

Washington Wizards guard John Wall dunks during action against October 18 the Philadelphia 76ers at Capital One Center. A healthy Wizards team could challenge the Cavaliers for a playoff spot. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

The 2017-2018 National Basketball Association (NBA) season started about two weeks earlier than usual. The earlier start will give players more days off to rest during the long — 82-game — regular season, which will end as it typically does in mid-April.

That's a good reminder for kids who may be playing more than one sport a season or playing on multiple teams at the same time. All athletes, from top-flight NBA players to 12-year-olds, need time to let their body rest.

Okay, the advice portion of this column is over. Let's look at the big stories in the NBA for this season.

The Wizards: The Washington Wizards look ready to take a big step. The Wizards have won between 41 and 49 regular-season games in each of the past four years. If they stay healthy, I think the Wizards will win more than 50 games this season.

The starting five is solid, led by the standout backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Otto Porter is becoming an all-around star. If Coach Scott Brooks can develop some dependable bench players, the Wizards could surprise some people.



Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder was the league’s Most Valuable Player last season and his team added good players this year. But will that make the team better? (Mark D. Smith/Usa Today Sports)

The Thunder: Last year, guard Russell Westbrook won the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He also averaged a triple double — that's at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists per game — for the entire season. The last person to do that was Oscar Robertson during the 1961-1962 season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder added two all-star forwards — Carmelo Anthony and Paul George — to help Westbrook.

So will the Thunder be a new super team? I'm not so sure. Basketball is more than taking shots and scoring points. The three Thunder stars will have to learn to play together and share the ball. In addition, Anthony has never been a strong defender. Defense wins championships.

The Warriors: Most of the best NBA teams have three top players. The Golden State Warriors have four: forwards Kevin Durant and Draymond Green as well as guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Maybe that's why the Warriors have won two of the past three NBA titles.

Can they do it again? I don't see why not. Almost the entire 2016-2017 team is back. And Durant, Curry, Thompson and Green are in the prime of their careers. With a high-scoring offense and a tough defense, the Warriors should be hard to beat.



LeBron James, center, has been to the NBA Finals seven years in a row. He will be missing Cavaliers sidekick Kyrie Irving for this year’s attempt. (Maury/Epa-Efe/Rex/Shutterstock)

LeBron: Since 2011, LeBron James has made it to the NBA Finals, including three years when his team won the title. That's an amazing seven straight seasons.

Can James make it eight? His Cleveland Cavaliers will miss sidekick Kyrie Irving, who's now with the Boston Celtics. I am not sure new teammates Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose will be as good a fit.

Maybe some team will break James's streak of seven finals. Maybe a team named the Washington Wizards.

Read more Score columns:

We shouldn’t be ranking 9-year-old basketball players

Playing one sport year round isn’t smart for kids

In its early years, the NBA blocked black players