Last year’s NBA season wrapped up in an exciting fashion, with the Golden State Warriors celebrating another championship over the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, what transpired over the course of the offseason may have been even more exciting. Star players joined new teams through blockbuster trades, contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars were signed, and the league looks primed for another exciting year of basketball. Here are three huge reasons to be excited about the upcoming campaign!

1. The Balance of Power Has Shifted

The storyline over the last few years  in the NBA has been the Warriors and Cavaliers dominating their respective conference, facing little competition in the playoffs until these two powerhouses squared off in the Finals. This year should prove to be much different. The Cavs now face competition in the Eastern Conference from the Boston Celtics. The C’s signed Gordon Hayward to a max contract in the offseason, immediately improving their offense. Then, in a huge move, they acquired Kyrie Irving via trade, giving them a young and explosive playmaker to build around. The Celtics look like a brand new team, with only a few returning players from last year, but they should prove to be a threat to Cleveland’s dominance this year. In the Western Conference, the Warriors now face threats from two teams- the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder- the latter of whom now has a scary Big Three in Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. The Timberwolves also had a huge offseason, most importantly trading for Jimmy Butler. It will be fun to watch games between stronger teams this year, especially with the Cavs and Warriors not looking like sure bets to reach the Finals come June, with increased competition in their respective conferences.

2. Exciting New Rookies

The draft class of 2017 was one of the strongest in recent years, as exciting new playmakers were drafted by teams looking to make huge leaps this year. The two most entertaining rookies should be Jayson Tatum and Lonzo Ball.  Tatum, an explosive scorer at Duke, will try to build off of a strong Summer League season, as he teams up with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to form a strong offense in Boston. Along with these three and contributors Al Horford, Jalen Brown, and Terry Rozier, the Celtics will be a young and exhilarating team to watch. Lonzo Ball, the young shooter from UCLA, comes into the league with a reputation, already owning his own signature shoe. He will be asked to lead the Lakers back to the playoffs this year, as LA looks to start fresh and build around a young and potential-filled core group of players. Other rookies to watch for this season are De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings), Josh Jackson (Suns), as well as Kyle Kuzma (Lakers).

3. An Exciting Opening Week

The opening slate of games of the the season has many NBA fans excited. On opening night, Kyrie Irving will get a chance to take on his former team, as the Celtics play the Cavaliers, in a matchup of the two teams widely believed to be numbers one and two in the Eastern Conference. Later that night, the Warriors start their title defense against the Rockets, a game that should be explosive and fast paced, producing a ton of scoring. The next day, a new-look Timberwolves team takes on the always powerful Spurs, and the young 76ers face off against the Knicks. On Friday October 20^th, the Warriors visit Anthony Davis and the Pelicans, which should also be an entertaining matchup. Don’t forget to tune in Opening Night on October 17^th, and watch the NBA all season long to see how these storylines play out!