The Playbook: Professional basketball returns Oct. 19

Benny Burke, Online Editor

With the preseason already kicking off, the National Basketball Association (NBA) season is set to start on Oct. 19. The preseason has already been in action, starting during the month of September. 

With super teams still popping up all over the league, one team stands out. That team is the Los Angeles Lakers, otherwise known as the NBA’s retirement home. Featuring LeBron James, Russel Westbrook and Dwight Howard (players that are all over 30 years old) it’s clear to see why they got their nickname.

Other super teams include the Brooklyn Nets, San Francisco Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and possibly the Miami Heat. To clarify, a super team is a collection of outstanding players on one team, and are usually the ones that take it to the championship level.

Along with the first full-fledged NBA season since 2018, the league is seeing some serious talent in the drafts. Names like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green faced off in the preseason as the number one and two picks. Cunningham went to the Detroit Pistons (this is the first time they’ve had a first round pick since 1970), and Jalen Green got drafted to the Houston Rockets.

Other big names include the following: Evan Mobely, the first round third pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers; Scottie Barnes,the fourth pick to the Toronto Raptors; and Jalen Suggs, fifth pick to the Orlando Magic. 

At first, Jalen Suggs was supposed to be drafted by the Raptors, but did so badly in training it is speculated that he tanked the workouts on purpose. With the Magic this wasn’t the case. They are just theories, however, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

Many NBA fans around the world are ready to watch a good, uncompromised season of basketball, and see how their favorite teams compete.