The 2023–24 NBA season begins on Tuesday night with about 450 players across 30 teams jostling to help their respective franchises.
Like every other sports league in the world, Africans also ply their trade in the NBA, arguably the best basketball league in the world. Afrosport takes a look at five of the biggest African players that are expected to stand out in the new season.
Pascal Siakam (Cameroon/Toronto Raptors)
Siakam has been an integral part of the Toronto Raptors team for years and was part of the setup that won the franchise their first ever title in 2019 when they defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games.
The 29-year-old Cameroon forward averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 71 games last season for the Raptors, leading them in points-per-game (ppg).
With the team having gone through numerous changes ahead of the new season, including the head coach position where they brought in Darko Rajakovic to replace Nick Nurse, Siakam would be relied upon to help them return to the top.
Jonathan Kuminga (DR Congo/Golden State Warriors)
Kuminga is highly rated by the Golden State Warriors, which led to the seven-time NBA champions selecting him with the 7th overall pick in 2021.
Although he won a championship in his first season and showed sparks of his immense talent and athleticism, his performances dropped last season, but his averages of 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists were better than the season before.
However, if his efficiency and attacking prowess in the Warriors’ preseason games are something to go by, then the Congolese power forward will be a problem for many teams in the new season, with many hoping he gets a bigger role and more minutes on the team.
Gabe Vincent (Nigeria/LA Lakers)
The captain of the D’Tigers of Nigeria, Gabe Vincent, enjoyed a stellar season last time out with the Miami Heat as one of the catalysts that spurred them into the NBA Finals, having originally needed the play-in tournament to make it to the playoffs.
Vincent was Miami’s third-highest scorer in the playoffs last season, but they fell short in the finals against reigning champions the Denver Nuggets.
However, he signed a lucrative three-year deal with last season’s Wester Conference Finalists, the Los Angeles Lakers, in free agency, and if he can replicate the offensive and defensive form he showed during the last playoffs, he will definitely improve his numbers and also help the Lakers conduct their second unit on their road to a possible record 18th title.
Precious Achiuwa (Nigeria/Toronto Raptors)
Achiuwa is expected to have a better season this new campaign than his last one, where he averaged 9.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists.
Although it was his best-scoring one yet, the Nigerian dropped in his rebound, assist, and blocks per game averages. However, they could all be attributed to injuries, as he was absent in a handful of games.
Achiuwa can have some respite knowing that a new man is at the helm at the Scotiabank Arena, and with his impressive displays in preseason, coupled with his public acknowledgement of wanting to take on more offensive and defensive responsibilities, the 24-year-old would be one to watch out for.
Bol Bol (Sudan/Phoenix Suns)
Bol enjoyed his finest campaign in the NBA last season with the Orlando Magic, witnessing an immense increase across all his stats, with averages of 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
The Sudanese star played the most games he’s ever played in his career last season, and now entering year 5 with the Phoenix Suns having signed a one-year contract, he’s expected to up his numbers by playing with better options on a “championship-level” team.
