NBA 2021-22 season preview: Schedule, stars to watch & more

The landmark 75th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) will get underway on Tuesday, October 19, as the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets before the Golden State Warriors visit the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night.

Ahead of the new season in the world's top men's basketball league, we take a look at whether the Bucks can repeat as champions (and which teams will challenge them for the title); the regular suspects who should dominate night-in, night-out; and the key dates on the 2021-22 schedule, including the All-Star break, play-in tournament dates, and playoff schedule.

Who will challenge Milwaukee for the NBA title?

There seems to be an unwritten rule in sports leagues the world over: when considering which teams can win the league/competition/playoffs, always start with the defending champions.

Such is the case for the Milwaukee Bucks, who won their first NBA championship in 50 years with a 4-2 Finals victory over the Phoenix Suns last season. The good news for Bucks fans is that the core pieces of the squad - including two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tokyo 2020 Team USA gold medallists Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday - are still intact. The bad news is that the Bucks lost defensive ace P.J. Tucker to the Miami Heat, and several Eastern Conference teams appear to have significantly upgraded, which will make their title defence much tougher.

Chief among those rival teams are the Brooklyn Nets. Some critics of the Bucks' championship run last season are keen to point out that Milwaukee 'got lucky' in the Eastern Conference semi-finals as the Nets lost James Harden and Kyrie Irving to injury, and even then would have lost the series had Kevin Durant worn a smaller shoe size (his foot on the line on his three-point attempt sent the pivotal Game 7 into overtime, rather than winning it for Brooklyn).

It goes without saying that luck and injuries are a part of sport, but the Nets come into this new season with all three of its stars in top shape, and as such have to be considered among the favourites for the Larry O'Brien trophy come June. However, Irving's apparent refusal to receive a covid-19 vaccination has already caused a major issue for Brooklyn; to that end, on 13 October the Nets announced Irving won't be part of the team until he does.

“Given the evolving nature of the situation and after thorough deliberation, we have decided Kyrie Irving will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant,” Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said in a statement.

In addition to Brooklyn, the Bucks will also likely have to contend with Eastern Conference challengers Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks (whom Milwaukee defeated in six games in the Eastern Conference finals last season), as well as the ever-dangerous Miami Heat.

Over in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, there seem to be a plethora of teams that could feasibly challenge for the title.

For starters, no one will make the mistake of overlooking the Phoenix Suns after Olympic gold medallists Chris Paul and Devin Booker led them to a first Finals berth since 1993 last season (knocking out the then-reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers in the process). With the core group of that team returning in 2021, can Phoenix make another deep playoff run this campaign?

It's possible, but the depth and talent of teams in the West is simply ridiculous.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who the Suns knocked out in the first round of the playoffs last season, created a new 'Big Three' in the offseason when they brought in Russel Westbrook to pair alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis; and it goes without saying that any team with four-time NBA champion and league MVP LeBron James always has a chance to make it to the Finals.

The Utah Jazz finished the 2020-21 regular season with the best record in the NBA at 52-20, but were knocked out of the playoffs at the semi-final stage for the third time in five years. The roster is filled with Olympic-level talent (including three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Rudy Gobert), and in Quin Snyder, the Jazz have one of the best coaches in the league. The question now becomes whether Utah can finally return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1998.

Speaking of playoff hurdles, the Los Angeles Clippers, who possess two coveted players in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, finally overcame their semi-final jinx when they took care of the aforementioned Jazz in six games. However, they were subsequently bounced from contention by the Suns in the Western Conference finals. There's no guarantee the Clippers will be able to make it back to the same stage in 2022, but they should take confidence from their performance in the playoffs last season and build upon it for this campaign.

Other contenders in the West include the Golden State Warriors, who will have Klay Thompson returning to the fold after the sharpshooter dealt with injuries the last two seasons, and the Denver Nuggets, led by 2020-21 MVP Nikola Jokic.

LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and other big names to look out for this season

The NBA has never been as talented as it is right now, with seemingly every team in the league possessing at least one All-Star calibre player.

Within these elite groups are some familiar faces that basketball fans around the world will recognize; LeBron James, at 36, is entering his 19th year in the league. 'The King' has amassed quite the accolades and awards in that time, including four championships, four Finals MVPs, four league MVPs, 17 All-Star nominations, 13 All-NBA First Team selections, and three Olympic medals (bronze in Athens 2004 to go along with the golds won at Beijing 2008 and London 2012).

Age seems to be nothing but a number for James, so expect him to lead the Lakers in a deep playoff run after a disappointing end to LA's 2020-21 season.

LeBron James: His legacy on and off the court

James is the elder statesman of the NBA, but other world-class veterans of the league include Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.

Durant, 33, is a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, and became the highest-scoring male player in USA history at Tokyo 2020, where he won a third successive Olympic gold medal.

Durant almost single-handedly willed the Nets to the Eastern Conference finals last season, and should Brooklyn hope to go one step further in 2022, they'll need 'KD' to be at his best once again.

The Golden State Warriors might not be the league-altering dynasty they once were (having missed the playoffs the last two seasons), but in Curry possess one of the game's best talents. The three-time champion and two-time MVP is arguably the greatest shooter in the history of basketball and led the league in scoring last season. If Klay Thompson can remain healthy, expect Curry to lead the Warriors back into the postseason in 2022.

There's also plenty of young talent making a mark on the league.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off a ridiculous season where he averaged 28.1 points, 11 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game en route to leading the Bucks to the title.

2021 MVP Nikola Jokic returns to the Denver Nuggets after almost averaging a triple-double last season (26.4 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 8.3 apg), while Luka Doncic seems poised to take over the league with the Dallas Mavericks after a magical performance at Tokyo 2020 that saw Olympic basketball debutants Slovenia finish in fourth place.

Key schedule dates for NBA season 2021/22

• 19 October 2021: Regular season begins
• *_Feb. 18-20: *_NBA All-Star 2022 (Cleveland, OH)
• April 10: Regular season concludes
• April 12-15: Play-In Tournament
• April 16: Playoffs begin
• June 2: NBA Finals begin
• June 19: Game 7 of NBA Finals (if necessary)
• June 23: NBA Draft

How to watch NBA games live in 2021/22 season

Every game of the NBA season will be televised. Coverage is available globally via the NBA regional broadcast partners, and online at the Nba.com website (subscription may apply).