NBA Swing: Four Things to be Thankful for this Season

The Warriors are Staying Competitive

The Golden State Warriors have been one of the biggest surprises this NBA season, given the expectations following their near-disastrous offseason. 17 games into the 2024-25 season, the Warriors are 12-5, first in the Western Conference. The success of the Warriors starts with Stephen Curry. At 36 years old, Curry has shown no signs of slowing down while also showing why he is one of the greatest players of all time. In 14 games played so far, Curry has averaged 22.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 6.5 APG, shooting over 42% from the field. The biggest surprise has been the off-season addition of Buddy Hield. Coming off the bench, Hield has averaged 15.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG shooting over 43% from beyond the arc. 

Andrew Wiggins has had a bounce-back year after struggling last season. Jonathan Kuminga had a slow start to the season but has thrived coming off the bench. The Warriors have been helped by their depth, with head coach Steve Kerr going over 10 players deep in the regular season. The Warriors have proven to be one of the best teams in the league on both ends of the court, top 10 on both the offensive and defensive end. Over the last decade, the Warriors have been competitive, whether they won a championship or not. In the few seasons they were not able to be competitive, the league has felt off. With the era of all-time players like Stephen Curry LeBron James, and Kevin Durant in its final years, seeing Curry and the Warriors still being competitive is great for the league. 

LeBron’s Longevity 

Another legend of the game nearing the end of their career, LeBron James has looked better in year 22 than he did in his rookie season. For over 20 seasons, LeBron has been one of the best players in the league, if he was not the best. In year 22, LeBron is averaging 23.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 9.1 APG. While he is shooting over 51% from the field, what’s more impressive is a career-high 42.2% from the three. In year 22, LeBron is playing alongside his son, making him and Bronny James the first father-son duo to play an NBA game together. 

In what may be the last few years of his career, LeBron has solidified himself as one of the greatest players to ever step on an NBA court. Looking at the stats sheet, it can be argued LeBron is the greatest player of all time. Despite being 26th all-time in rebounds with just over 11,300 and regular season rebounds and counting, he is fourth all-time in assists with 11,130 and counting, eighth all-time in steals with 2,284 and counting, and most important of all, he is the all-time regular season scoring leader with 40,803 points and counting. LeBron is the only player to score 40,000 regular season points in his career. His impact on the game cannot be understated and when he retires, he will likely continue to impact the game as a future owner. For now, LeBron continues to dominate over 20 years into his career.

A Truly Open Western Conference

Between 17 and 19 games into the 2024-24 NBA season, the two conferences are much different from one another. In the East, the 17-1 Cavaliers are far ahead of the rest of the pack. The second-place Boston Celtics are two games behind Cleveland with a 15-3 record. In a big dropoff, the third seed Orlando Magic are 5.5 games behind Cleveland with a 12-7 record. In the West, there is a four-game difference between the first-seed Oklahoma City Thunder at 13-4 and the 10th-seed San Antonio Spurs at 9-8. While some of the top 10 teams in the West are expected to drop off, cases can be made half of the conference to win the championship this year. 

The Golden State Warriors have shown that Stephen Curry still has plenty in the tank while the OKC Thunder are the team many expect to come out of the West, even with the current injuries they’re dealing with. The Lakers cannot be doubted with LeBron and AD, as well as new head coach JJ Redick shaking things up for the team. The Denver Nuggets still have one of the best players in the World in Nikola Jokic while the Phoenix Suns were looking unstoppable with the Trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. Just over .500 the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks both have what it takes to make another deep playoff run. While the Eastern Conference may have only a couple of legitimate championship contenders, there is no telling who will come out of the Western Conference at the end of the season. 

Surprising Rookies

The 2024 NBA Draft class did not receive much love prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Many believed most of the players in the draft class would not do much upon entering the league, but just under a fifth of the way through the season, there have been several rookies who have made a splash early on. The biggest surprise and potential steal of the draft is Philadelphia 76ers guard and 16th overall pick Jared McCain. In his first 16 games, McCain has averaged 16.6 PPG (leading all rookies), 2.2 RPG, and 2.8 APG. With the Sixers dealing with significant injuries, McCain has been able to thrive in Philadelphia. While many did not consider him for Rookie of the Year, his performance so far this season has moved him to the top of many ROY ladders. 

Another rookie that has been a surprise is Lakers forward Dalton Knecht. Expected to be drafted early in the first round of the 2024 draft, Knecht would fall out of the lottery, landing with the Lakers. Despite a slow start, Knecht has quickly become an important piece for the Lakers. In 14 games, Knecht has averaged 11.5 APG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.1 APG, shooting 45% from three. In an early season game against the Utah Jazz, Knecht would finish with a career-high 37 points. 

A surprise from the second round of the NBA draft, Memphis guard/forward Jaylen Wells has become a key for the Grizzlies’ rotation. In 18 games, Wells has averaged 12.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG. Wells currently averages the second most points per game amongst rookies behind Jared McCain. While many have doubted the 2024 draft class, several rookies have proven the draft class should not be overlooked and that there could be a few surprise stars to come out of the class.