The 2017/18 season is just about eight weeks away and with the movements of the offseason as a backdrop, there is plenty to look forward to. From key players being traded to different franchises to rookies on the brink of greatness, fans are in for more than nine months of excitement.

With much anticipation, we continue looking at some storylines that will keep NBA fans intrigued all season long.

1. Kyrie at the Celtics

Last Wednesday, African NBA fans woke up to the announcement that Cleveland Cavaliers starting point guard and four-time All-Star Kyrie Irving had been traded to the Boston Celtics for their starting guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick.

About a month ago, Irving was reportedly looking for a way out of Cleveland to find a spot on a team where he would have more of a leading role. Now that he has that at the Celtics, it will be interesting to see if he can lead the Massachusetts franchise to another top-seed finish.

2. IT and the new revamped Cavs

The most significant consequence of Kyrie Irving’s move to the Boston Celtics, is the Cleveland Cavaliers getting two-time All-Star Isaiah Tomas. At the point-guard position the trade is almost like for like, but he will be joining LeBron James and rest of the team that won the Eastern Conference last season, with the addition of 2011 regular-season MVP Derrick Rose as the potential backup point guard as well as Crowder and Zizc who were part of the trade. Once the initial ‘fitting-in’ stage passes, the new-look Cavs should see themselves in contention for another NBA title.

3. The rise of Thon Maker

One of the hardest-working members of the Milwaukee Bucks squad is South-Sudanese-born power forward Thon Maker. The 20-year-old was picked 10th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft and spent his rookie season coming off the bench, but with impressive performances.

All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, another Bucks player with African roots, has commented that Maker has a great work ethic and has been working with him to help improve his game. As a sophomore, the time is now for him to rise and dominate the Milwaukee frontcourt.

4. The return of the Iblocka

Congolese power forward Serge Ibaka of the Toronto Raptors made his move to the northern team at the trade deadline and had an explosive arrival. He started in all of the team’s games after joining the squad and ended the postseason averaging 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

Last season, he showed that he still has what it takes to bring back the Iblocka from the OKC days where he averaged 15.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.70 blocks per game.

On a recent trip to Africa to participate in Basketball Without Borders, Ibaka told NBA.com that he is focused on bringing back the old Iblocka in the 2017/18 season.

5. The growth of the Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are a young team that also has great athleticism on its side. Since the second departure of 2008 NBA champion Kevin Garnett, the team seems to have been lacking the veteran leadership to help push it to the playoffs.

However, the addition of three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, Taj Gibson and Jeff Teague has boosted the team’s arsenal with a possible playoff berth even in the competitive Western Conference.

The likes of Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Senegalese power forward Gorgui Dieng have grown well into their roles and the team looks poised to achieve great things.

6. The return of the Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are another young team likely to bring a lot of excitement to the 2017/18 season. They have not had the best of luck with rookies recently, with Cameroonian sensation Joel Embiid sitting out his first two seasons due to injury and only playing 33 games in his debut. Ben Simmons also had to sit last season and is clear to start next season.

Their current rookie, No 1 pick Markelle Fultz, proved to be an asset in the Summer League and will work well at the Sixers.

They also made some acquisitions in the offseason in JJ Reddick and Amir Johnson, and also still have Dario Saric, TJ McConnell and backup center Jahlil Okafor.

7. The Paul-Harden combo

One of the biggest trades in the offseason was star point guard Chris Paul’s move to the Houston Rockets to play alongside 2016/17 season MVP contender James Harden.

No announcement has yet been made, but chances are that Paul will play point and Harden will move back to the shooting-guard position and create one of the most lethal backcourts in the League.

Last season Paul showed that he is “keen to share the ball” and set the LA Clippers franchise record in career assists and with Harden’s shooting and driving skills by his side, it looks like great things could come from this one-two punch in Houston, Texas.

8. Pascale Siakam and Cheick Diallo – it’s their time

Two African rookies arrived on the NBA scene last season, Pascale Siakam at the Toronto Raptors and Cheick Diallo at the New Orleans Pelicans. Siakam had some impressive minutes for the Raptors, coming off the bench to average 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.2 percent from the field, 14.3 from behind the arc and 68.8 from the charity stripe.

Diallo struggled a little and was sent to the G League to further hone his skills and did just that; now he’s back on the team’s roster for the coming season.

With Ibaka as mentor, Siakam can only get better in the 2017/18 season and will be a force in the Raptors’ frontcourt, while in New Orleans, Anthony Davis has stated that he is working with Diallo to help improve his post game and make him become one of the best forwards in the NBA. The two young Africans are worth watching this coming season.

9. Bam Adebayo – new African sensation at the Heat

The 14th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft had an explosive Summer League and looks ready to join the pros on the big stage. The forward of Nigerian lineage was described by teammates as a “beast” because of his dominance in the paint.

The 19-year-old from Kentucky showed great basketball IQ and was not shy on double-doubles. He played in all of the Heat’s seven games and averaged 30 minutes per game in the summer and shot 38 percent from the field and 79 from the free-throw line.

With a great talent like Hassan Whiteside to look up to, Adebayo is another young talent that will help in the rebuilding process of the Eastern Conference franchise that is struggling at the moment.

10. Warriors with Knick Young – still shooting the lights out

The Los Angeles Lakers offloaded a couple of their young talents as they continue to reposition themselves. One such talent was Nick Young who joined the slew of sharpshooters at the Golden State Warriors.

He is not bad with the rock himself, so being part of the Warriors’ second unit should have him putting up some impressive numbers once he gets into the Dub Nation groove. This move might have just earned the 32-year-old guard his first ring.

By Kaunda Chama