BBNBA: Three bold predictions for the 2023-24 season

The NBA regular season begins in two days. Even after replaying that sentence in my head on repeat, I’m not sure if it feels like it got here way too quickly or if the offseason has lasted an eternity, but one way or another, it feels surreal. Regardless of mental time warps, former Kentucky players are in line for a tremendous amount of success this season.

ESPN included 11 former ‘Cats in their top 100 NBA players ranking, seven of which landed in the top 25. For reference, no other college had more than one player in the top 25. The run John Calipari has been on during his tenure at Kentucky will be overshadowed by the fact he only has one national title to show for it, but history will better appreciate the unbelievable string of talent that has passed through Lexington under his watch.

The 2023-24 NBA season is shaping up to be a good one with several fresh faces on new teams vying for a title. Here are three bold Kentucky player-related predictions we might see this year.

Devin Booker will win MVP

The traditional triumvirate of MVP candidates including Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo will no doubt be atop the favorites to take home the hardware once again. If you ask KSR’s Zack Geoghegan, he will proudly defend his prediction that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the dark horse MVP candidate. However, to me, the stars are aligning for Devin Booker to ascend to the top of the NBA mountain.

With a new big three that includes Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, it is easy to think Booker’s numbers may take a dip, but Book is in his absolute prime. Last season Booker averaged 28.5 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in games played with Kevin Durant, so to automatically assume a drop in production is presumptuous at best. If anything, it will take his game to the next level.

This is Booker’s team and everyone knows it. If the Suns go on to dominate the NBA in the regular season, the best player on the league’s best team often gets MVP consideration. That will be no different this season.

Book will be in serious contention for MVP by the end of the year.

Cason Wallace will average double figures for the Thunder

ESPN projects Shai-Gilgeous Alexander to be the best former Kentucky player in the NBA this season. That is a sentence almost no one saw coming when he started his tenure in Lexington as a four-star recruit playing the role of Quade Green‘s backup. However, there is another former Kentucky combo guard on the Thunder who will look to make an impact off the bench this season, rookie Cason Wallace.

Wallace made a big splash in his first game of the Summer League by draining six 3-pointers, including one from half-court. This kind of shooting combined with his ability to get to the rim while staying under control is what prompted the Thunder to take him with the 10th overall pick in the NBA draft, and he’ll showcase that skillset all season.

The Thunder are super young but very talented, however, there is a clear path for Wallace to seize the backup point guard position behind SGA once he gets his NBA legs under him. When that happens, Wallace will be a firebrand off the bench, similar to the role Immanuel Quickley has played for the Knicks through his first few seasons.

Additionally, Wallace will work extremely hard off the court because as he admitted on draft night, there’s not much to do in Oklahoma City.

The Timberwolves will trade Karl-Anthony Towns this season

After the rumors that have spun up in the last week, this prediction may not be all that bold as it was earlier in the summer. The Knicks, led by former Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau, are reportedly keeping an eye on Karl-Anthony Towns‘ availability.

Anthony Edwards has all but taken the reins from KAT in Minnesota as the top dog on the team. After bringing in Rudy Gobert last season, the Twin Towers experiment hasn’t exactly gone swimmingly, although injuries hampered the two big men from sharing the floor together all that much.

There are several signs that point to the end being neigh for Towns’ time in Minnesota, but the biggest factor that could keep him put is the size of his paycheck. KAT will make $36 million this season, but he signed an extension his summer that will earn him $224 million over the subsequent four years. That is a substantial hit to salary cap room for a team to willingly take on, not to mention a lot to make the trade work money-wise.

Despite the hurdles, look for the Wolves to make it happen before the trade deadline in February. As much as everyone likes to see superstars remain with their original franchise as long as possible, a change might not be the worst thing for KAT’s NBA career.