The calendar has flipped to 2024 and a new year is upon us, though we are almost halfway through the current NBA season. With a new year comes hope and excitement for new possibilities. What are some things NBA fans would like to see this calendar year?
5. No Catastrophic Injuries
This is a pipe dream and a real wish. In a contact sport injuries are inherent. They’re unavoidable. But a reduction in catastrophic injuries would be nice.
No Achilles tendon tears and injuries that keep players out for the season. Mitchell Robinson, Steven Adams, Lonzo Ball to name a few, are all players that will miss most if not all of the current season.
It happens every year but let’s hope this year is an exception.
4. An American-Born Player In The MVP Discussion
This is for those of you that subscribe to American exceptionalism either consciously or subconsciously.
Right now the MVP front runners are Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. All non-American. I love it and love that the game is so global.
But an American born player hasn’t been MVP since James Harden in 2018. It is no longer a given that America will have the best basketball player in the world, can someone from the U.S. (Anthony Edwards maybe) break into this discussion in 2024?
3. Another Nuggets Championship
Most fans don’t know they need this. But they do. This league has thrived on dynasties. Whether it was the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons or Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s. The Chicago Bulls of the 1990s. The Lakers in the early 2000s or the San Antonio Spurs of the mid 2000s and early 2010s or the Golden State Warriors of the last decade, this has been the way of the NBA.
Historically and by the numbers, dynasties drive interest both positive and negative. Wanting to see a team win as many as possible or rooting for it to end. There are compelling storylines with dynasties.
Plus if Nikola Jokic wins another title and Finals MVP we will need to have a serious discussion of where he ranks historically. That will generate a lot of interest.
2. Tweaks To The In-Season Tournament
The NBA had a successful IST in 2023. But there is room for improvement. Whether it be the court design, messaging around the importance of point differential, adding other leagues to differentiate IST more, fans want to see tweaks.
Entertainment and the way it is consumed is changing rapidly. The NBA needs to be bolder and more innovative and the IST is the perfect vehicle to do it.
1. Zion Williamson Realizing His Promise
The 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick is having a fine year looking at counting stats. Twenty-six points, seven rebounds and five assists per game. He’s not as impactful as he’s been in the past but still a net positive player.
But let’s be honest, this is far from what was promised when he burst onto the scene. No doubt he is dealing with a lot of things in his personal life. Some by his own doing and other stuff seemingly out of his control.
This was a player that was set to be the face of the league, and so far he’s looking like a cautionary tale.
He’s only 23 years old, so he has time to turn this all around and trend in a better direction. 2024 is as good a time as any to start.
