At long last, the 2024-25 NBA regular season is here. As has been the tradition in recent seasons, Week 1 begins with a two-game slate, including the reigning champion Celtics and projected contenders New York and Minnesota. The fourth team on the schedule is the Lakers, who have two superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but will have to navigate a loaded Western Conference. Unfortunately, some teams are already battling the injury bug, and some absences will significantly impact fantasy basketball. Let’s look at the Week 1 schedule breakdown and some critical storylines for fantasy managers to remember.
Week 1 Games Played
3 Games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIL, MIN, NOR, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, POR, TOR
2 Games: DAL, DEN, MIA, NYK, SAC, SAS, UTA, WAS
Week 1 Storylines
– How much will 76ers stars Embiid, George, and Maxey play?
Philadelphia is one of many teams that will play three games in Week 1, but the availability of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey is up in the air. Embiid and George are dealing with knee issues. While the former did not play during the preseason, the latter was injured during a game against the Hawks last week and will be re-evaluated early next week. As for Maxey, he injured his thumb during Philadelphia’s preseason finale in Orlando. The good news for fantasy managers who have Embiid or George rostered is that Philadelphia’s Week 1 schedule does not include a back-to-back. With the availabilities of these three stars yet to be determined, players like Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. will be incredibly valuable.
– Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard indefinitely
Unfortunately, Leonard’s knee remains an issue; it is unknown when he’ll return to action. After leaving USA Basketball before the Paris Olympics, he underwent a procedure on his knee, the specifics of which have not been revealed by Leonard or the Clippers. What is known is that the Clippers will begin the season with a starting lineup of James Harden, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac.
While Harden is an early-round pick in fantasy drafts and Zubac can have top-100 value, can value be derived from the other three? Powell may have the best chance due to his scoring ability, but his defensive production has been limited in previous seasons. Also, while reserve guard Kevin Porter Jr. could have value under normal circumstances, the league may suspend him due to the off-court legal issues that factored into his not playing last season.
– Cavaliers lose Max Strus for at least six weeks
Saturday afternoon, the Cavaliers announced that Strus will be re-evaluated in six weeks after he suffered a sprained ankle in an individual workout on Thursday. Given the timeline, this isn’t your standard rolled ankle. Fantasy-wise, Strus was a late-round option at best, entering the weekend with a Yahoo ADP of 144.8 per Hashtag Basketball. With that being the case, managers holding their drafts this weekend cannot draft Strus.
So, who should they consider ahead of Cleveland’s three-game week? Caris LeVert is the most obvious answer and likely the only one regarding potential long-term streaming value. Something else to watch with the Cavaliers is Evan Mobley’s involvement in the offense and whether more opportunities for him negatively impact Jarrett Allen. That wasn’t an issue during the preseason, but the regular season could be different.
– Will Oklahoma City have Jalen Williams?
Williams sprained his right ankle during Oklahoma City’s exhibition against the Hawks on October 17. He did not participate in Saturday’s practice, but the good news is that the Thunder don’t open their season until Thursday night in Denver. The bad? That’s the first of three games Oklahoma City will play in four days, finishing Week 1 with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back against the Bulls (road) and Hawks (home). With Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) already sidelined, the Thunder could be down two crucial contributors for the opening week. In the case of JDub, would he be available for both games of a back-to-back this soon? Alex Caruso was already due for a more prominent role due to Hartenstein’s injury, but Isaiah Joe or Aaron Wiggins could also figure more prominently in the rotation.
– Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic are on track to play
Curry (finger) and Doncic (calf) dealt with injuries during the preseason, with the former sitting out Golden State’s finale on Friday and the latter not appearing in any of Dallas’ games. However, both are on track to be available when the regular season begins. Doncic has been a full participant in recent Mavericks practices, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before his team’s win over the Lakers that Curry will be ready for their season opener against Portland.
That’s great news for fantasy managers, with Curry and Doncic being first-round picks based on their respective Yahoo ADPs. We haven’t seen how Klay Thompson will perform as part of a lineup with Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The former Warriors guard won’t lack catch-and-shoot opportunities in Dallas; while he didn’t shoot the ball well during the preseason, Thompson’s track record likely alleviates some of the concern.
– How will the Knicks’ new pieces mesh now that the games count?
New York pulled off two trades this offseason, adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. Both struggled from deep during the preseason, with the former shooting about 11% from three. The move to New York has pushed Towns into second-round territory in most fantasy drafts, while Bridges’ value has held steady. Being on the floor with Jalen Brunson will help because he can draw defensive attention. Still, the Knicks need Towns and Bridges to hit the ground running after uneven preseason performances shooting-wise.
During New York’s three-game opening week, Josh Hart’s role within the offense is something else to watch. He hasn’t minced words during the preseason, even failing to attempt a shot during one game. Hart is the starter who has the most to lose from a productivity standpoint with the Knicks adding Bridges and Towns; will he accept that? Or will a change to the rotation need to be made? Stay tuned.
Light Game Days
Tuesday: 2 Games
NYK vs. BOS
MIN vs. LAL
Thursday: 4 Games
BOS vs. WAS
SAS vs. DAL
OKC vs. DEN
MIN vs. SAC
Sunday: 5 Games
PHI vs. IND
MIL vs. BKN
NOR vs. POR
ATL vs. OKC
LAC vs. GSW
Week 1 Back-to-backs
Tuesday-Wednesday: None
Wednesday-Thursday: None
Thursday-Friday: None
Friday-Saturday: CHA, CHI, CLE, DET, HOU, LAL, MEM, ORL, PHO, TOR
Saturday-Sunday: LAC, OKC
Sunday-Monday (Week 2): ATL, IND, MIL, POR
