As a longtime NBA analyst who's been covering the league for over a decade, I've been getting this question constantly from fans: when does the 2021 NBA season actually start? Well, after the unprecedented bubble experiment in Orlando and what felt like the shortest offseason in sports history, we're looking at a December 22nd tip-off for what promises to be one of the most fascinating seasons in recent memory. The compressed 72-game schedule means we're diving straight into the deep end, with training camps opening December 1st and preseason games beginning December 11th. What's particularly interesting to me is how this accelerated timeline will impact player conditioning and team chemistry - we could see some surprisingly sloppy basketball in those early weeks as teams scramble to find their rhythm.
Speaking of surprises, I can't help but draw parallels to international basketball tournaments where underdog teams sometimes shock the establishment. Remember that incredible performance by the Philippines last January? It remained an impressive showing for the Philippines after going toe-to-toe with the only champions of the tournament now on its third staging, especially being the last team to enter as the best third-placer during the qualifying stage. That kind of unexpected competitiveness is exactly what I'm hoping to see from certain NBA teams this season. Teams like the Phoenix Suns or Memphis Grizzlies could be this season's Philippines - squads that might not have championship pedigree but could seriously disrupt the established hierarchy. The Western Conference feels particularly wide-open behind the Lakers, with perhaps 6-7 teams having legitimate cases for those remaining playoff spots.
From a pure basketball perspective, I'm most excited about seeing how teams handle the back-to-back situations and the increased load management we're likely to witness. The league has built in some clever scheduling accommodations, including minimizing travel through geographic sequencing of games, but the physical toll will be very real. Having covered the 2011 lockout-shortened season, I can tell you that the 66-game schedule that year resulted in approximately 27% more injuries compared to a standard 82-game season. While the NBA has better sports science now, I'm still concerned we might see similar trends this year. Personally, I'd rather see the league push the start to January and accept a slightly shorter season, but the financial realities of television contracts make that impossible.
The superstar narratives this season are particularly compelling to me. Can LeBron James defy Father Time for another championship run at age 36? Will Giannis Antetokounmpo's supermax extension with Milwaukee pay immediate dividends? How will the Brooklyn Nets' trio of Durant, Irving, and now Harden mesh with such limited preparation time? I have my doubts about Brooklyn's chemistry, frankly - throwing together that much talent without proper ramp-up time could backfire spectacularly, even if the individual brilliance is undeniable. Meanwhile, the Lakers' offseason additions of Dennis Schröder and Montrezl Harrell give them what I believe is the deepest roster in the league, though the Clippers' coaching change to Tyronn Lue could make that rivalry much more interesting.
What many casual fans might not appreciate is how this unusual season could create opportunities for younger teams to accelerate their development. The absence of typical preseason routines and the condensed schedule means that well-coached, disciplined teams might overperform early. I'm looking specifically at teams like Miami and Denver who have established systems and continuity - they could get off to flying starts while other teams are still figuring things out. The play-in tournament format for seeds 7-10 adds another layer of intrigue, potentially keeping more teams in playoff contention deeper into the season than we'd normally see.
As we approach opening night, my prediction is that we'll see one of the most unpredictable regular seasons in modern NBA history. The combination of short turnaround, unusual circumstances, and the natural variance of basketball could produce some wild results. While the Lakers remain my championship pick until proven otherwise, the path there will be anything but straightforward. The 2021 season might not have the traditional rhythm we're accustomed to, but it could deliver some of the most memorable basketball stories we've seen in years. Sometimes, as the Philippines showed us in international competition, being the underdog or the last team in can produce the most compelling narratives.