Another NBA season is almost here and while the 55th overall pick from this year’s draft is in the headlines, there are plenty of other intriguing storylines worth following on the court.

From an incredible comeback story to a contender who could be on the verge of making big changes, foxsports.com.au looks at 10 storylines to watch in the 2024-25 season.

HOW DO THE LAKERS DEAL WITH POTENTIAL BRONNY ‘CIRCUS’?

The general consensus coming out of college was that Bronny James wasn’t ready to play in the NBA after his lone year at USC, averaging just 4.8 points per game while shooting 36.6 per cent from the field.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote in his very comprehensive draft guide that James was “nowhere near ready for the NBA”. “Nowhere near ready” was also how one NBA general manager described the USC guard when speaking to The Ringer.

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James’ output during the Las Vegas Summer League wasn’t much better and he struggled early in the pre-season too, scoring two points in an overtime win over the Suns to go with two rebounds and was solid with his on-ball defence.

Otherwise, before that game James had made just one of his 11 field goal attempts.

The 55th overall pick finally came good though in L.A.’s final pre-season game, stuffing the stats sheet against the Warriors as he scored 17 points while recording four rebounds, three steals and an assist.

It capped off what has been a mixed start to the 20-year-old’s NBA career, although perhaps the biggest winner from the Bronny circus is Jalen Hood-Schifino, who is struggling even more and was selected by the Lakers not 55th but 17th overall in the 2023 draft.

The difference in coverage of James and Hood-Schifino is a microcosm of what you can come to expect this season, regardless of whether Bronny plays much in the NBA or not.

He is going to generate headlines regardless, having done so the minute he was drafted when former ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski hit back at all the talk of nepotism.

“The NBA is full of nepotism,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s coverage of the draft.

“The ownership level, front offices, coaching. I don’t want to hear it all of a sudden because Bronny James’ father plays for the Lakers. It is rampant in this league.”

It won’t stop the criticism of the pick though, with former NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins declaring on FanDuel’s ‘Run It Back’ that it was a “sign” the Lakers “aren’t serious”.

“With the way their season ended last year with the high expectations, I expected more from them as far as making moves …they had a lot of concerns last year that I don’t think really were addressed,” he said.

In reality, the 55th overall pick was obviously never going to be the ultimate fix for the Lakers’ problems and there was never going to be this level of attention on him and his play if it wasn’t for the name on the back of his jersey.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Bronny could make his NBA debut “as soon as opening night”, which makes sense given the Lakers would likely rather get it out of the way so as to not have to deal with questions on when the moment could come all season long.

But either way, NBA writer Tom Haberstroh warned on ‘The Kevin O’Connor Show’ that the whole situation still risks becoming a “circus”.

“I just worry that the Bronny James thing sucks the life out of that locker room and becomes a sideshow for the Lakers’ season,” Haberstroh said.

“It becomes this thing that everyone in the locker room is afraid to mention (that this is distracting).

“That’s what scares me about the Lakers… I’m talking myself into 50 wins for this team but then I remember the Bronny James effect and the impact of that and it could be a circus. I’ve been in the LeBron James circus before.

“It’s not fun to have him have to answer questions about all these insane things that have nothing to do with basketball for the whole season, that is very grating for someone like LeBron who just wants to hoop.”

If anything is clear from the pre-season, it is that Bronny is his own player and that as much as his last name will continue to follow him around, LeBron is doing his best to make sure people know it too.

“You got to ask him,” LeBron said when asked by one reporter how Bronny was handling the pressure.

“That’s a grown man. Ask him how he’s handling it. And then we go from there. But he’s a grown man. He’s a professional. He can handle all this pressure himself. But we know why — good or bad why — the attention is here.”

NBA STATE OF PLAY: Burning questions for EVERY team

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM JJ REDICK THE COACH?

Continuing on the Lakers theme, the new coach was always going to find himself in the headlines this season, but that will be particularly true for JJ Redick.

After all, he knows the game having worked as an analyst for ESPN while also hosting his own podcast, including one with James that will no longer run now that he has far more important things to focus on.

But given Redick’s familiarity with how the media works, you can be sure he is prepared for what is coming — and he has already proven it this pre-season.

When asked by one reporter if Rui Hachimura could take “that next step” for the Lakers, Redick turned the spotlight back on that journalist, asking what that would look like.

“You tell me,” Redick said. “You’re creating the narrative. You tell me. What is the next step? I don’t care about what the next step for Rui is. I care about how he impacts winning on our team, and for me, that’s my next step and I think he can do that.”

It was just one glimpse of what you can come to expect from Redick away from the court this season. He has been on both sides of the microphone now and it will make for interesting viewing every time he sits down for a post-game press conference.

As for what to expect on the court, Redick is one of the best minds of the game and already had a plan in mind for rookie Dalton Knecht when he fell to the Lakers in this year’s draft.

In fact, general manager Rob Pelinka said at the time that Redick was drawing up plays for Knecht on the whiteboard in the Lakers’ draft room.

It is just one example of what ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania said on SportsCenter when revealing what he has heard about what to expect from Redick the coach.

“Three words I hear from people around the Lakers are details, accountability and structure,” Charania said.

“That’s something that the Lakers felt like they were missing a season ago under Darvin Ham but when you think about the playcalling, the out of bounds plays and everything JJ Redick has brought as a head coach, when I talk to scouts and people around the Lakers, that is what they praise… at the end of the day he has LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ buy-in and that is the most important thing.”

THE BIG FEAR AFTER NUGGETS EXTENDED JAMAL MURRAY

As much as the concerns about Denver’s depth are legitimate, although Julian Strawther has helped ease those with an impressive pre-season, it all starts and ends obviously with Nikola Jokic but also star guard Jamal Murray.

Because while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s absence and the added pressure on young guard Christian Bruan will be a story worth monitoring this year, the Nuggets will only go as far as Murray can take them.

Murray proved as much both in the bubble and in Denver’s championship-winning run and last season, a lingering calf issue limited his effectiveness in the playoffs.

Murray’s health was always going to be in the spotlight this season but that is especially true now that he has signed a four-year, $208 million max contract extension with the Nuggets.

As concerning as Murray’s stretch in last year’s playoffs was, he is obviously still the perfect complement for Jokic in the pick-and-roll and the hope for Denver is that he will be healthy and explosive enough this season to get that part of their game going again.

But the last thing Nuggets fans wanted to hear was comments from coach Michael Malone after their pre-season game against the Suns that Murray, having played 18 minutes in the first half before sitting out the rest of the game, had a “funny” feeling in his knee.

Murray finished that game with just two points, shooting 1-for-6 from the field and by that point of the pre-season had managed only 5.3 points on 32 per cent from the field and 30 per cent from deep.

Fortunately for the Nuggets, Murray sparked back to life in their final pre-season game against Minnesota, putting up 25 points in 29 minutes.

But ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne warned on ‘The Hoop Collective’ podcast that Murray’s health may be in the headlines all season long.

“It feels like one of those season-long management things,” she said.

“They’re going to have to keep him feeling the right way all the time. I don’t think this is just a working himself back into shape and he felt funny one day (thing). I think this is something they have to manage.”

Brian Windhorst, meanwhile, circled back to Murray’s extension and whether it too could become a talking point in case history repeats itself, having in 2021 extended Michael Porter Jr. on a five-year, $172.5 million contract before he was later forced to undergo back surgery.

“I think if you’re a Denver fan you probably have a little bit of PTSD from Michael Porter when he signed an extension in the pre-season… and then shortly after needed another back surgery,” Windhorst said.

HOW LONG DOES THIS VERSION OF THE BUCKS HAVE LEFT?

Or, perhaps more directly, could another disappointing season lead to significant changes in Milwaukee?

Last year was incredibly underwhelming, even if it some of what didn’t work for the Bucks was out of their control, namely the fact Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton and Lillard were all on the court for only five of the team’s final 39 games.

But the injury concerns are still very much valid, even if unpredictable, when you consider the fact Middleton is 33, Lillard is 34 and Brook Lopez, another key piece of Milwaukee’s roster, is 36.

Sure, the Bucks will always theoretically be a contender when they have Antetokounmpo healthy but like any team with a franchise superstar, they need the right pieces around him.

Free agents Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince and Delon Wright are the new additions with Malik Beasley, Jae Crowder and Patrick Beverley moving on.

They are the kind of moves around the margins that the Bucks needed to make, but ultimately just how far this team can go will depend on how healthy their key guys can be.

Of course, it will also hinge on whether having a full summer to work with helps Lillard get into a rhythm after what could really be described as a transitional year in Milwaukee.

The problem for the Bucks is that with this ageing roster and such high expectations, there isn’t time for another transitional year or for this team to not come out of the gates humming this time around.

The whole league is watching, even if Antetokounmpo agreed to a three-year, $186 million contract extension with the Bucks back in 2023. Things can change fast in the NBA.

In fact, an article by The Athletic’s Sam Amick earlier in the month recounted one interaction between the eight-time All-Star and a Bucks worker.

“If we don’t win this year, would you get fired?” Antetokounmpo said.

“Do you have it in the back of your mind, like, ‘(What) if this year doesn’t go well?’ Yeah, if we don’t win a championship, I might get traded. Yeah, this is the job we live. This is the world we’re living in. It’s everybody.”

Now, Antetokounmpo isn’t getting traded unless he wants to move. Let’s make that clear. But that is the hope for rival NBA teams: that this thing in Milwaukee goes south fast and he reconsiders whether the Bucks will be able to quickly get back into title contention.

While it was a more lighthearted joke from Antetokounmpo to that worker, he still continued in that interview to reflect on just how little is guaranteed in the NBA.

“On a serious note, this is the job,” Antetokounmpo said.

“It’s the profession that we’re in. At any given moment, if you don’t succeed, that might be it for us. It was the same way with the previous coaching staff, and the year before, the players before … if you don’t do a good enough job, you’re out.”

Speaking on NBA Today, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said the Bucks would “never” trade Antetokounmpo unless he asked for it himself but posed a question that he said “a lot of people in the NBA are wondering”.

“What happens if the Bucks, for a third consecutive year, have a disappointing end to the season?” asked Windhorst.

“There is no doubt there are very high stakes on this season for the Bucks.

DOES THE PELICANS’ SMALL-BALL EXPERIMENT WORK?

This is one that could change before the trade deadline but for now it sounds like the Pelicans are going to be rolling with 6-foot-8 Herb Jones as their starting center.

At least, that is what ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania claimed in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this month.

“He’s going to be a hybrid player,” Charania said.

“He’s going to play the four and maybe some five … I’m told Herb Jones is essentially going to serve as the starting center.”

It comes after the Pelicans lost both starting big man Jonas Valanciunas and back-up Larry Nance Jr.

Now, Jones is one of the best on-ball defenders in the league so there is little doubting his talent on that end of the floor, but there are serious questions on how effective New Orleans’ small-ball strategy will be, especially in a Western Conference with superstar big men like Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis.

There is some depth at the position, so the Pelicans will be able to get some production from the likes of veteran Daniel Theis and rookie Yves Missi, with Trey Jemison, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Karlo Matkovic other options.

But there certainly isn’t a long-term option there and given the Pelicans had already been reportedly shopping Brandon Ingram over the summer in a bid to find a solution, you get the sense they don’t quite believe it either.

They are just trying to make the best of a bad situation and with the arrival of Dejounte Murray, Ingram’s future at New Orleans still very much remains a question mark.

LONZO BALL IS BACK

If there is anyone that deserves a little bit of luck it is Lonzo Ball.

This could be the feel-good story of the NBA this season, with Ball making his long-awaited return to the basketball court in a pre-season game on Thursday after nearly three years on the sideline.

Ball, who was making his first appearance in 1,006 days, scored 10 points in 15 minutes to go with an assist, a steal and a block.

The 26-year-old had a cartilage and meniscus transplant in his left knee in March 2023, which was his third knee operation in just over a year.

“I couldn’t even put it into words how it felt being out there … it was definitely a moment I’ll never forget,” Ball said.

“… Getting the first surgery and then coming back, and then having the second and third, and telling me 18 more months recovery. You know that sounds crazy in the moment, but now I’m here, and it’s all behind me now.”

And Ball is right. Even getting back on the court is a win. That was the first step. Now, what comes next? Where does he fit into this Bulls team that is still in the process of finding its identity?

Guard depth is certainly not an issue with Josh Giddey in town alongside Zach LaVine, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu.

It is obviously only early but there were good signs in Ball’s first hit-out. He shot the ball well, defended better than expected and if he continues to improve and get minutes under his belt, maybe his expiring contract could actually make him an intriguing trade piece for a playoff team?

That would be a big win for a Bulls team which is dealing with two contracts (LaVine and Vucevic) it probably wishes it didn’t have.

Ball said on NBA Today he still feels like he can “compete at a high level” and if that turns out to be the case, it will make for one of the best stories of the 2023-24 season, regardless of what his future in Chicago looks like.

HOW DO THE 76ERS KEEP JOEL EMBIID HEALTHY?

He has won MVP and consistently been one of the most dominant players in the NBA during the regular season.

But time and time again, when the Sixers have relied on Joel Embiid to produce when it matters most, he has either been injured or too worn down. That is about to change.

Embiid has made it clear in multiple interviews this pre-season that he is prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure he is healthy for the playoffs.

He said has lost “25 to 30 pounds” and is also going to wear a brace, having undergone a surgical procedure to repair his meniscus in his left knee in February.

Embiid even said he would “probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career”. We’ll have to wait to see if that happens, but 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is prepared to keep both Embiid and Paul George out from playing back-to-backs this season.

“As soon as we lost last year, I just texted Morey and I was like, ‘We got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I’m healthy.’

“So this year is all about (that).”

Given how strong both Boston and New York look this season, the Sixers will need a fit and firing Embiid to be any chance of toppling either of those two teams in the playoffs — although it sounds like guard Tyrese Maxey is ready to take another step, which would only further lift Philadelphia’s ceiling on offence.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE THUNDER AND KNICKS

Two teams that are expected to pose the greatest threat to the Celtics going back-to-back.

For the Knicks, in some ways the pressure is nothing they don’t already know playing in a big market team.

But as much as there is always going to be some level of pressure in the Big Apple, it is different this year with Karl-Anthony Towns the latest addition to a stacked squad that now also includes Mikal Bridges.

Add in OG Anunoby and superstar guard Jalen Brunson and it seems like an Eastern Conference Finals berth is the expectation — at minimum.

Although with Mitchell Robinson sidelined until at least January, it will be interesting to see how Towns fares back at center and while his presence should only open things up even more for the Knicks on offence, he will also need to be reliable defensively.

“Nothing changes. That’s for you guys,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said when asked about the expectations.

And he’s right. Internally, nothing will change, especially for a team that has so long been defined by a defensive-minded identity that transcends talent alone.

The blockbuster moves are great but they won’t mean much if the Knicks lose a sense of who they are as a team in the process and it’s clear Thibodeau won’t let that happen.

The same goes for the Thunder, with general manager Sam Presti also quick to shoot down any suggestions that Oklahoma City, who finished No. 1 seed in the West last year, are now immediately title contenders.

“The difference is that external expectations are things that some people think should happen,” Presti said.

“And possibilities are things that we feel could happen, but we have a lot of respect for how hard it is for those things to take place. We don’t think we’re entitled to start on third base.”

MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a similar reply to reporters, emphasising that this team is more worried about sticking to the “process” than “what we’re supposed to be or not supposed to be”.

But there is little escaping the reality that in a stacked Western Conference the Thunder stand out, not just because of Gilgeous-Alexander and emerging talent like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, but also the ancillary pieces like Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace among others.

Add in off-season additions Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, who fill very real needs on this roster, and the Thunder should absolutely be favourites to come out of the West.

But even in the pre-season, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst said he has noticed the Thunder seem to almost be making a concerted effort to limit the outside noise after playing just four games, including one against the New Zealand Breakers.

“I was there for media day… if you can fly under the radar as a Western Conference favourite, they have tried to,” Windhorst said.

“This is a team that has absolutely everything but they don’t really want to draw too much attention to themselves… but I think once the games start counting and we notice the games start piling up in the wins column they won’t be able to avoid it.”

TANKING FOR COOPER FLAGG

Last season saw the ‘T’ word removed from NBA vocabulary given the fact there wasn’t a clear standout prospect at the top of the draft.

But we all remember the hype there was for prized French phenom Victor Wembanyama and you can expect a similar experience this year with Duke freshman Cooper Flagg.

Whether it is #RaisethewhiteFlagg, #SagforFlagg or #CapturetheFlagg, social media will come up with some kind of tagline for it as some of the league’s worst teams engage in a heated race to the bottom of the standings to try increase their odds of landing the 6-foot-9 forward.

The Washington Wizards are probably the leading candidate to be the worst team in basketball this season, although the Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz also have some valuable trade pieces they could unload before the deadline while the Chicago Bulls may also shake up their roster.

Detroit, Portland and Charlotte may well be in the mix while recent news that Kawhi Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury casts doubt over just how good this Clippers team can be without him, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.

However, the Thunder control the next three Clippers’ first-round picks. Surely the best team in the Western Conference couldn’t be in a position to also win the race for the Duke star?

It is at least a possibility.

As for how good Flagg is, one source told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony that “his brain, processing speed, awareness and basketball instincts are ridiculous”.

WHAT DO WE SEE FROM WEMBY IN YEAR TWO?

Lots of dunks off Chris Paul lobs if the pre-season is anything to go by.

The veteran guard’s first assist in his pre-season debut was an alley-oop lob to his 7-foot-4 teammate and you can expect much more of that as the pair build their chemistry.

That chemistry will be particularly important on pick-and-rolls, which Paul at this point of his career is a master at. But more than anything else, at least the Spurs will have a genuine point guard operating the pick-and-roll having even experimented with Jeremy Sochan at the position last season.

Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today that in talking to people in San Antonio, he has learned Paul is running daily clinics on the pick-and-roll with all of his younger teammates, but Wembanyama has certainly been a focus.

“It’s been a magical pairing so far,” Windhorst said.

“Victor has been very eager to learn. They’ve been very happy with how he’s wanted to work with Chris… I don’t know how you stop that lob.”

Of course, the second year of Wembanyama’s career will be about much more than lobs or his connection with Chris Paul.

It will also be about improving his jump shot to at least a league-average level while also cleaning up his turnovers.

And as much as San Antonio is starting to put together a squad that could give the Western Conference a shake, this is still a team that isn’t under immediate pressure to make the playoffs and so there is room for Wembanyama to grow and make mistakes as he refines his game.