With the trade deadline in full swing and new contract extensions being signed left and right, it is high time we talked about the 2024/2024 NBA season. While it has not yet been two full months since Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the rest of the Denver Nuggets took home the franchise’s first NBA title, we must look ahead and try to figure out what is in store for the new basketball season.
Can they do it again, and if not, who will replace them? How will the FIBA WC influence the season? Is Wemby going to be the next sensation or perhaps another first-pick flop? There are many things to think and theorize about. Join us as we try to predict everything and check basketballinsiders.com.
Can the Nuggets Do It Again?
Before every season, one question always arises: can the current champion do it again and make it two in a row? Doing this is extremely difficult. Only 13 times did the champion repeat with the last one being the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Teams that did this either kept most of their players or got better during the offseason. And what did the Nuggets do? Well, on paper, they got a bit weaker considering the names they lost. Bruce Brown, their sharpshooting sixth man, signed with Indiana.
The veteran swingman “Uncle” Jeff Green signed with Houston and Thomas Bryant went to Miami. Brown and Green were important role players and Denver will miss them dearly. Ish Smith and Jack White also left.
On the other hand, they resigned some veterans and got Justin Holiday, a handful of rookies. Certain youngsters who proved themselves will have expanded roles, which usually proves like a good move. Overall, it may not be up to the Nuggets all that much.
If Jokic and Murray continue their dominance with the supporting cast doing their thing, they have a great chance. It is up to the rest of the league. Plenty of teams got stronger and are ready to make a much stronger and more concrete push for the championship.
The Phoenix Suns are once again stacked with Bradley Beal coming in and Chris Paul heading to Golden State Warriors, who in turn lost Jordan Pool who replaced Beal in Washington. Boston resigned Jaylen Brown to the largest contract in NBA history and got Kristaps Porzingis.
Everyone is still waiting to see how the Damian Lillard saga will conclude with him wanting to make a switch to the Miami Heat and help them get over the bump of two recent finals losses in 2020 and 2024.
The Impact of the 2024 FIBA World Cup
A very important thing for the upcoming NBA season is coming up, the 2024 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. From August 25 to September 10, 32 teams will battle for the prestigious World Championship.
Playing for a club and getting paid is one thing, but representing your country’s flag is a whole other honor. The rules are different, teammates become opponents, and it is all about the commodore and chemistry that no professional club can replicate. All of this is important for the 2024 season.
Plenty of NBA players these days come from outside the US borders. As it turns out, at this moment, the best talent in the league comes from overseas. Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid are all foreign players. All but Embiid are from Europe. However, he plays for France which means that 4 of the best players in the NBA are based in Europe.
Sadly, due to a long and exhausting season, Jokic will not play for Serbia which means they are coming in severely undermanned. Bogdan Bogdanovic will be their sole NBA player. Giannis is still considering his participation and could very well follow suit.
Slovenia and France are with Doncic and Embiid (plus Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and Nicolas Batum) coming at full strength. USA is bringing in some first-time participants with the team being led by youngsters, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Brandon Ingram. Canada is stacked with plenty of NBA names. They are one of the frontrunners for a medal with Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barret, and Dillon Brooks.
Between these 5 teams, there are numerous NBA stars whose play at the competition could impact their season, and therefore the whole league. Injuries can happen, but they can also blossom and mature, entering the new season poised for their best outing yet. Just look at what happened to Lauri Markannen after he played for Finland at the 2022 EuroBasket.
Referee Changes to Look Out For
A very important and potentially game-changing shift happened in the referee book during the offseason. Two new changes happened which will impact how is game is played in certain situations. A long-time-coming rule about flopping has finally been introduced. Players will no longer be able to act as if they are fouled and flop on the floor.
It has always looked bad for the player, and more importantly, the league. Now, the flopper receives a technical foul which results in a free throw for the opposing team. Why is this so important? Well, both offense and defense will be played a bit differently and more seriously which can influence the scoreboard and tactics.
The second rule deals with something less frequent, the coach’s challenge. Up to this offseason, the coach had a single chance they could use to challenge the referees and get the call in their favor. As things used to be, if successful, the team retains the timeout spent for the challenge.
The change awards another challenge if the first one is successful, albeit at the cost of a regular timeout without it being retained. This should help the flow of the game. The potential to challenge two plays will surely be useful and impact strategies.
Before placing your bets on the NBA’s future, be sure to explore reliable sources for expert NBA picks to gain valuable insights and learn if the Nuggets can maintain their success in our NBA 2024 predictions.
Final Summation: A Fun Season Awaits!
All in all, we are in for a memorable season with the amount of things that happened in the offseason. The stage is set and despite certain things still being up in the air that could shift the predictions wildly, the fans are ecstatic.
It is going to be an amazing season for sure and we are here for it. It really does seem that every new iteration of the National Basketball Association is better and more hyped than the last, but it is not without reason. We shall see if the Nuggets can repeat. Denver, Serbia, and Canada surely hope so!
