7 NBA storylines to watch this season

Multiple intriguing plot points ordinarily accompany the NBA season, and 2022-23 is no exception. With the start of a new campaign just days away, here are seven storylines to follow throughout the basketball calendar.

Celtics without Udoka

Coming off a Finals appearance last season, the Boston Celtics will have to attempt to win without head coach Ime Udoka. The franchise suspended him for "violations of team policies" and removed him from an active role this campaign. Boston named longtime assistant Joe Mazzulla the interim head coach. Mazzulla's only head coaching experience took place during two seasons at Division II Fairmont State in West Virginia directly before joining the Celtics.

Injury concerns are mounting before the campaign has even started. Free-agent acquisition Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL playing for Italy in the offseason, and starting center Robert Williams will miss the season's opening months following knee surgery. While both injuries hurt, Gallinari's perimeter shooting off the bench would have added a new dimension to the Celtics. For front-court depth, Boston added Blake Griffin during training camp.

Despite trading for former ROY Malcolm Brogdon by only giving up depth pieces at the beginning of the offseason, the Celtics face an uphill climb to return to the Finals.

Warriors preparing for post-Big 3 future?

The Golden State Warriors are suggesting differently, but Draymond Green's punch to Jordan Poole during practice might have expedited the end of the franchise's Big Three.

Green will almost certainly decline his $27.6-million option next year to seek a better long-term contract. However, it's now difficult to imagine the Warriors making that significant financial commitment. His strike on Poole - in line for his own sizable raise in 2023 - could be what convinces Golden State to instead consider internal options to replace Green long term.

Creative forwards like Green are rarities, but Jonathan Kuminga is potentially the Warriors' best succession option. Defensively, he has the frame and athleticism to disrupt opponents at multiple positions. Even if his passing never reaches Green's level, Kuminga should be a better finisher, if he isn't already. The 7-foot James Wiseman is another intriguing possibility. Wiseman is arguably more polished offensively but may not be as versatile on the other end as Green or Kuminga.

Whatever's decided with Green could also influence Klay Thompson's fate. Thompson's owed $83 million over the next two seasons but understandably looked to have lost a step after returning from nearly three years out with injury. While once unthinkable, the Warriors could now contemplate trading Thompson within the next year if that contract (or the thought of his next one) proves too big a burden.

Can Ham solve Russ puzzle?

The Russell Westbrook experiment hasn't gone swimmingly for the Los Angeles Lakers. After swapping out important role players for the one-time MVP, team management banked on star power to lead L.A. to its next championship. Regardless of injury concerns plaguing LeBron James and Anthony Davis for stretches of last season, Westbrook's play on the court didn't lead to wins and drove Frank Vogel to occasionally bench him before the end of games.

But Vogel is gone now for first-time head coach Darvin Ham, and the new partnership has to find a way for Westbrook to buy into a team-orientated role. The 33-year-old needs to focus on becoming an active defender and screening for other players while mixing in some of the same transition looks that have made him effective throughout his career.

However, what if this is an exercise in futility? The Lakers were linked to the Indiana Pacers in the offseason over a potential move sending Westbrook's expiring contract for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. L.A. reportedly balked at adding draft capital.

The race for Wembanyama

Two things are certain after watching the G League Ignite host France's Metropolitans 92 for a two-game showcase:

1. Victor Wembanyama is a bona fide star in the making like no one the NBA has ever seen before.
2. We are going to witness some awful basketball this season.

Wembanyama looked far more graceful on the court than any 7-foot-4 18-year-old mega-phenom had any right to be. He totaled a combined 73 points on 22-of-44 shooting, which feels secondary to just how much poise he played with. Step-backs, fadeaways, and vicious swats were a breeze as he only strengthened all the uproar over him.

Franchises like the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz, beacons of consistency in recent memory, unsurprisingly decided this summer that it's time for a full-on tank job. It also helps that missing out on the lanky French prodigy could still land you another generational talent in Scoot Henderson as a consolation prize.

With eyes on those two for next June, we'll likely witness some dire losing streaks, possibly coupled with baffling player absences. It's almost too bad that the NBA is meticulously strict regarding injury reports because it'll undoubtedly rob us of what could be some of the best DNP excuses since the age of Tim Duncan.

LeBron chases Kareem

Despite the constant accolades that James has racked up throughout his 19 campaigns, he's just 1,326 points away from setting what could be his most insurmountable mark.

For the better part of the last 40 years, Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has stood alone atop the NBA's all-time scoring leaderboard with 38,387 points. He surpassed the 31,419 scored by Wilt Chamberlain on April 5, 1984. Save for Karl Malone's valiant 19-year effort, nobody else has ever come within a couple thousand of Abdul-Jabbar's ridiculous sum - until James.

Passing Abdul-Jabbar isn't a sure bet, but James will likely do it this season. James will need to sustain a 16.2-point pace if he plays a full 82-game campaign. However, the soon-to-be 38-year-old has only played all 82 regular-season games once in his career, so it'll likely take a higher average. Here's how the math shakes down:

In short, if James stays healthy, he should pull it off in Year 20. But the connection between the two greats might be another element worth watching as the Lakers forward gets closer to the record. James and Abdul-Jabbar's relationship seems to have grown somewhat tense over the last year.

Old stars, new digs

Three players with All-Star appearances were moved to different teams in the offseason as their old franchises pivoted toward competing in the future.

The Atlanta Hawks acquired Dejounte Murray from the Spurs, parting with Gallinari and multiple first-round picks. Murray adds a defensive edge and an extra ball-handler to a Hawks team trying to make it further than the Eastern Conference finals.

The Jazz parted with their All-Star pair after another disappointing playoff finish. The Minnesota Timberwolves traded for three-time DPOY Rudy Gobert, hoping his rim protection will bring more fruitful regular-season campaigns and playoff appearances. The T-Wolves have made the postseason only 10 times in 33 years.

Utah sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers despite trade discussions with the New York Knicks. Mitchell brings more individual shot creation to a team that only had Darius Garland to score one-on-one. The 26-year-old's defensive limitations are aided by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, two premium backline defenders who can clean up perimeter mistakes.

Can Nets subdue drama?

Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant should complement each other like few superstar trios ever have before: two near 7-footers who create mismatch migraines; two of the game's best facilitators with wildly different styles; and two generational offensive threats who are essentially impossible to dispossess on their best days.

If only the Brooklyn Nets were that simple.

The otherworldly talent flaunted by the three seems to come bundled with never-ending drama, like a cable network forcing you to add three channels to your package that are just random people yelling on a loop.

Irving made more headlines last season for not playing than anything he did after finally taking the court. Durant, meanwhile, is coming off an embarrassing offseason in which he requested a trade, called for his coach and general manager to be fired, and then walked everything back. Simmons, who demanded Philadelphia trade him after 2020-21, was earnest with the 76ers and told them he wasn't mentally ready to play at the onset of last season. However, he ended up sitting out the entire campaign after a lingering back issue derailed his half-season in Brooklyn.

So many off-court questions surround the three that it makes it exceedingly difficult to believe they'll meet expectations. If they're unified on a championship goal, they should quickly emerge as the team to beat this season.