[octothorp]

With the season getting underway on Tuesday (and the Raptors kicking off theirs at home to Cleveland on Wednesday), it looks to be an NBA season full of change, everywhere except at the top of the standings.

Here's 30(+) questions that will help define the season:

Atlanta Hawks - A full rebuild is underway in Atlanta. Trae Young is a polarizing figure to start a rebuild with; can he show even a glimmer of the Steph 2.0 upside that the Hawks are hoping for?

Boston Celtics - It's an elite level of skill but with a lot of duplication on the wings. How do they put together a rotation that goes from being very, very good to elite?

Brooklyn Nets - Is there enough young and versatile talent to be in the running for the 8 seed?

Charlotte Hornets - There's not a lot to be optimistic about either short or long term. Will they try and stick it out with Walker, or trade him and go for a full rebuild?

Chicago Bulls - A young team with a lot of talent but experience both on the court and behind the bench. Can all these pieces come together and start to win games this year?

Cleveland Cavaliers - There might be a lot of pride at stake in showing that they were more than just LeBron, but is there enough talent there to match? Does this become like the Kevin Love Wolves teams?

Dallas Mavericks - The Mavs think Doncic is a franchise-anchoring talent, and this season will be about passing the torch from Dirk to Luka. Will the kid be able to live up to these extremely heavy expectations?

Denver Nuggets - Electrifying offense will be intact from last year. But they need better defense. Isaiah Thomas isn't going to be bringing it, so will their young stars like Jokic and Murray be able to give give enough at both ends to get them to the playoffs they narrowly missed out on?

Detroit Pistons - Can Dwayne Casey get the sort of constant, incremental improvement in Detroit that he was able to get in Toronto?

Golden State Warriors - Will they face their toughest competition in the west finals or the NBA finals? Will they face even a bit of adversity before then?

Houston Rockets - Will this season's roster really be a step backward, which it looks like on paper?

Indiana Pacers - Pacers exceeded expectations with an outstanding season from Oladipo. Did they make the right offseason vet acquisitions to continue to move up the east rankings?

LA Clippers - The Clippers are looking to assemble a solid group of complimentary players in hopes of attracting a star next offseason. Can they be appealing enough to attract a star, or will they look like a mess that top free agents will avoid?

Los Angeles Lakers - LeBron gets his least-talented set of teammates since his first Cleveland stint. How much can he get out of them?

Memphis Grizzlies - Conley and Gasol, if healthy, continue to be a reliable pair, plus they've got the vastly overpaid Chandler and a few decent prospects. Is there enough there to retool or are they headed for a rebuild?

Miami Heat - A team with good players and depth at every position, but no stars save an aging Wade. After Dragic at 17PPG, nobody else on this roster averaged more than 14PPG last year. If there's no star coming in via trade, can anyone emerge as a go-to scorer for this team?

Milwaukee Bucks - Can Budenholzer finally get this team over its first-round playoff hump, or they squander another prime Antetokounmpo year?

Minnesota Timberwolves - Like, WTF?

New Orleans Pelicans - Played their best without Cousins in the lineup last year, but there's still a huge drop-off after Davis. How do they figure out a way to build a contender around one of the best players in the league?

New York Knicks -Will this be the worst of both worlds for the Knicks, missing Porzingas to injury for the first half of the season, and then getting him back just in time to ruin their high lottery pick ambitions?

Oklahoma City Thunder - Westbrook will continue to be Westbrook, but Roberson turned out to be a huge difference-maker on this team. Can he give them the defensive identity they need to hang with the other top WC teams?

Orlando Magic - A coaching change could get more out of this young, solid roster. Can they stay in the mix for a playoff spot through the season?

Philadelphia 76ers - This team will be a contender for eastern champion eventually, the only question is how steep is the last step of that climb? Will they be in the mix this year or next?

Phoenix Suns - With another high draft pick likely, does Ayton live up to the 1st overall hype?

Portland Trail Blazers - Lillard's team overachieved last year until a disappointing playoffs. So who are they? The team that won 13 in a row last year, or the team that got swept by the Pelicans?

Sacramento Kings - Likely headed for another high lottery pick, which is nothing new, but missing on their picks is also nothing new... will picking Bagley over Doncic finally be a case of getting it right?

San Antonio Spurs - How much can Pop get out of what is likely (especially with Murray out) the worst roster he's ever coached? Will Aldridge and DeRozan be able to coexist with both tending to fall in love with the midrange game?

Toronto Raptors - They've only got one guaranteed year with the current roster so it's win now mode; while most eyes will be on Kawhi, the biggest factor may be how fast Nurse can adjust to HC duties. Can they come together quick enough to be contenders by the end of the season?

Utah Jazz - Mitchell was sensational last year, anchoring the team with Gobert missing significant time. Can those two combine to take Utah up to the 2nd tier in the West?

Washington Wizards - They've been hungry for another star to put with Beal and Wall, but is Howard a good fit for those two ball-dominant guards?