Fans at Madison Square Garden have been denied a real contender for years and are desperate for this team to excel, especially with old rivals Boston holding the title and looking hungry enough to go back-to-back.

Jalen Brunson continues to shine as point guard, but the Knicks lack big men behind Towns, especially with Mitch Robinson hobbled by an ankle injury. This could open a role for former Melbourne United Next Star Ariel Hukporti, who signed a two-way deal with the Knicks, with a full salary cap.

It’s unclear if the Knicks are planning to promote him to the roster, but he could get some early games as Robinson heals up.

Either way, it would be a great opportunity for the German centre.

How a laughing stock landed in a $2 billion fortress

When former Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer purchased the LA Clippers from the disgraced Donald Sterling in 2014, he paid US$2 billion for a franchise considered the worst in the NBA. But Ballmer knew the LA market would embrace the team if he made them great.

The Clippers aren’t great yet, and they remain the little brother in comparison to the LA Lakers, but they are now a respected team.

The next step is to use the earnings and prestige of the newly opened Intuit Dome to lift the team to the top of the NBA. The venue is designed to give the Clippers the best possible home advantage, breaking them free from their share house arrangement at Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers.

Aside from the technological wizardry and eye-catching architecture, the most striking feature is “The Wall” – 51 consecutive rows near the visiting bench reserved for Clippers fans.

Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard has been struck by knee issues again, but their new court looks sensational.

The big earners

Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and Bradley Beal will all earn more than $US50 million ($75m) this season.

Ben Simmons is the leading Aussie earner with $US40 million as he enters the final year of his contract, while Josh Green on $US12 million, Matisse Thybulle $US11 million and Josh Giddey on $US8 million are the next highest.

How many Aussies will play in the NBA this season?

A couple of players may still be waived or sent down to the G-League, but as the time of writing, 14 Australians were on NBA rosters.

Jack McVeigh has continued his rise from winning last season’s NBL title with Tasmania, to playing for the Boomers at Paris 2024 and now impressing with Houston Rockets in pre-season. He’s also made NBA history as, reportedly, the first player to wear number 58 in a game.

McVeigh is on a two-way deal, so he will likely spend a chunk of time in the G-League, but he has made some big shots in pre-season, so Houston will be considering whether to promote him to the full roster at some point.

Luke Travers (Cleveland) and Johnny Furphy (Indiana) are also on two-way deals but show promise. Patty Mills is playing his 17th NBA season after joining the Utah Jazz.

Can Simmons win back his fans? Will Giddey be a hit in Chicago?

The injuries and constant conjecture about Ben Simmons have left many fans turning their backs on the three-time NBA All-Star.

While it’s encouraging to hear he had a good off-season and promising pre-season, those reports won’t help because, when it comes to Simmons, we’ve heard all that before, and often been left disappointed.

But if Simmons can get back to being a lockdown defender who can also be a playmaker for his teammates, he could still be a difference-maker for the Nets.

Simmons is in the final year of his max contract; one hopes he can get back to the exciting play that ranked him among the NBA’s elite before he was struck by back and confidence issues struck.

Giddey arrives at the rebuilding Chicago Bulls and there looks to be a meaty role for him to be the chief playmaker.

Loading

Given he’s also due a contract extension, Giddey is likely to rocket up Australia’s highest earners list if he thrives in the new role.

He is still capable of being an elite point guard, but let’s see how he goes running with the Bulls.

He’s shown his passing vision is among the best in the NBA and his ability to drive and use his height against smaller guards stands out as well.

If he can help Bulls players get easy buckets, it could get them back to winning games more quickly than expected.

How to watch

ESPN will show a selection of NBA games in Australia each week while NBA League Pass streams every game on the NBA website.

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.