lillard at the Bucks and Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis at the Celtics. “Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard are going to be incredible together,” he adds, noting that “the Celtics have weakened their bench. Interrogation point. But the five is very strong. “The C’s are getting Holiday back, a player they missed a little next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Porzingis, who will be one of the attractions. So far it’s “Porcelainzingis” (laughs)! If he holds up physically, I would even put Boston slightly ahead of Milwaukee,” notes Singleton. What about Philadelphia? The James Harden soap opera does not invite confidence. Miami leaves more or less with the same strengths, without “Dame”. Atlanta, Cleveland, Toronto, Chicago and Brooklyn are far away.
Also read: Victor Wembanyama, the French prodigy who is already electrifying the NBA planet
Number 1 in the Draft, “and not a normal number 1” says Vincent Collet, Victor Wembanyama will logically aim for the title of Rookie of the year. This would be a first for a Frenchman. Watch out for Chet Holmgren (OKC), drafted last year but who did not play in 2022-23. Especially since he will be playing in a team that is a priori more efficient… Scoot Henderson (Portland) would like to get involved in the fight. To see if “Wemby” can seek a place in the All Star Game in his first season. Collectively, the Spurs would already be happy to play the play-in. “It would be an incredible success,” swears George Eddy. “I believe in it,” he says, reminding us that San Antonio can still get stronger. Unless they take their time. “I see them as candidates for retention,” laughs Singleton. Despite his impact, Wembanyama is not going to put them above Phoenix, Denver… Modestly, their first objective is to say: “if we get the play-in, it will be great”. For the title, there is work, a lot of work… San Antonio was last in the West in 2022-23.
Like the Leaders Cup in France, the NBA has a mid-season tournament, with a group stage (6 groups of 5 teams) – the results of which will count for the regular season – from from November 3. All 30 franchises will be affected. The first six plus the two best second places will see the quarters, and the last four clubs in the running will go to Las Vegas, from December 7 to 9 (semi-finals and final), with a nice trophy and $500,000 up for grabs for the winner. “I’m going to start by being a fan and we’ll see how it goes. When the play-in was introduced, there were doubters… However, I can tell you that it saved our seasons, because there was a lot at stake until the end. Today, I have the feeling that there is unanimous agreement. I really want to see how it can revitalize all of this. In any case, we must move forward,” explains Singleton.
Long subscribed to London for practical and linguistic reasons, the NBA invited itself to Paris in 2020 to offer a regular season match, Milwaukee-Charlotte (with Nicolas Batum). Deprived of candy in 2021 and 2022, due to Covid, the Parisian public was treated to a duel between Chicago and Detroit (with Killian Hayes) this year. What about in 2024? No French player on the bill. The Accor Arena will be the scene of a match between the Brooklyn Nets, led by Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Spencer Dinwiddie, and Donovan Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Two clubs eliminated in the first round of the play-offs last season. Not title contenders, but two interesting teams.
We will find 14 French people on the starting line in the NBA this season, some holding a two-way contract and therefore called upon to navigate between the big league and the G-League. Besides “Wemby”, there are the regulars, and in particular the triple best defender in the NBA Rudy Gobert (Minnesota), a “confirmed star” according to George Eddy, who also believes that the T-Wolves have “a good card to play”. “For Nicolas Batum, we can think that he will play less for the Clippers, he who is in his last season. Evan Fournier doesn’t play in New York at all. His preseason playing time? It means nothing. Tom Thibodeau (the Knicks coach, Editor’s note) absolutely doesn’t count on him,” he swears again.
We will closely follow the evolution of Bilal Coulibaly, revelation of last season in France with the Mets and “second great talent of this generation” after Wembanyama according to George Eddy. “He is already considered their best defender in Washington and should get a lot of playing time on this rebuilding team, which should allow him to progress very quickly,” he guesses. Afterwards, there are a lot of question marks. For example, will Kylian Hayes finally blossom in Detroit. Will Sidy Cissoko play in San Antonio and Ousmane Dieng in OKC? These are players who have potential but no guarantees…” Let us also cite Olivier Sarr (OKC), Théo Maledon (Charlotte), Rayan Rupert (Portland), Malcolm Cazalon (Detroit), Moussa Diabaté (L.A. Clippers). Forfeited for the World Cup, Frank Ntilikina (Charlotte) was re-injured.
With more than $51.9 million, Stephen Curry tops the list. Moreover, “his” Warriors have the largest payroll in the league, the only one above $200 million. Kevin Durant (Phoenix, $47.7 million), LeBron James (L.A. Lakers, 47.6), Nikola Jokic (Denver, 47.6) and future former France team player Joel Embiid (Philadelphia, 46.9) complete the Top 5. With $41 million, Gobert appears in 13th position. Note that Celtic Jaylen Brown signed the largest contract in NBA history this summer, an extension of $304 million over five years (2024-29).
From 1951 to 2017, the All Star Game gave rise to East-West clashes. Change of scenery from 2018, the two players receiving the most votes having the responsibility of designating their teammates for one day. Referring to “potential format changes in Indianapolis,” NBA big boss Adam Silver left the door open to this hypothesis. “Historically, it was East versus West. Maybe that’s something we’re looking at,” he said.
The next Draft is not (yet?) making scouts salivate. The 2024 vintage is in fact announced as one of the weakest in recent years, with no name standing out for the first choice. Several French people, however, enjoy good odds, even if none of them has the potential of “Wemby”. We first think of Zaccharie Risacher. Under contract at Asvel but loaned to JL Bourg, the son of ex-international Stéphane Risacher has regularly been announced in the Top 3 of the 2024 Draft. Brother of NBAer Olivier Sarr, Alex Sarr (Perth) is climbing in terms of him at great speed in the charts of specialized sites. To see if Tidjane Salaün (Cholet) can also play leading roles in the 2024 Draft.
