When Does the 2022 NBA Season Start and What to Expect?

I still remember the buzz around last year's NBA season opener, and now fans everywhere are asking the same question: when does the 2022 NBA season start and what can we expect? Well, after digging through announcements and talking with fellow basketball enthusiasts, I've put together this practical guide to help you navigate the upcoming season. Let me walk you through what I've learned, step by step.

First things first – mark your calendars for October 18, 2022. That's when the regular season officially tips off, and honestly, I think the scheduling team did a fantastic job this year. The league has planned a full 82-game schedule per team, which feels like the perfect balance after the condensed seasons we've had recently. From my experience following previous openings, I always recommend checking your local broadcast schedules about two weeks beforehand – the time difference between East and West coast games used to mess up my viewing plans until I started doing this.

Now, here's where it gets interesting for me personally. I've always been a defense-first kind of fan, and that's why Bates' recent comments really stood out to me. When Bates said he's eager to make his mark on defense again, it reminded me why I fell in love with basketball in the first place. In today's three-point heavy game, seeing players take pride in defensive stops feels refreshing. I'm hoping more teams follow this mentality – there's nothing more exciting than watching a player completely shut down an opponent's scoring run.

When preparing for season openers, I've developed a method that works well for me. About a week before the first game, I create what I call a "team tracker" – just a simple spreadsheet tracking roster changes and preseason performance. Last year, this helped me predict that Golden State would outperform expectations, and boy was that fun to watch! I focus on three key metrics: defensive rating (which should be around 108.5 for playoff contenders), three-point percentage (ideally above 36%), and most importantly for me, steals per game. Teams averaging over 8 steals usually make deeper playoff runs in my observation.

The transition from preseason to regular games requires some adjustment in how we watch too. I've learned to pay less attention to the first 10 games' win-loss records and more to how teams are implementing their systems. Remember last season when Phoenix started 1-3 but ended up with 64 wins? Exactly. What matters more is seeing how new players integrate – that's where you'll spot potential chemistry issues or unexpected synergies.

Speaking of defense, Bates' approach is something I wish more young players would emulate. In today's game where everyone wants to be the next Steph Curry, having players committed to defensive excellence creates such beautiful balance. I'm personally hoping to see more teams adopt switching defenses – when executed well, there's nothing more satisfying to watch. The data might show that teams switch on approximately 42% of possessions now compared to just 28% five years ago, but the eye test tells me the best defensive teams are still those who communicate perfectly in these situations.

As we count down to opening night, here's my personal checklist: verify your streaming subscriptions are active, plan your viewing schedule around key matchups (the opening week typically has about 14 nationally televised games), and most importantly – don't get too caught up in early overreactions. I've made that mistake before, writing off teams that ended up surprising everyone. The beauty of an 82-game season is the room for growth and adjustment.

Looking at the bigger picture, the question of when does the 2022 NBA season start and what to expect goes beyond just dates and predictions. For me, it's about the return of those late-night West coast games, the emergence of new rivalries, and watching players like Bates redefine defensive excellence. There's a special kind of magic in opening night that never gets old, no matter how many seasons I've watched. The anticipation builds until that first jump ball, and suddenly all the speculation becomes reality. That's the moment I'll be waiting for come October.