Competitive professional hoops are fewer than three week away from what should be a memorable 75th year honoring the NBA and its former legends.  Teams have licked their wounds and reloaded through the draft and free agency for their next campaign as the NBA attempts a return to normalcy in its third season dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below are five reasons to stay hooked on the NBA:

5. Who is Klay Thompson today?

Thompson hasn’t suited up since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals. He missed all of the following season (2019/2020), recovering from his torn ACL, then on last year’s Draft night, tore his Achilles’ tendon in a private workout.

It’s unfair to Thompson, but the success of the Warriors season rests in his health.  Golden State need to get something close to his production level pre-injury in order to legitimately compete for titles.   Stephen Curry is catching every defensive scheme from the opposing team, and with Draymond Green’s inability to hit an outside jumper or take advantage of driving lanes, the Warriors often play 4-on-5 while Green is on the court.

The refusal of Andrew Wiggins to vaccinate is also a factor because he’s ineligible to play in home games and it doesn’t appear he will change his mind soon.  Wiggins told the press that he will keep “fighting” for what he believes in.  As long as he remains misinformed, the Warriors will be without a guy who doesn’t hunt shots and keeps the ball moving on 19 points per game.  His potential absence creates a larger burden on the rest of the Dubs.

Thompson’s injuries are two of the most ruinous wounds an athlete can endure, and they will undoubtedly hinder him on the defensive side of the court, where he was once among the league’s elite. Offensively, Thompson has a solid chance of regaining his old form due to playing in the Warriors motion offense.

Thompson said at Media Day not to expect a return before 12 months since tearing his Achilles tendon on Nov. 18.

4. Will Kawhi Leonard play? 

Kawhi Leonard suffered a partially torn ACL during Game 4 of the West Semis against the Utah Jazz that sat him the rest of the Clippers playoff run. Leonard, historically, has been very conservative with his health and once played all but nine games in a season (2018) recovering from a torn quad.

Just on pure speculation, I wouldn’t expect Leonard to play next year because it would place the burden on him to be the savior of the franchise come postseason time. There is also no guarantee the Clippers will habitually perform well without the services of their best player, so returning next year could be a futile effort for Leonard if the team has poor positioning in the playoff bracket by the time he is healthy. 

At Media Day, Leonard said he hoped to play this season, but he offered no timetable for his comeback. 

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3. Can the Nets star trio stay on the court together?

Due to various health concerns and PTO, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant only suited up for 13 games together, regular season and playoffs combined. Yet, they are on the books for over $120 million of the Nets cap space.  In that minuscule sample size, the star threesome has won 10 games and lost three while teasing spectators on what could be their final form offensively once they’ve learned each other’s tendencies.

Although, on the less-heralded side of the court, the Brooklyn Nets were 22nd in Defensive Rating according to NBA.com, and that starts with their three linchpins.  The only way this big three can begin to show a commitment to the side of the floor is if they manage to get on the court together consistently. Still, due to their supernova abilities attacking the opposing defense from all angles, the Nets don’t have to be better than average at guarding. 

Getting on the court may be an issue. Irving remains unvaccinated and he is ineligible to play in 41 home games per New York City ordinance. If he remains unvaccianted, the Nets take a serious blow to their title aspirations. 

2. Epidemic of the selfish

Per ESPN, close to 40 players remain unvaccinated placing their teams in a competitive disadvantage if the unvaccinated player comes into contact with someone positive for COVID-19.  This forces the athlete into a week of quarantine when it wouldn’t if they were vaccinated.

The anti-vaxxers in New York City and San Francisco dig their teams a deeper hole because they will not be allowed to compete in 41 home games, per The Athletic.   

There are also the health risks that come with not being vaccinated.  The CDC says it’s harder to catch and pass on the virus when vaccinated, but these thick-headed individuals refuse to listen to wisdom from medical professionals. 

It is not a personal issue.  It’s a public health crisis, and these poor teammates who refuse to do the right thing are also becoming distractions for their clubs.

1. Impact of Olympic competition on players next season

When great basketball players are around their peers, many return home with their skills fine-tuned and an enlightened mind. This comes from time spent learning the tricks and tools of the NBA’s elite and listening to a separate coaching staff than accustomed to.

After the 2014 FIBA World Cup that Team USA won gold in, the Splash Brothers came back and dominated the next regular season and playoffs, with Curry winning league MVP. James Harden finished second behind Curry, and he was also a part of Team USA. 

The United States team who won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, features young players on the verge of superstardom, such as Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Zach Lavine, and Bam Adebayo. The experience these gentlemen gathered playing in the Olympics, which is essentially a different game because of the rule differences and increased physicality, is invaluable. This master class experience should keep them sharp and in shape heading into next season. Expect a significant amount of this team’s players providing more contributions for their clubs when the 2021/2022 season starts. 

Three months ago, the 76ers, in front of a stupefied home crowd, retreated to the locker room amid the groaning boos of the Philadelphia faithful.  Fans stood in horror at the sight of an agonizing meltdown the scoreboard reflected after Game 7s loss to Atlanta.

Yet, what followed Philly’s bitter season finale was a reprehensible offense by coach Doc Rivers  at the post-game press conference.  The former NBA point guard was asked if he thought Ben Simmons could be a point guard for a championship team.  

“I don’t know the answer to that right now,” Rivers said.

The damage was done.  Rivers forgot part of his job was to protect his players, as he candidly responded to the media.  Despite how awful Simmons played in the last four games, no one, except for masochists, enjoy getting humiliated by a superior in front of others.

As reported by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, it’s the reason behind Simmons’ strife with the organization.  Simmons, allegedly, will not attend training camp to manipulate the club into shipping him elsewhere.  It’s the only leverage he and his agent Rich Paul think they have, and it seems they’ve outplayed their hand. 

Paul and Simmons are at the blackjack table and think they have an Ace and King.  In reality, they are past 21.  Per the CBA, the 76ers have the right to fine Simmons the equivalent of what he makes in a game, for every day he misses training camp and beyond.  I don’t believe Paul and his client, no matter how handsomely they are paid, are foolish enough to eat a $227,000 fine every game day while they pout their demands.

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Eventually, the charade Simmons and Paul are playing will grow tiresome for their wallets.  #25 will at some point walk through Philly’s doors and rejoin the uncomfortable environment he helped create because of his inability to improve from outside of five feet from the basket on offense. 

Rivers should have never thrown his player under the bus in front of the press.  His fury for Simmons’ incompetence should have stayed between them. Coach, even took the time as a guest of ESPN’s First Take, Tuesday, to extend an olive branch to his lead guard by saying, “we would love to get Ben back.” 

But Philly’s quarterback isn’t blameless.  Opposing teams are mercilessly taking advantage of his limitations and forcing the 76ers to play 4-on-5 when Philly has the ball and Simmons is in the court.  The spacing issues are enough to drive any instructor mad.

It’s a peculiar situation, but the 76ers and Simmons both need each other.  Without him, Philadelphia isn’t competing for anything and wouldn’t receive fair value for their disgruntled “All-Star” on the open market if they wanted to move him.  Accepting a poor deal could set the franchise back years.   

In Simmons’ case, he won’t expedite his wishes of getting traded, remaining absent from team activities.  The only way Simmons will be moved is if he returns and rebuilds his value on the court.  He is on the books for the next four years and owed $147 million.  His impact doesn’t reflect someone who should take up that much salary cap space for a team, and that’s possibly why no suiter will engage with Philadelphia’s steep trade demands.  

The longtime Raptor is ready to close out a fantastic career playing a role he’s no stranger to.

It was no surprise that Kyle Lowry’s final big contract came courtesy of the Miami Heat. The rumors had swirled since the trade deadline the season prior. It felt almost like a formality that the two would come to an agreement at the start of free agency. That agreement sought Lowry as a way to bridge the Jimmy Butler era into the Bam Adebayo one. He was the perfect piece to help this team compete in the now while setting them up for the future. Kyle Lowry has spent most of his career playing the role of team player, leader, and connector. What the Heat are going to ask of him won’t be much different from what he’s used to — it’s a match made in heaven.

Dating back to Houston, Kyle knew how to leave his mark in almost every game. He wouldn’t be the flashiest or the prettiest (though his flops were true works of art akin to Warhol), but he knew how to get the job done by any means. Lowry has been one of a kind in a league that’s seen so many unique Point Guards. When Heat fans saw him play, it felt like they were watching what would happen if scientists created the most Heat-like PG.

These two were practically made for each other. It’s the same feeling Heat fans had when watching Jimmy Butler. And similarly to the Butler signing, it seems like the two paths are crossing at the perfect time. Lowry is no longer in the prime of his career at 35, but Miami knows this. They don’t need Kyle Lowry of 2016 to succeed; the current iteration that’s still one of the best PGs in basketball will more than suffice.

You could make the argument the marriage of the two might have been even better if Lowry signed with Miami in 2014 when both expressed mutual interest. But let’s not dwell on the past like a regretful 40-something. The Heat have proven time and again that they always circle back to players. While it may not be 2014, this union’s timing is still right to benefit both sides greatly.

Earlier, I talked about Lowry being the “bridge” to connect the old and new guards. Last season Miami was a team stuck in the middle, not knowing which direction to go full throttle. After a wasted year that saw Jimmy Butler put up incredible numbers, it was clear they needed to stop waffling. But with Kyle Lowry, it’s not only a “win-now” move — it’s a move that’ll help the future of the franchise in Bam Adebayo to be the best version of himself.

That’s the kind of player Kyle Lowry has always been. Lowry has worked with young players waiting for their greatness to be unleashed. He made the game easier for Pascal Siakam while knowing when to take a step back so that he could learn to fly. All those small but significant details Kyle plugs will make the game slow down even more than ever for a young player, especially a center like Bam. I won’t go into more detail about those intricacies since everyone and their mother has written in-depth about those already. We all know about the pocket passes, short roll delivery, post-entry passes, quick hitters, and DHOs flowing into pick-and-rolls. Adebayo will get his piece of the pie on a platter as opposed to through the pig trough.

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Lowry wants to make the game easier for everyone in a variety of ways. He plays every possession like a mini-war that he wants to get all his soldiers through on the winning side. That may seem like hyperbole, but the man literally went through a player’s legs attempting to get a foul call. The same guy that tried drawing multiple charges at an All-Star Game. It’s safe to say that he’s not one to take possessions off that easily.

But Miami won’t be asking him to do too much. At this point in his career, asking for everything from Lowry in an 82 game season is a sticky proposition. It’s a good thing Miami will only want about 75% of everything. A line of around 16-7-5 on 33 minutes with decent efficiency is the sweet spot throughout the season. The playoffs are where everyone will be asking for that 100% Ultimate Lowry Form. Not asking much from Lowry as he reaches the tail-end of his career will lend this union to paying even more dividends for his longevity.

Kyle Lowry doesn’t need much more to solidify what was already a wonderful career, but these final few years of competing in the playoffs will go a long way for those who still aren’t sure of his historical status. Not everyone has appreciated him the way Toronto fans or hardcore fans of the NBA have. The man has a Championship run under his belt — he doesn’t need to validate himself to casual fans. But these will more than likely be the last memories he’ll be making for a team that wants to win right now. A Miami team asking him to help lead them to another deep playoff run while guiding their up-and-coming star in Bam Adebayo. He’ll be easing the games of Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro while they ease the burden of him having to do too much.

Both Toronto and Lowry knew that their timelines were diverging and that it was time to go their separate ways. The split won’t take away all those memories he made or the legacy he helped build throughout his tenure. He knew it was time to take on a new challenge in his career. The time was right for him to say goodbye and venture to this new challenge of his career. He’ll take on this challenge the only way Kyle Lowry knows, and that’s to go in 100 miles per hour while in controlled chaos mode. He’ll forever be known as the quintessential Toronto Raptor. The heartbreak and triumph that followed are etched forever on the minds of every Raptors fan. Those films will play in the back of their minds, with Lowry playing the lead in every one of them, holding everything together throughout the years.

Lowry has always been the glue that holds a team together. He’s played the role and perfected it in a way few point guards achieve. The role isn’t anything new for the 6-time All-Star, but now it’s a whole new movie. Lowry isn’t the leading man anymore, but the supporting actor that gets Oscar-buzz after a resounding return to the big screen. Heat fans are lucky to get front-row seats to whatever his final act has in store.

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