NBA’s regular season full of hoopla and intriguing storylines

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Before the Raptors tip off their 32nd season in the NBA, the league itself will begin its 81st Tuesday with a triple-header featuring, among other teams, the debut of LeBron James with the Philadelphia 76ers against the reigning champion New York Knicks, while the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs renew their rivalry with each pegged by many to be the early season favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.

Where the Raptors fit in the big picture only time will tell, which isn’t, granted, saying much, but a lot must happen for the franchise to regain its relevance.

The addition of Kawhi Leonard helps, which goes without saying.

The continued emergence of Scottie Barnes and how his game is able to reach another level playing alongside Leonard might be the biggest factor in determining how Toronto acquits itself in a very deep Eastern Conference.

Opening night is Wednesday against a Chicago Bulls team the Raptors should beat.

Ultimately, the Raptors’ season will be measured in the postseason.

Barnes has yet to experience a series win in the playoffs as he begins his sixth season, fresh off a very solid seven-game opening-round loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs reached last year’s Eastern Conference final for the first time since James led the franchise, but this year’s edition of the club, while talented, is older and not as deep as last year’s iteration.

James joins a Sixer team looking to win its first title since the days of Dr. J and Moses Malone.

He signed in free agency, while Jaylen Brown was traded from Boston to add even more talent and expectations.

The Knicks will continue to be contenders, but their window is closing with their overall salary poised to reach the dreaded second apron.

Pacers poised to excel in Haliburton’s return

Indy will see the return of Tyrese Haliburton, who was last seen in a meaningful game back in Game 7 of the NBA final two years ago when the Pacers had a legitimate shot of upsetting the Thunder on its home floor until the electric point guard tore his Achilles tendon in the opening half with the visitors leading.

The Celtics are expected to compete for a top-four seed in East, a team bolstered by the free-agent addition of former Knicks backup centre Mitchell Robinson, while veteran Paul George might have a renaissance playing with Jayson Tatum.

The NBA seems to be in the news cycle every day, even in the off-season when basketball activity, in theory, goes quiet.

The trade to Toronto of Leonard was one of many the NBA experienced this past off-season, a changing of the guard in some respect, much-needed infusion in other cases, but the anticipation and intrigue heading into a new season haven’t been this extreme in recent memory.

The return to the East by Leonard and LeBron are the headline makers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo landing in Miami will be worth monitoring as will with the addition of LaMelo Ball to Minnesota.

Ja Morant was jettisoned to Portland where former Raptors assistant Micah Nori gets his first crack as head coach, while former Raptors head coach Jay Triano serves as his assistant.

Damian Lillard, the former face of the franchise, is back after sitting out last season following an Achilles injury.

The new year also features the return of former Raptors head honcho Masai Ujiri, who will call the shots in Dallas where the Mavs are hopeful a healthy Kyrie Irving will allow last year’s rookie sensation Cooper Flagg to ascend to an even higher level, even though the team will struggle in a very competitive West with OKC and the Spurs expected to be the teams to be beat.

Is Joker’s title window closing

Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s two-time reigning MVP, can join an exclusive group if a third MVP is attained, while Victor Wembanyama is looking for his first after leading the Spurs to the NBA final last spring when his immaturity and San Antonio’s overall lack of poise and finish couldn’t be overcome.

Add in Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic and the run of non-U.S.-born players earning the league MVP seems like a slam dunk.

Not since the 2017-18 has an American copped the award, a season when James Harden was in Houston.

This year’s Rockets team will once again be good, especially with Fred VanFleet, a former Raptor, back in the fold after he missed last season following a torn knee ligament.

Kevin Durant isn’t getting any younger and neither is Steph Curry, but any game involving the Rockets and Golden State Warriors, respectively, are must-see TV.

Overall, the coming season is dotted with good to elite teams with the list of average to completely inconsequential teams quite thin.

Super teams have become the norm in the NBA since James first left Cleveland for the Heat and he’ll join a super team in Philly.

Despite the departure of some key complementary pieces, OKC appears to be the most complete team, assuming it can mask its apparent rebounding deficiency.

Wemby remains the league’s most intriguing player given his unique size and ability to dominate at both ends, while the Denver Nuggets need to find some way to fully utilize the Joker’s talents.

DeMar DeRozan joins Denver with his mid-range game showing no signs of slowing down.

The West used to be the best, but the pendulum has shifted out East, at least in terms of depth of field.

Keep in mind the Detroit Pistons earned the No. 1 seed in the East.

Pistons will rely on Cunningham

In the wake of the East’s changing landscape, Detroit will be hard-pressed to earn a top-six seed.

If Cade Cunningham is able to maintain his MVP-type trajectory, the Pistons may prove the doubters wrong.

The consequences of Clippers’ cap circumvention were crushing, the likes of Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Sacramento left to pick up the pieces and regroup for better times.

Memphis isn’t going to contend, either, and neither will the Bulls.

Charlotte turned some heads last year, while the dormant Washington Wizards do feature the first overall pick in this year’s draft in AJ Dybantsa, while veterans Anthony Davis, assuming he stays healthy, and Trae Young should make them interesting to follow.

Atlanta will pose problems.

In the West, OKC and San Antonio are the clear favorites with Minnesota and the Ball acquisition looming as the biggest wild card.

In the East, the overall field, while much deeper than the West, features the likes of New York and Philly, depending on chemistry and role acceptance, expected to lead the way with a handful of wild card teams such as Boston and Toronto.

Health has been and will also be the deciding unknown factor when the projection and predicting exercise begins.

For now, all that is known is the NBA’s regular season begins Tuesday, a renewal of hoops and hopes the league has not seen is quite some time.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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