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Players who need to excel this season

Plus, when will LeBron pass Kareem in all-time scoring?

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Breaking Point: We give you five players whose performance this season could define the future of their career!

Passing The Torch: We crunch the numbers to find out when LeBron will pass Kareem in all-time scoring!

Pop Up Shop: Read below on how to meet Kenny Beecham and the Enjoy Basketball team!

Hey everyone! We have NBA regular season basketball in FOUR DAYS!! That means Steph splashes, LeBron lobs, and Joel jams are less than 96 hours away ... but who's counting? Let's talk hoops.

RunYourPool

The NBA season is just around the corner, so we’re running it back with RunYourPool to engage in some healthy competition. Props to you if you played with us in our NBA Playoff Pool – you’re already one step ahead! Play alongside us this season in the Enjoy Basketball NBA Survivor Pool on RYP to compete for prizes and, of course, earn bragging rights (for at least a year).

RunYourPool (or as we like to call it, the Home Of Competition) is bringing the Enjoyers together to connect, compete, and make this NBA season even more exciting. RYP offers every game type, from Pick’Em and Survivor to Fantasy Pools. Did we mention RYP has customizable features you won’t find anywhere else? It’s the go-to for fans who enjoy sports gaming.

The best part is that it’s free to play! All you have to do is pick one team to win each week to survive and move on. Once you choose a team, you can’t use them again (sorry, Warriors fans). The last Enjoyer standing wins an NBA jersey of their choice! If you have as much fun playing with RYP as we do, you can create your own pools and play with friends all season long! Click here to join our pool and make your picks!

NYC Pop Up Shop

Hey, y'all! Here's another reminder about a chance to meet up with Kenny Beecham and the Enjoy Basketball team in NYC in two weeks!

We're taking over Shopify NYC for an exclusive event on October 28th! We'll be breaking down the future of the brand, discussing the world of content creation, and following it up with a meet-and-greet/Q&A with Kenny.

To commemorate this exciting event, we'll have a limited supply of exclusive merch. RSVP HERE to secure your spot!

Under-hyped critical seasons for players

In this segment, we're listing some younger players whose future trajectory could depend greatly on this season. This is not a slight on any of them, and we understand that one season isn't the end-all-be-all. We're just observing that their situations this season indicate a lot about the player they are or could become. Let's do some digging!

Tyrese Haliburton

First things first – we LOVE Tyrese Haliburton. Not only is he a friend of the Enjoy Basketball brand, but he is also already one of the best passers in the league, regardless of age. This year, he will have free reign to be the man in Indiana, so it might project what peak ‘Rese could look like five years from now. Is he going to be a very good starter (someone that every roster would love to have), OR is he going to be an all-star, all-NBA caliber guy to build a contender around? It all depends on his on-ball scoring, ability to make teammates better, and defensive prowess, which all look promising. We’re pulling for him!

Isaac Okoro

After the Donovan Mitchell trade, the Cavaliers have an amazing point guard, shooting guard, power forward, and center, but a gaping hole at the small forward position. When the Cavs drafted Isaac Okoro with the 5th overall pick just two years ago, they knew he had the build to be a great defender However, he lacked shooting touch, and two years later, little has changed. Because of his defense, the starting spot could still be his, and he could be a valuable piece for a very competitive Cleveland team. On the other hand, if he can’t provide offensively, this season could condemn him to a bench role for the foreseeable future.

Christian Wood

Although Christian Wood is the oldest guy on this list at 27 years old, this year is critical for him. It's the first time we'll see Wood on a playoff team where he can contribute to winning basketball. In his six years in the NBA, Wood has played for the 10-72 76ers team, subpar Hornets and Pelicans teams, and the tanking Pistons and Rockets. In the past three years, he has averaged a combined 19 points per game for terrible squads. On a playoff Mavericks team, the NBA will see if Wood is a case of good stats/bad team or a quality big man who can help bring a squad to a deep postseason run.

De’Aaron Fox

Through his first five years in the league, De’Aaron Fox has never made the playoffs, and it hasn’t been his fault. Now, he's starting his first full season with the best player he’s ever played with: Domantas Sabonis. In 2021, Fox averaged 25 points per game and was on pace to be a fringe All-NBA guy, but last year, his efficiency fell off a cliff. The skills are obviously there, but now with some decent (not great, but decent) talent around him, we are excited to see 2022-2023 Swipa.

Devin Vassell / Keldon Johnson

We decided to include both of these guys, as they'll both have the green light for 82 games this year while the Spurs wait for Wembanyama. Both are 6’5” wings who can do a bit off the dribble but aren’t isolation scorers. Still, someone is gonna have to shoot! Johnson is entering his fourth year while Vassell starts his third campaign, which are both typically “jump” years. This year, they both have the opportunity to separate themselves from the pack of young guns as a legitimate, long-term piece for San Antonio.

When will LeBron pass Kareem?

Math time! If you woke up this morning and wanted to know how LeBron can/will break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record, we got you covered. Right now, LeBron trails Kareem's record by 1,325 points.

If LeBron plays all 82 games this season, he’ll only need to average 16.2 points per game to pass Kareem. But Bron won’t play every game, so let’s adjust.

Last season Lebron played in 56 games. If he repeats this trend, he’ll need to average 23.7 points. Now that’s doable!

In all likelihood, we will see The King pass Abdul-Jabbar sometime around the 60th game of the season in February or March. We can’t wait to witness greatness!

Random: Did you know that technically LeBron has already passed Kareem in terms of total points in the regular season and playoffs? Apparently, people only care about regular season points, which honestly seem less relevant.

Thursday's Games

Grizzlies pound Pistons: We guess nobody told Ja Morant that it was the preseason. The explosive guard scored 31 points along with 8 boards and 4 assists in just 25 minutes! He led Memphis past Detroit by a score of 126-111.

Thunder squeeze by Spurs: This was a close one throughout, but the Thunder prevailed 118-112. In the battle between premier tanking teams, Josh Primo lead all scorers with 23 points, while Jalen (not Jaylin) Williams led OKC with 21 points.

Good Reads

Young Core Rankings - Zach Kram and J. Kyle Mann (The Ringer)

Fantasy Basketball 2022: 1st-Round Mock Draft and Best Team Names - Zach Buckley (Bleacher Report)

Emoni Bates reinstated to Eastern Michigan basketball after plea deal on gun charges - Tony Paul (The Detroit News)

Signing Off

Basketball is back in FOUR DAYS, people! Ring the church bells, alert the village folk! Seriously, we're so hyped to experience this season with you all.

Peace,

-Conor Geelan

Trivia Answer: Like most records involving scoring, Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for most points on opening night. He dropped 56 points on the Detroit Pistons on October 23, 1962.

Trivia Question: In the 21st century, which player holds the single-game rookie scoring record?

Enjoy Predictions

Hey Enjoyers, we built a new tool for you to predict the NBA standings this year! Go make your guesses for the season at enjoypredictions.com, then share them on social media, and don't forget to tag us! We have lots of BIG announcements coming up in the near future, so stay tuned!