With the 2023-24 NBA season approaching, it’s always interesting to look forward to examine which players will be intriguing watches in the coming season. Because of that, Digits has decided to look at that exact thing this week.
Next week’s column will feature players from the Western Conference. This week features one player per team from the Eastern Conference. Without further adieu, here are some of the most intriguing watches of the coming NBA season in the East.
Milwaukee Bucks: MarJon Beauchamp
Beauchamp is only 23 years old and is likely considered Milwaukee’s best prospect on the roster. For a team with not great depth, it will be interesting to see Beauchamp’s performance in the second year. He has an intriguing mix of two-way play with his shot creation and mid-range flashes alongside his elite defensive upside both on and off of the ball. The Bucks could absolutely use a step from Beauchamp in order to help their title aspirations this coming season.
Washington Wizards: Jordan Poole
Poole will become the #1 option (maybe 1A with Kyle Kuzma) with Washington, and it’s super exciting to see how he will do in this role. When Stephen Curry was out in the prior two seasons, Poole stepped up big time for Golden State by picking up the primary ball-handler duties. Now, he needs to prove that he can do that for the entirety of an NBA season. Will he crumble as the primary guy, or will he prove the Chris Paul trade to be a disastrous decision for the Warriors?
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes
Barnes didn’t take the step in his second year that some expected out of him, but that doesn’t mean that Barnes still can’t become a high impact player. He’s still just 22 years old, and his combination of IQ, playmaking, defense, and ability to get toward the rim all should bring intrigue to his game. Sometimes, players don’t take the expected sophomore leap only to explode in their third year. Could this be the case for Barnes this year?
Brooklyn Nets: Ben Simmons
The case of Ben Simmons is one of the most interesting yet confusing storylines in the NBA in the last decade. Can he return to any type of form to be a legitimately impactful NBA player? He was once one of the top defenders in the league and a force getting downhill, but he was nothing along those lines this past season. Can another offseason with Brooklyn and to regain confidence allow Simmons to flourish once again? It’s undoubtedly one of the most exciting things for me to watch for.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley
Mobley might be the most underrated DPOY pick for the coming season. He’s entering his third year as one of the league’s premier defenders, and the Cavs have high expectations for the coming year. He’s still just 22, and there’s so much room to grow, particularly on the offensive end. Looking for some offensive development and seeing if he can acquire his first DPOY this coming year will be fun to watch for the Cavs who hope to compete.
New York Knicks: RJ Barrett
Barrett had a surprisingly pretty good postseason run into the second round, and having some good performances with Team Canada in exhibition matches makes Barrett an intriguing watch this coming season. Entering year 5, can we see a shooting leap? How about a playmaking leap? A finishing leap? A defensive leap (more so resurgence)? He needs to be more impactful for New York, and can we finally see that this coming season?
Orlando Magic: Jalen Suggs
It feels like the Magic want to see a Suggs leap this year, or his time in Orlando may be ticking down. With the super guard heavy roster and the recent addition of #6 pick Anthony Black, Suggs needs to prove his ability to be a two-way player in the NBA. The defense is certainly present, but there is real shooting concern. This feels like an incredibly important year to become an impactful guard for Orlando.
Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey
Ivey closed the year on an incredibly strong, impressive note. It all started to come together for the 21-year-old out of Purdue. With Cade Cunningham’s return and other young players taking the necessary steps, the Pistons could be better this season. Seeing Ivey take the hopeful leap alongside Cunningham and company would be awesome, but there’s no guarantee it comes. I did a Twitter thread on his close to the year, which can be found here:
Indiana Pacers: Bruce Brown
Brown was just a crucial part of the Denver Nuggets championship run, but his new 2 year, $45M deal with the Pacers makes him the highest paid player in Indiana. The expectations for him to help make an impact on day one are clearly there, and it will be intriguing to see if he can do this. How good is he actually when not surrounded by the most talented roster (and player) in the NBA?
Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller
Many have doubted Miller’s selection over Scoot Henderson, myself included. That makes it all the more worth it to watch Miller’s rookie season and how he does alongside LaMelo Ball and the other Charlotte Hornets. He should be able to have a productive rookie season with his skillset, but there is no guarantee this is the case as just a 20-year-old. The Hornets will be a fun watch this season.
Miami Heat: Nikola Jovic
Jovic may not be on the roster for long, but Heat Twitter loves this guy. He’s an incredible downhill threat with his combination of passing, size, and movement ability. Coming into year two, the hope is that Jovic is now ready to contribute to a team with title aspirations, hence why Jovic is the guy to watch for the Heat. Wherever Jovic is, he should have a bright future with his unique, talented skillset.
Boston Celtics: Kristaps Porzingis
The big blockbuster acquisition for the Celtics this offseason as they look to get over the top was Porzingis, who is very quietly possibly coming off of a career-year. The big man has an incredible two-way presence with a good ability to play off of other stars. The Celtics now have an amazing Big 3, highlighted by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Porzingis. It will be very fun to watch the Unicorn in Boston.
Atlanta Hawks: AJ Griffin
AJ Griffin quietly had one of the more efficient rookie seasons in the last few seasons. He’s a very talented shooter from both three and mid-range while flashing upside elsewhere. With the Hawks looking to win now, improvement from AJ Griffin to solidify himself as a starter for the Hawks would be huge. Even if he doesn’t become a starter, his shooting should be valuable under new head coach Quin Snyder, who wants the team to get more threes up.
Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine
The Bulls, quite honestly, don’t have much intrigue to them. To me, one of the most interesting parts of this season is Zach LaVine. Can he return to a form similar to his ‘21 self and remind everybody how good he is, or will he be closer to his ‘23 self that wasn’t quite on par with his ‘21 form. It would be surprising to see LaVine as a Bull in three seasons, and a trade feels inevitable with their mediocrity.
Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey
With it being practically guaranteed that James Harden will not be a Philadelphia 76er next season, Maxey will be taking the reins to the second option. How will he do in this increased role? It seems likely he’ll thrive, but to what extent is this the case? Can Philly truly win with Maxey as the second option behind Joel Embiid? That unfortunately doesn’t feel too likely.
Charlie Spungin , NBA Analyst