The 2023-2024 NBA season is just a day away so I want to go through each NBA teaming give my take as to who or what I think is the biggest X-Factor for each team heading into this season.
Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young
The Hawks actually have a lot of players who you can choose as the X-Factor. The Hawks have a pretty solid amount of young talent on this roster (Onyeka Okongwu, De'Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin, and Jalen Johnson). All of these players who have big seasons depending on how their roles plays out, their development, and their health. Ultimately, to me, the Hawks X-Factor is still Trae Young. Trae Young is one of the best offensive engines in the league and is currently one of the most disrespected stars in the league. After having a down postseason a couple of seasons ago, last postseason Trae Young returned to form and I think that was a sign for things to come for the Hawks. He seems to be a lot more comfortable under the coaching of Quin Synder. If he's able to return to the 2020-2021 season form, when the Hawks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Then, things could come all together and the Hawks could be a sneaky team in the East, but all of that depends on the play of Trae Young.
Boston Celtics: Kristaps Porzingis
This probably isn't a big surprise to a lot of people but Boston X-Factor is Kristaps Porzingis. After, Boston transactions this offseason (trading for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday), a lack of depth (especially in the front-court) could be a cause for concern for Boston. Porzingis provides a different dynamic and brings a different element to this Boston offense. Keeping Porzingis healthy and unlocking his skillset is very crucial for Boston. Boston currently has six players who they can trust on a nightly basis. However, if any injuries happens to any of their main players, it's going to have a significant impact and cause a lot of problems for them. Boston X-Factor is the play and health of Kristaps Porzingis.
Brooklyn Nets: Ben Simmons
There's isn't a ton of pressure on this Brooklyn Nets team. After, trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, this is almost an entirely new Brooklyn roster. I don't know what to expect from this Brooklyn team this season, but their X-Factor is the play of Ben Simmons. If Ben Simmons can return to somewhat of his old self, then that'll be a big plus for them. Ben Simmons has been dealing with injuries over the last couple of seasons which has set him back. The big question is will he be able to make a return and contribute to the Brooklyn Nets?
Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball
Charlotte biggest X-Factor is LaMelo Ball. Is LaMelo Ball going to stay healthy? If LaMelo Ball stays healthy, I believe he will be a All-Star caliber player due to the bar of being an All-Star is becoming higher and higher. The last time LaMelo had a healthy season he was an All-Star while leading his team to 43 wins which in the East is a play-in spot. Therefore, if LaMalo is healthy Charlotte is not as a bad as a lot of people believe they are. It all boils down to if LaMelo Ball and able to play.
Chicago Bulls: Patrick Williams
This has been the theme ever since he was drafted by Chicago. The X-Factor for Chicago since they are locked in on this core is none other than Patrick Williams. Patrick Williams needs to step up and take a leap in his development and become more of an offensive contributor than he has over the past few seasons. I would like to see him transition in a role where he has a little more on-ball responsibilities. He has a lot of defensive potential as an on-ball perimeter defender and as a weak side help defender. I would like to see Chicago get more out of him on the offensive side because that would make a big difference for them.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley
There's a lot of things that you can point at and say this is the X-Factor for Cleveland but ultimately the biggest X-Factor for them is Evan Mobley. Evan Mobley needs to start contributing more on the offensive end. We know that Cleveland is elite defensively, they're one of the best defenses in the league. They'll continue to be one of the best defenses in the league going forward, but for them to really put it all together, they have to improve their offense and a lot of that will start with Mobley being a bigger contributor on the offensive end. He doesn't need to become some dynamic scorer because he's not wired that way. It was certainly help but really just being able to attack closeouts, attack off the catch on the wing, maybe knock down some three-pointers here and there, in order to become respectable. And running double big lineups with Jarrett Allen causes floor spacing issues. Yes, their defense is going to be good and they will win a lot of regular season games but when it comes playoff time having two players who are limited offensively can only take them so far. Hopefully Mobley can find more ways to contribute on the offensive end this year.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham
Detroit is in interesting situation because they're one of those young teams who has plenty of young talent but we haven't seen them take a step forward over the last few seasons. The big thing for them is that they were missing Cade Cunningham last season. I'm pretty optimistic on Detroit future due to the fact that I believe Cade Cunningham will become one of the best players in the league eventually. Cade Cunningham is the X-Factor for Detroit and the key is for Cade to stay healthy and with Monty Williams as their new coach, it wouldn't surprise me if Detroit takes a leap. This depends on whether Cade takes a leap and stays healthy.
Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton
Indiana are an up and coming team who has a strong young core. Their X-Factor is Tyrese Haliburton. Tyrese Haliburton is one of the best young guards in the league. However, the question is can he take a leap into being an All-NBA caliber guard? Indiana has surrounded Haliburton with players who are great fits next to him in Jarace Walker, Benedict Mathurin, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Obi Toppin. If Indiana wants to take that next step and cement themselves as a playoff team then I believe Tyrese Haliburton needs to take another leap.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro
After failing to get Damian Lillard this offseason the Miami are in a very interesting situation. Miami will be relying more on their young players after losing two key players in Gabe Vincent and Max Strus this offseason. Tyler Herro is the X-Factor for Miami and will be a big piece for Miami this season. Does Miami have that third guy? Since Miami weren’t able to get Damian Lillard, Tyler Herro will have to be the one who makes a difference for them since they’re mainly running it back with the same team (minus two key rotation players).
Milwaukee Bucks: Khris Middleton
Milwaukee has a strong top 5 in Giannis Anteokoumnpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis. After that, the rest of their roster starts to shaky. Another question mark for them will be their perimeter defense. Along with the health of their big four. Khris Middleton is my X-Factor for Milwaukee. Can he hold up and stay healthy? If Middleton can resemble anything close to his All-Star form as the third option, then Milwaukee could absolutely win another championship.
New York Knicks: RJ Barrett
For the New York Knicks, it’s time for RJ Barrett to make that leap and become more consistent. The flashes are certainly there but it’s time for him to put everything together and show that he could be a fringe All-Star caliber player. To me, he doesn’t need to be a proficient scorer, if he could be a 18-20 PPG scorer on solid efficiency, with elite defense, it would provide a huge boost for the Knicks.
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero
The Orlando Magic has one of the best young duos in the league in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Their biggest thing is figuring out who are they moving forward with and the determining factor this year is how good will Paolo Banchero be this year. Whether Orlando are a play-in team or playoff team depends on how good Paolo Banchero will be this season.
Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey
After a messy offseason due to the James Harden-Daryl Morey/Front Office situation, I couldn’t begin to tell you what their plan is this season. The Philadelphia 76ers X-Factor is Tyrese Maxey. Can Maxey make a leap and become a legit All-Star caliber player? Due to the Harden situation, Philly needs someone to step up next to Joel Embiid and I believe that player is Tyrese Maxey. Whether Philly keeps James Harden or not for the season, if Philly wants to be serious contenders then Tyrese Maxey must take that next step.
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes
Scottie Barnes is without a doubt the X-Factor for Toronto. Scottie Barnes was the rookie of the year but he was stagnant in his second season. Toronto has a lot of faith in Barnes as they’ve this vision in him being an all-around point forward who does everything. Dialing in his role and seeing what he does in that role will be very important for Toronto moving forward. The future of Toronto depends on how good Scottie Barnes is. Toronto has to see if he’s a franchise piece to build around because in my opinion they are in no man’s land at the moment.
Washington Wizards: Jordan Poole
Jordan Poole is the X-Factor for the Washington Wizards. I’m not sure if they envision being a franchise piece for them moving forward but Jordan Poole will be one of the most intriguing players to watch this season. Jordan Poole will have an infinite amount of opportunity to showcase what he got and whether he could be that guy or not. Now I’m the post Bradley Beal trade, with more flexibility, we will learn a lot about the future of the Washington Wizards depending on what Jordan Poole looks like.
These are my opinions on my X-Factors for Every NBA Team!