The 2021-22 NBA season has begun, and the league continues to innovate with rule changes that have left players like James Harden, Devin Booker, Tray Young, and others struggling to draw fouls with their usual shenanigans; All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons continue to sit out and anger fans and franchises; trades have sent high profile players across the country; and both Finals teams, the Suns and the Bucks, sit with mediocre records, while teams that have been poor the last couple years sit atop the standings.

In the past few years, shooting fouls have been the center of controversy. Skilled players were jumping awkwardly into defenders and drawing four to five fouls per game. Players, coaches, and fans complained that these moves would be increasingly exploited until gameplay became dominated by foul shooting. In response, the NBA adjusted its rules, thus making any non-basketball motion in the act of shooting either a no-call or an offensive foul. In the first few games, players saw the effects, with a video of Steph Curry making a ridiculous jump into his defender and throwing up a deep airball only to have play continue. 

c/o ESPN

As a Philadelphia 76ers fan and a proponent of continuous play, I feel that the change was necessary. During last year’s playoffs, Sixers players Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle continued to foul Trae Young. Young would make an absurd move to draw a foul, and the official’s subsequent whistle manifested hours of frustration on my part. No longer will fans have to watch a player jump backward, sideways, or forwards into their defender like they’re a fish flopping out of water.

Off the court, superstar Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets continues to sit out of team play. While the NBA does not have a vaccine mandate, cities like New York have implemented them at public events. Thus Irving, who refuses to be vaccinated, has sat out and will likely not return this season unless traded. In Philly, superstar Ben Simmons has also opted out of team play. Last postseason, Simmons had an abhorrent series against the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated the Sixers in seven games. In response to his performance, animosity has built between him and the city of Brotherly Love, so much so that Simmons has demanded a trade and refused to play. During fall break, I had the opportunity to attend opening night in Philadelphia and see the anger firsthand. While Simmons wasn’t in attendance, the most repeated chant of the night was “F*ck Ben Simmons,” which spectators shouted passionately even after team leader Joel Embiid asked the fans to “please respect Ben” during the game. 

I have often had non-Sixers fans ask me why Simmons is so hated, and I remind them that it has been Philly fans who have defended him for the past four years while the rest of the NBA has mocked his failures. As a Philly player, one must ride with the highs and the lows because no matter who you are, you will experience both. And Simmons could not ride with the lows, which only angered Sixers fans more.

With a team of at least five Hall of Famers, the Lakers are going with a veteran-heavy lineup. Rajon Rondo, a star on the Celtics championship team in 2008, noted in an interview that for the first time in years he is a younger member of a team (he is 35). Alongside Rondo is the King and GOAT Lebron James, Anthony Davis, and newcomers Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Dwight Howard also returned for his second stint on the team.

Across the country to another great franchise, the Chicago Bulls have brought DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso to assist Zach LaVine. The team has found early success and started 4–0, a record the Windy City has not seen since 1996 in the days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Until the Sixers took them down on Nov. 3, they were at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

The New York Knicks and the Miami Heat have also added new All-Stars, Kemba Walker and Kyle Lowry respectively, and are already seeing the benefits. Other teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies failed to bring in stars from free agency, but are still beginning to glimpse a promising future as their younger homegrown players develop into formidable opponents. While these teams have found early success this season, the Finals teams from last year, the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks, both sit at .500. While it is still early, could the two teams be finding themselves in post-final slumps?

While the season just started, major developments look to produce another great NBA season. With shaken-up lineups, rising younger players, and the new foul rules, this season might just produce an unexpected ending.

Eli Seaver can be reached at eseaver@wesleyan.edu.