Hard as it is to believe, the 2022-23 NBA season is upon us. Didn’t the Warriors just win the title a few weeks ago? Anyway, here we go again. Below are 50 Western Conference storylines to track as this season. Don’t worry we didn’t forget about the Eastern Conference storylines, but for now let’s get into what’s best in the West.
1. Steph seeks one for the thumb
Over an eight-year span, Stephen Curry has matched LeBron James‘ four championships, and Curry, as the respective rosters currently stand, clearly has a better shot at tallying No. 5. If Curry does eventually top LeBron’s ring count, it will become a very interesting conversation as far as who’s had the better career. Curry, who’s far from done, will never match LeBron’s total numbers, but in terms of peak powers, it’ll at least be an honest debate.
2. LeBron set to pass Kareem
That’s for the NBA‘s all-time scoring record, to be clear. LeBron needs just 1,326 points to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career mark of 38,387. For context, LeBron has eclipsed — usually by an appreciable margin — 1,326 points every season of his career except for 2020-21 when he played just 45 games. For some simple math, if LeBron averages, for him, a relatively modest 25 points per game, he’ll need just 53 games to break the record.
3. Point guard Zion
In 2020-21, his only season of record to speak of, Williamson became the only player in history to average better than 25 points per game on at least 61-percent shooting. At times, Stan Van Gundy was utilizing Zion as New Orleans’ point guard, bringing the ball up the floor and running pick-and-roll, where he was good for nearly one point per possession including passes, per Synergy. Expect to see plenty of this under Willie Green as well. Zion has playmaking instincts and a relatively tight handle. His spin move is filthy. He’s crafty in gaps and almost a sure bet to get into the paint as a downhill attacker, which forces the help and subsequent rotations that every NBA offense is looking to create.
4. The Kawhi and PG show
The last time we saw Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the court together during the regular season, the Clippers were blistering opponents by just under 18 points per 100 possessions, per CTG. George is happy to be back as the No. 2 scoring option, and if you’ve forgotten how dominant Leonard was the last time we saw him play, check his 2021…
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