The African Blogtable brings together some of the top basketball minds from across the continent to answer some of the most pressing questions ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season opening night.
The 2023-24 NBA regular season will tip off in the early hours of Wednesday, 25 October (Tuesday night) with a doubleheader on NBA League Pass when the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals (1:30 a.m. CAT), followed by the Phoenix Suns visiting the Golden State Warriors (4 a.m. CAT). All the NBA games of the 2023-24 NBA season, live and on demand, and more, are available on NBA League Pass.
What are you looking forward to the most this season and what are your opening-night predictions for the two matchups featuring the defending champions Denver Nuggets at home against the L.A. Lakers and the Phoenix Suns going up against the Golden State Warriors?
Will we see yet another international league MVP this season or will the MVP be from the U.S.?
Damas Sikubwabo, The New Times (Rwanda)
It’s going to be quite a competitive season. I am looking forward to key players showing up for the games and cutting down on their load management in order to make the season more interesting.
The opening day will be action-packed. I think Denver and GSW will win their games.
Denver went 3-2 in the pre-season against the Bulls, Clippers and Suns. In addition to this, they are the defending champions and therefore come into this season with a lot of confidence. I think they will beat the Lakers, who have to fix some defensive issues and the rotation, besides struggling with chemistry.
After acquiring CP3 who will be playing alongside Steph and Klay, they have such a great combination of guards. In addition to this, Kuminga who was in top form during the preseason may be very important for them not only in their opening game but also the entire season with that I see GSW taking the W.
We can see another international MVP. We have lots of great international players who can pull off a great season. Giannis, Dončić and Jokić are in their prime and it won’t be a surprise to see an international MVP. Furthermore, if the preseason is anything to go by, we are seeing more of the international players come into the picture. Such players are in teams with better rosters, and this gives them equal chances with their American counterparts.
Alex Isaboke, Capital FM (Kenya)
The Lakers are losing. Jokić has had his time but the Nuggets, through Jamal Murray, they are just looking too good... I will go with Kevin Durant winning against his former employer, the Warriors.
I am looking forward to two things this season: how the Bucks will look with Damian and the return of Zion Williamson.
I think we just might see an international MVP once again. I know Jokić will always be in the running, because he is just something else. I would not be surprised if it’s him again, but if not him, it might be Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Amin El Amiri, Le Matin (Morocco)
There are many things to look forward to this upcoming season, like the capacity of the Nuggets to win yet another title, especially how strong they looked in the regular and postseason last year, and the arrangements made by the big teams in the East, with the Bucks looking like the favorites after bringing Damian Lillard to the Deer Herd.
Oddly enough though, my expectations are centered around a rookie and a veteran, with Wembanyama’s first season in the league and LeBron's 21st campaign. Regarding the opening games, I think the Nuggets and the Warriors can overcome the opposition and start the season with the right mindset.
I think the consistency in the MVP title won by international players will prevail, with all last three champions staying in form. If you add Luka Dončić and a record 25 international players participating in this year’s All-Star Weekend, the race to the MVP will be very tough for American players. Yet again, basketball is about challenges and the pride of local stars is still hurting with what happened in the FIBA World Cup.
Tosin Abayomi, Pulse (Nigeria)
Looking forward to the Bucks vs. Celtics Eastern Conference matchup. Excited about the return of the NBA and the several storylines for players and their respective franchises.
For me, it is the battle in the Eastern Conference between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams made blockbuster trades this season, but only one will represent the East in the NBA Finals. The Bucks have gone all in with Damian Lillard, but also strengthened their rivals as Jrue Holiday ended up with the Celtics piling on the pressure to deliver a championship.
My opening-night predictions? The Lakers have expressed disappointment with how the Denver Nuggets celebrated their sweep in the Western Conference semifinals en route to their first NBA Championship. When they match up on the opening night, it won't matter. The Nuggets are the better side and should comfortably take care of the Lakers after receiving their championship rings.
The other opening game between the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors should be a masterclass on the offensive end of the court. Kevin Durant returning to face the Warriors for the first time since he left should be a treat. The Suns will also be too strong for the Warriors missing their best defender in Draymond Green and trying to integrate Chris Paul into their system.
Considering Joel Embiid switched his allegiance to represent the U.S., he already broke the streak of international players (Jokić and Antetokounmpo) winning the MVP award. Luka Dončić with the Dallas Mavericks as well as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with the Oklahoma City Thunder will put up big numbers, but their teams stand no chance to top the Western Conference. That means Jokić should be the favorite for the MVP, but the sleeper pick will be an American in Jayson Tatum. Tatum is surrounded by elite talent at Boston featuring Kristaps Porzingis, Jaylen Brown, Holiday, and Derrick White. If the Celtics take the number one seed in a weaker Eastern Conference, Tatum could win his first MVP trophy.
Mor Bassine Niang, Sports News Africa (Senegal)
I think we are going to see a crazy 2023-2024 season. All the franchises have prepared well and made clever trades. Milwaukee will be a tough competitor with Antetokounmpo and Lillard.
The season opener featuring the Lakers and the Nuggets is a rematch of the Western Conference Finals when Denver swept the Lakers 4-0 last season. I think the LeBron James gang will want to take their revenge and get a W this time around. The Suns-Warriors game will be a well contested matchup where both franchises will want to mark their territory after their disappointing 2022-2023 season exits.
The NBA always has surprises in store for us. But I think an international player will take the league MVP, perhaps Jokić or Dončić? They are complete players and they’ve proved it over the past few seasons.
Manyehlisa Lehohla & Sindiswa Mabunda (South Africa)
I look forward to seeing how all the different trades have breathed new life into the different teams, such as the new look Phoenix Suns who added Bradley Beal to their roster. Injury plagued a large part of last season, so I am excited to see the likes of Khris Middelton back in action, exciting rookies like Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. I believe that I echo the sentiments of many when I express my enthusiasm about the likes of Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant persistently carving their legacies, defying time and age and still giving us the best of basketball.
I think the Lakers-Denver game will be an intense matchup. My prediction is that the L.A. Lakers will beat the Denver Nuggets on the opening night. With healthy Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, coupled with the addition of Bradley Beal, the newly formed Big 3 now ranks among the league's best offensive trios, the Suns will beat the Warriors.
My MVP candidate for this season is Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics. Why? I love a good underdog story. In every NBA season, Brown has exceeded expectations and played consistently at a high level, and I believe this is his MVP year.