(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
Stars may be the biggest determining factor for the 2019-20 season, but each NBA team has at least one guy who can swing the odds in their favor.
The competition of the NBA has long been driven by the individuals who sit at the top of its hierarchy, and for good reason.
More than any other sport, one player can change the direction of a franchise in an instant, while multiple All-Stars can almost assuredly guarantee a spot amongst the realistic contenders.
It’s for this reason that the success of any given team rests largely on their shoulders no matter the expectations. There’s an understanding, however, as to why the MVP of any given season isn’t the one holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy come June.
Aside from the obvious knowledge that it takes five players to fill out a lineup and more than double that to complete a roster, every team has an X-factor that must be taken into consideration.
These guys certainly have the talent to contribute at a high level but also have the propensity to keep it dormant for long periods.
Even if the production is there, a question regarding their overall cohesion alongside teammates may be valid. Perhaps it’s even a style of play from an otherwise valuable contributor that comes to hamper a team’s overall ceiling.
Whatever the case may be, certain players have questions whose answers may be the key to unlocking the potential of any given team.
Of course, success isn’t measured the same way for all 30 squads. In a season set to be wildly unpredictable, these 30 have the chance to shake things up even further.