10 NBA storylines that deserve more love

It feels like we’re already in midseason form. Truth is, we’re barely a month in.

Due to the breaking news battles between Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, off-season intrigue around free agency, summer league, and a daily television show dedicated to discussing the league on ESPN, the NBA has become a 24/7, 365 league. But this season, it feels different. The usual optimism and fun that a new season brings feels like it’s lacking as the drama surrounding Kyrie Irving, Ime Udoka, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Los Angeles Lakers have sucked all the air out of the room.

And because of that, some players and teams are off to hot starts and doing surprisingly better than most assumed they would. Here’s a list of 10 storylines that would be getting more love if Adam Silver’s league wasn’t playing out like an episode of The Young and The Restless.

He’s broken almost every record there was for a teenager to break in NBA history and sits on rookie lists that only feature the likes of Grant Hill and LeBron James. In just a few weeks, the Orlando Magic have shown the basketball world that choosing Paolo Banchero as the No. 1 overall pick instead of Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith was one of the best decisions this franchise has ever made.

The Magic also look like geniuses for re-signing Bol Bol in the offseason. The 23-year-old is starting to consistently show what made him such a highly-rated prospect before he was hit with injuries.

While they’re currently on a cold streak right now, the Cavs came out the gate on fire after going on an eight-game winning streak after losing their season opener against the Raptors. The combination of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell (pictured) has been everything that Cavs fans have hoped for. For once, it looks like Cleveland has a core that can make annual trips to the playoffs without LeBron James or Mark Price on the roster.

When the Spurs and Hawks agreed on a trade that would send Murray to The A, many of us thought that he was the piece that Atlanta was missing. Well, so far, we’ve been right. By adding an All-Star who likes to play defense alongside Trae Young, Murray has been able to fit in perfectly with his new team. The Hawks now have a second star that’s fine with playing off-the-ball who can take the scoring load off Young, as he gives them a high-level perimeter defender to pair with De’Andre Hunter.

Here’s a stat for you: If Larry Nance Jr. averaged 0.1 more points per game, the Pelicans would have seven players averaging double figures this season. That’s how balanced New Orleans’ offensive attack has been to start the season. This team is more than Zion, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum, as guys like Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, and Jose Alvarado play vital roles in what Willie Green’s team is trying to build on after making the Phoenix Suns very uncomfortable in their first-round playoff matchup last season.

These two being the best duo in basketball isn’t all that shocking. These two being the best duo in basketball despite all the distractions around them is stunning. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have figured it out like never before as the duo is averaging over 56 points and 14 rebounds every night even though they lost the coach that led them to the Finals weeks before the season started, and their friend and former teammate — Kyrie Irving — has become a national headline for weeks. But yet, Tatum and Brown are doing all this with a rookie head coach.

Starting the season on a four-game losing streak is par for the course for a franchise like the lowly Sacramento Kings. But then something happened. They knocked off the Cavs, and then the Lakers in L.A., and then the Warriors at home, and followed that up by dropping 153 points on Kevin Durant and the Nets. The Kings deserve our attention, for now. Let’s see how long this thing lasts for a franchise with a 16-year postseason drought.

The Spurs have never been a sexy organization. And when a franchise that was a contender for almost 20 years takes a dip that hasn’t featured a playoff appearance since 2019, and a playoff series win since 2017, it’s kind of easy for casual fans to stop paying attention to what’s going on in a place like San Antonio. Keldon Johnson is trying to change that. While the Spurs’ young star might have been a head-scratching decision when he made Team USA’s most recent Olympic roster, he’s been a shining light for the Spurs as a Top 25 scorer so far this season. If you have NBA League Pass and the Spurs are on, take some time to check out Keldon Johnson.

Is there a hotter/more surprising team in the league than Portland? A season after finishing 27-55 led by a rookie head coach, plus the loss of Damian Lillard, and some front-office drama, the Blazers are at the top of the Western Conference with two wins over the second-place Suns under their belt. But the thing about Portland that may be most impressive is that they have three players in Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, and Lillard that are all putting up over 20 points per game.

It’s been tough to be a Thunder fan the last few years. But the folks in Oklahoma City have had a front-row seat in watching one of the best players that casual fans don’t know exist. SGA has been everything for the Thunder, and as the attention around his game grows on a nightly basis, it’s time everyone starts realizing that he’s a star on the precipice.

Before the season most of us assumed that the Jazz would be taking part in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes after trading away cornerstones Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Welp, Utah ain’t going out like that. Somehow, the Jazz have made themselves one of the best teams in the Western Conference with a balanced scoring attack that features six guys averaging between 10-21 points per game. It also helps that Lauri Markkanen (pictured) is proving that he can finally be the first option on a team with postseason dreams.