NBA: 10 Early-season storylines to watch

1. Lakers reload, add Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony: After a disappointing and injury-riddled 2021 season came to an end in the first round, it was clear LA was going to make a few changes. Rob Pelinka traded for Westbrook, who averaged a league-high 11.7 assists a game, before signing Anthony, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, Rajon Rondo, and more. Anthony shot a career-best 40.9% from 3-point range in Portland last year.

2. Ben Simmons reportedly returning to 76ers after trade request: Simmons has been away from the team since his disastrous late game decision, helping push Philadelphia to a home loss in Game 7 against Atlanta. The 3x All-Star guard requested a trade over the summer and planned to hold out of training camp and preseason until a deal was made. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons unexpectedly rejoined the 76ers on Monday night but remains determined to be traded.

3. Kyrie Irving remains unvaccinated as opener approaches: Nets general manager Sean Marks released a statement on Tuesday per Shams Charania: "Irving will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant. Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose." With the season opener against Milwaukee less than a week out, it's becoming more likely Brooklyn will be without Irving, who is reportedly unvaccinated.

4. Warriors still waiting on Klay Thompson until mid-winter: Thompson is still recovering from an Achilles tear that happened in late November, just over a year removed from tearing his ACL in the 2019 Finals. We haven't seen the 5x All-Star play in a game in 800+ days. Bob Myers explained he doesn't want to give a firm date for Thompson's return but the organization remains hopeful for December or January. Golden State is also without James Wiseman (right knee) for the time being.

5. Heat hope Kyle Lowry can push them back into contention: Toronto agreed to a sign and trade in early August, sending Lowry to Miami in exchange for Goran Dragić and Precious Achiuwa. After winning a championship and playing nearly a decade with the Raptors, the 6x All-Star is joining Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro in South Beach. Lowry will add clutch-shot making, defensive intensity, and steady ball handling to a team that went 40-32 a year ago.

6. Finals teams attempt to avoid hangover: Following the historically drawn-out 2020 season, there was an obvious hangover for teams that made deep playoff runs like the Lakers, Heat, Celtics, and Nuggets. All four franchises dealt with fatigue and injuries to start the year and only Denver advanced past the first round. We'll see if Milwaukee, Phoenix, and others can avoid a similar fate after playing into late July. The Bucks start the season against Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

7. Bulls and Knicks welcome offseason additions: Chicago hasn't reached the playoffs since 2017 but believe they have a roster to break the streak this year. The Bulls acquired DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to pair with Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Patrick Williams. Another mid-tier Eastern Conference team is New York, who signed Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. The Bronx native scored 12 points and four assists in 21 minutes played in his Knicks preseason debut.

8. Clippers, Nuggets without Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray: Los Angeles and Denver have both reached the conference finals recently but it will be challenging to get back without go-to scorers. Leonard, who averaged a team-high 24.8 points, is ahead of schedule after knee surgery on July 13 but remains doubtful to return this season. Murray tore his left ACL on April 12 and recently told the Denver Post: "I want to feel good when I come back. I don’t want to come back when I’m like 85%."

9. LaMelo Ball, Zion Williamson look to leap into playoffs: A couple of the best young players in the NBA aren't on championship contending teams but Charlotte and New Orleans could compete in the play-in tournament. The Hornets did so in 2021 but were blown out 144-117 at Indiana to get eliminated. 2021 Rookie of the Year Ball and 1x All-Star Williamson will continue to make their teams a must-watch as the postseason nears. The Pelicans also added Willie Green as head coach.

10. Western Conference contenders face varying levels of pressure: Dallas, Portland, and Utah think they have an outside chance of getting to the Finals in 2022. Each franchise also has heat on them to succeed this season. Jason Kidd takes over as head coach of the Mavericks and MVP-frontrunner Luka Dončić, while the Trail Blazers hope they're able to satisfy Damian Lillard long term as he enters his 10th year. The Jazz also seem to be on the verge of an overhaul if this season is a failure.

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Photo Credit: USA Today.