The new NBA season presents an interesting list of players, among which are established stars who will lead their teams to fight for everything and others who are going strong and aim to dominate the league in the near future.
Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum is the current NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the Eastern Conference franchise is a candidate to retain the title. The forward has been chosen as a member of the NBA All-Star 5 times and won Olympic gold in Paris 2024 with the United States. Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last season.
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic played with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2023-24 NBA Finals, and in this new season he wants to continue with his team in the same vein. The Slovenian averaged 33.9 points per game last season, in which he broke his personal scoring record in a game, with his 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks, a record only surpassed in history by Wilt Chamberlain (100 points against the New York Knicks in 1962), Kobe Bryant (81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006), and Chamberlain himself again (78 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1961).
Atlanta Hawks
Zaccharie Risacher
The 19-year-old forward (2.06 meters) of the Atlanta Hawks is number 1 in the 2024 Draft. The son of former player Stephane Risacher (league and cup champion with Unicaja and silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games) burst into the French JL Bourg, where the Frenchman averaged 10.1 points last year, with a 43.9% success rate on field goals and 35.2% on three-pointers in domestic competition. Risacher has great versatility in offensive tasks and is also very effective in defensive tasks.
Zaccharie Risacher in a game against Philadelphia 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James
LeBron James faces a new campaign in an uncertain way with a squad that a priori should aspire to everything, but that has been little reinforced. The Lakers will need the best version of the forward, who in the previous year achieved his best percentage of three-pointers scored, with 41%. On the other hand, there is the possibility that the top scorer in NBA history will coincide in an official game with his son Bronny James.
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Washington Wizards
Alex Sarr
The Washington Wizards’ draft choice was none other than 19-year-old center Alex Sarr, who currently ranks second among best rookies. The French talent (2.13 meters) is a magnificent defender and has a remarkable outside shot.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was second on the MVP list last year with the Oklahoma Thunder, the team that finished first in the Western Conference. The Canadian averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. The fans’ expectations are that he continue with the defensive level shown so far and continue leading his team, with his sights set on being one of the great dominators of the league.
Houston Rockets
Reed Sheppard
Another player who enters the pools to be the Rookie of the year is the American Reed Sheppard (1.88 meters). The 20-year-old player plays for the Houston Rockets, the team that chose him for the Draft, and can play as a point guard or shooting guard. Sheppard stands out in his ability to direct plays and his success in three-pointers, especially from the corner.
Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic won the NBA MVP last year, an award he has won in three of the last 4 seasons (20/21, 21/22 and 23/24). After the ring in 2022-23, the center will once again be a candidate with the Denver Nuggets to be crowned champion. If he wins a fourth most valuable player award, he would become the sixth player in history in this category, equaling LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain.
San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama
There is no doubt that an interesting generation of French talents is being forged in the NBA, with names like Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks), Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards), Tidjane Salaun (Charlotte Hornets) or Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) . The latter won the 2023 NBA rookie of the year trophy, a place on the All-Rookie team and an Olympic silver medal last year. The power forward shone last season, with 21.4 points;; 10.6 rebounds; 3.9 assists; 3.6 blocks, the best in the league, and 1.2 steals per game.
Victor Wembanyama in a game against the Miami Heat
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry begins a new season with the Golden State Warriors as the great figure. The point guard has lost his great partner with the departure of Klay Thompson. The San Francisco team has the least complete squad of Steve Kerr’s era and they will need their big star more than ever to set big goals.
Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo begins the new campaign with the pressure of winning the ring. The Greek acknowledged a few days ago that if he does not win the ring with the Milwaukee Bucks, a feat that happened in 2021, he could be traded. The power forward averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 per game last season.
Charlotte Hornets
Brandon Miller
The Charlotte Hornets chose Brandon Miller for the 2023 Draft and the forward reciprocated, with records in his first season in the NBA of 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Portland Trail Blazers
Scott Henderson
Scoot Henderson, a player for the Portland Trail Blazers, was selected third on the list of best rookies in the 2023 NBA Draft. The American point guard (1.91 meters) averaged 14 points, 3 .1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
Spanish presence
Santi Aldama, the only Spaniard in the NBA, has not been renewed by the Memphis Grizzlies and the deadline has expired. The Canary Islander had the possibility of extending his contract from June of this year, but the negotiations did not bear fruit and his contract expires in June 2025. The 23-year-old power forward will have to wait until then to sign again, in case he the entire Western Conference makes him an offer. If this does not happen, Aldama will be a restricted free agent in the summer, so the Grizzlies will be able to match any proposal from another franchise to avoid his departure.
Jordi Fernández has made history by achieving something never seen before. The Catalan is the first Spanish coach to join the NBA, in his case on the Brooklyn Nets bench. Likewise, he is the third European coach to lead a team in the top American competition, after the cases of Serbians Igor Kokoskov (Phoenix Suns in the 2018-19 season) and Darko Rajakovic, since last season at Toronto Raptors.
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