With the NBA having one of the most interesting seasons of all sports in history, the league is now preparing to start another season on Dec. 22. Free agency, big offseason moves, and the draft are all going to have big impacts. The association has made many different changes due to COVID-19 and it will be very interesting to see how it all plays out. 

Alex Mart, sophomore, is a big NBA fan and has a lot of opinions on the upcoming season. The NBA made this season shorter. Instead of it being 82 games, it is now 72 games. The commissioner did this because of the delayed start. They wanted the league to get back on the schedule they have been using in the previous years. 

“I think the shortened season will more than likely turn out to be more challenging due to COVID but I think it will be smooth and players will play just the same before COVID-19 came around and there will be more caution because of the pandemic,” Mart said. 

In every season, the off-season is usually a big part to see how the play of the next season will turn out. Free agency releases many players from their current team and gives them an option to sign with any other team that may be interested in them. This season was extremely important due to what players were actually free agents. 

“The most interesting trade would have to be Enes Kanter because he’s such a valuable player and he is lethal for a big man and he’s been passed around quite a lot, which is surprising because he was very good for the thunder and Celtics and was a key big man that got the job for the team,” Mart said.

Some of the main players were Brandon Ingram, Anothony Davis, Montrezl Harrell, and Gordan Hayward. Any team these players were to sign to could instantly become a contender. Not only do a lot of teams sign players but they also make trades with other teams to get themselves some more valuable players to their organization. 

When the NBA draft comes around, for some teams, it can be the light at the end of the tunnel. Most of the teams with top picks had a troubling previous season and now have a lottery pick to select a young star to hopefully lead their team in the upcoming years. This year had many promising prospects such as Lamelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and James Wiseman. 

“My opinion on the draft is that it was a very good one. There are lots of threats and key pickups for those teams who need those players to boost their chances of making the teams. With Lamelo Ball, we saw him grow up before our eyes. One thing that upsets me is the Chicago Bulls drafting Patrick Williams, a player who came off the bench for FSU when we could have drafted a way better player,” Mart said. 

With all the promising prospects, one thing to look at would be who the best really is. Like Mart said above, the fourth pick was a player that was on the bench. They had many different options and the Bulls selected the sixth man of the year. The first player drafted should be the best player on the board but that is not always the case. Going into detail there are many draft picks to look at not only, in the first round, but also, the second round as well with players like Nico Manion. 

“The best prospect in this draft would have to be Lamelo Ball or Anthony Edwards because Lamelo is such a threat. He can handle the ball very well, shoot well, and drive very well. The main thing he lacks is defense but Anthony Edwards is such a great all-around player and can get the job done for the Timberwolves and the sky’s the limit for these players,” Mart said. 

With all of the things that happen during the off-season, many people around the world try to predict the champions for the upcoming year. The Los Angeles Lakers won it in the 2020 season and during the off-season, they made a lot of big moves to already be a contender before the season has even started. There are many different teams to look at and trying to guess the next winner is always something to look forward to. 

 “I believe the team that has the best chance at the finals is obviously the Lakers. I’m not a Lakers fan but what can you do with a Lebron, Dwight Howard, and Anthony Davis trio, they have an amazing all-around team and can put in literally anyone to get the job and can get their superstars to rest and put in their great bench for the starters and what more can you do against that team they won it last year and are hungry for more,” Mart said. 

 The game of basketball is very interesting and has many different parts to it. The season can have so many different outcomes. One of the times that is a fan favorite is the off-season. That may not make any sense due to the lack of basketball actually being played but there are so many different events that take place that make the next season so interesting.