NBA playoffs: Five burning questions surrounding LeBron James, Dante Exum's incredible comeback and the defending champion Denver Nuggets

After 82 games from each of the NBA 's 30 teams, we're back at the time of the year where legacies are forged, year-long narratives and theories dispelled. It's playoff time, and this year's post-season is shaping up to be the most exciting and open in years.

But the reigning champions aren't the only team facing questions as we gear up for what is shaping to be a post-season for the ages.The first obstacle in Jokic and Denver's path to a repeat is the man who continues to give Father Time fits — LeBron James. Despite being 39, LeBron James still remains an elite operator and has continued to defy Father Time in his 21 seasons in the NBA.Of course, that fairytale run ended at the hands of Jokic and the Nuggets in the conference finals, when the would-be champions booked their ticket to the finals with a 4-0 sweep.

The 2023-24 season marked the 20th straight season James has averaged over 25 points per game. To put that in perspective, when that streak started Jokic was nine years old.All of that is great, but it doesn't mean toppling the defending champs is an easy task. Since sweeping the Lakers last year, the Nuggets won all three games against LA during the regular season, with just one of those coming in Denver, and the games weren't particularly close.

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic remains a major obstacle between the Lakers and a deep playoff run this season.Like James, All-Star big man Anthony Davis also enjoyed a clean bill of health this season, playing a career-high 76 games in the regular season. After stumbling out of the gates in the first few months of the season , the Mavericks got on a roll in February and March, going 19-7 in those two months to rise from out of the play-in to almost securing home court in the first round.

The pair will be especially crucial in the first round against the LA Clippers in order to stymie the trio of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden. Get past the Clippers, and the Mavs will back themselves to take down anyone in their path. OKC has been one of the feel-good stories in the NBA this season, 57 wins coming from a team that only last season finished 10th in the Western Conference. But they've never been here before, and as history shows, young teams have often been subjected to rude awakenings on their playoff debuts.Every playoff campaign, one of the league's young players steps up to centre stage and announces himself as a bona-fide superstar.

NBA Playoffs Lebron James Denver Nuggets Donovan Mitchell Boston Celtics Dante Exum

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