As the NBA season has recently begun, fans are wondering which players, teams, and storylines will drive the title race over the next six months. Basketballs fans have many pressing questions entering this season.

1.  Are the recent rule changes going to the fix the regular season?

The long, arduous schedule of playing 82 games from October to April is extremely hard, and it takes its toll on the league’s players. During last year’s season, 388 of the 500 NBA players suffered some sort of injury. To deal with this major issue, the NBA decided to add an in-season tournament: in it, if a team makes it to the final, they will be required to play in an additional game to crown the champion of the in-season tournament. The in-season tournament has its benefits, with each player on the winning team winning $500,000, the runners-up winning $200,000, the semi-finalists winning $100,000, and the quarter-finalists winning $50,000. This cash prize will have some motivated to win but is it worth the extra wear and tear on the athlete’s bodies? Only time will tell. 

Another major concern that the NBA administration cracked down on over this off-season was the issue of load management for NBA teams. To counter the emergence of players sitting out less important games, the NBA Board of Governors authorized a new “Player Participation Policy” Sept. 13^th. An obvious team that comes to mind when thinking of the effects of this policy is the LA Clippers with star players like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who spent most of the season resting on the bench, preparing for the playoffs. Superstars like Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Anthony Davis will be critically affected by this new rule which raises the question: is it worth these superstars playing extra games if it will cause them to get injured even more? 

2. Can Ben Simmons return to glory?

With the league becoming more talented each year, those who rose to stardom but fell to the bottom dealing with personal issues, are in desperate need of making a comeback, redeeming their name, and proving they can play in the most competitive basketball league on Earth. The first player that comes to most fans’ minds when thinking of such a scenario is Ben Simmons. After recently experiencing mental health issues and back injuries, is this the year we see Ben Simmons back to all-star form? We know what Simmons is capable of.  Ever since he joined the league as a rookie, Simmons used his large frame to consistently score easy layups. This trend continued in Brooklyn, where opposing teams repeatedly left him unguarded throughout the game. This season is make or break for Simmons if he ever wants to get a big contract or play on an NBA roster again. 

The upcoming NBA season is certainly one to be attentive to, with many recent changes and up and coming superstars.