NBA Opening Week 2024-25 – The biggest questions surrounding the Suns, Bucks and more

The NBA season officially began Tuesday night with a doubleheader between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns debuted with the new-look Knicks and Bronny James made history alongside his father, LeBron James. The night was full of 3-point action and rookie debuts, and that was just the beginning. Several other teams begin their seasons tonight, including the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) and the Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Injuries have already taken their toll on several stars this season. The 76ers' new duo, Paul George and Joel Embiid, will have to wait to make their debut as both are out due to injuries. George's former teammate Kawhi Leonard will be out indefinitely as he continues to recover from a lingering knee injury. And the Bucks will open the season without Khris Middleton.

However, the Chicago Bulls will open the season getting a star back from a lengthy injury. How does Lonzo Ball fit into the Bulls' offense after two years?

Can Mike Budenholzer make the Suns contenders? Has Steve Kerr found the Warriors' starting five? Are the Sixers and Clippers in trouble without their stars?

ESPN's NBA insiders break down the key questions heading into Wednesday's games.

How did Giannis and Dame find ways to connect during the offseason?

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have had a season playing side by side, and they're counting on that experience to serve them well in the second year of this partnership. Bucks fans were disappointed to learn that the two didn't spend any time together in the offseason — Antetokounmpo was busy playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, rehabilitating from an injury and then getting married — but The two stars said they were in constant communication about their goals for this season. Combine their increased familiarity with a full season under Doc Rivers, who was brought in because of his years of star coaching experience, and the Bucks believe continuity will lead to a bounce-back season. – Jamal Collier

How will Joel Embiid and Paul George's injuries impact Philadelphia's start to the season?

The story of Philadelphia's season was always going to be about the health of Embiid and George. But the team certainly hoped its stars would be in uniform to start the season, rather than sitting on the bench in street clothes. Both players have said they don't think they're far from playing, and this could just be a small speed boost for the 76ers. At the same time, there is already a lot of skepticism in the league as to whether these two will make it to the playoffs when healthy. Opening the season with both of them on the bench won't help appease the skeptics who believe this will be just another disappointing season for the Sixers. – Tim Bontemps

What plan does Chicago have to keep Lonzo Ball healthy this season and how will he fit into the team?

After more than 1,000 days, Ball is back on an NBA court. The Bulls and Ball have acknowledged that maintaining his health throughout the season will be a tough process, especially considering Ball is the first NBA player to return to action after a cartilage transplant. Ball played in two preseason appearances without any problems and said he didn't have to think about his knee during the game. He will start the season with a strict minutes limit when coming off the bench and is almost certain to avoid two matchups. But if his first two preseason games are any indicator — 21 points, 4 assists and 5 of 11 from 3 — he can be a valuable contributor for the Bulls off the bench. — Collier

Are Ja Morant and the Grizzlies ready for a bounce-back season?

There's little doubt that Memphis will bounce back after bottoming out with 27 wins last season, when the Grizzlies stumbled out of the gates during Morant's 25-game suspension, leaving all hopes of resurgence were doomed to failure by all sorts of medical misery.

Can the Grizzlies return to their 50+ win standard from the last two seasons? That will be difficult in a loaded Western Conference where the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Timberwolves have become contenders since the Grizzlies last made the playoffs (and fell in the first round).

If the Grizzlies are allowed to have at least some luck with injuries – and it's not a good start that a hamstring injury has kept Jaren Jackson Jr. out of the regular season opener – rookie center Zach Edey could be the deciding factor on Memphis' ceiling. If his 23 points and nine rebounds in the preseason against the Pacers are a sign of things to come, the Grizzlies could be as good as ever. – Tim MacMahon

Can Mike Budenholzer make the Suns contenders?

The biggest issue Budenholzer needs to fix is ​​Phoenix's offensive woes in the fourth quarter. Despite all that firepower, the Suns ranked last in offensive efficiency in the fourth quarter last season, scoring just 105.1 points per 100 possessions.

But Budenholzer isn't the only newcomer in Phoenix who should be instrumental in cleaning up this mess. He has a luxury that former Suns coach Frank Vogel — who also brought a championship tradition with him to the desert — didn't enjoy: a legitimate, experienced NBA point guard. Tyus Jones, the league's career leader in assist-to-turnover ratio, should immediately provide calm and structure in games that the Suns lacked last season.

Assuming Jones starts and closes alongside the three stars, the Suns are missing a primary perimeter defender in the lineup. Budenholzer has earned a reputation as a top-notch defensive coach, and he must live up to that reputation for the Suns to emerge as contenders. — MacMahon

What can the Clippers expect from Kawhi Leonard this season?

Due to the inflammation in his right knee, it's difficult to place any expectations on Leonard this season. Entering training camp, Lawrence Frank and Leonard said they felt like they had better control of the inflammation than they did in the postseason, when he was limited to two games in the six-game first-round loss to Dallas. Both said they wanted to take every precaution to completely eliminate the inflammation in the knee before returning to action.

With Leonard out indefinitely to start the season, the two-time Finals MVP won't return until his knee is back to 100%. And once he's back on the field, Leonard will need to be able to prevent the inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee from returning. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Has Steve Kerr found his starting XI?

There's no guarantee that the lineup Kerr uses in the opening game against Portland will be the five players he starts every night. Kerr was transparent about the difficult decisions he faces in naming starters and an 11-man rotation, saying he feels he can use every player on his roster.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are guaranteed starting spots, but the other three spots could be filled by a combination of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, De'Anthony Melton, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney. Kerr has also said that there are some nights where the starting lineup is determined by the opponent, but his goal is to still find a group he can count on on any given night — a luxury the Warriors had last season didn't have. –Kendra Andrews