NBA opening week is here, and a number of players returned after having not played since 2021, while the latest crop of rookies suited up for their first regular-season game.
The return of Kawhi Leonard -- off the bench for the time being -- immediately made the Los Angeles Clippers contenders for the NBA title. A healthy Zion Williamson rejoined a New Orleans Pelicans team on the rise after an unexpected surge into the playoffs. Ben Simmons, after being swapped for James Harden prior to last year's trade deadline, is back and playing for a Brooklyn Nets team that's trying to move on from an offseason dominated by trade demands and rumors surrounding Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.