The NBA season begins Tuesday, and it is shaping up to be the most exciting and interesting ones we’ve seen in a long time. Needless to say there are multiple compelling storylines.

For starters, the leaders on the sidelines will be foreign to most fans. There are 12 head coaches that have never coached an NBA game going into this season. Of the remaining 18, 11 have fewer than five years of head coaching experience.

It is definitely signifying a “win now” culture in the NBA.

That attitude was never more present than in the acquisitions of big name free agents over the offseason.

Josh Smith parted ways with the Atlanta Hawks this offseason after nine years. He hopes to bolster a young Detroit Pistons front line that features Greg Monroe, Charlie Villanueva and Andre Drummond. The Pistons also acquired Brandon Jennings via trade to improve at the point guard spot.

Andre Iguodala will be an old face in a new place this season as well. He was dealt to the Golden State Warriors this summer in a three team. His much needed perimeter defense and athleticism should carry the Warriors deep into the playoffs.

However, the Warriors lost a key contributor to the new look Cleveland Cavaliers. Jarrett Jack signed with the Cavs to back up rising star Kyrie Irving. Adding to that signing for Cleveland was the acquisition of Andrew Bynum. His health has been a problem over the past few years. If he can remain on the court, the Cavs should be something to watch.

Another team to watch from the NBA’s cellar a year ago is the Washington Wizards. John Wall and Bradley Beal proved to be a formidable duo down the stretch last season. Had Wall been healthy the entire season, this might have been a playoff team. They may be a surprise in the East this year.

The new-look L.A. Clippers won’t be surprising anybody this year. Doc Rivers took his championship talents West and hopes to lead Chris Paul to new heights. Paul has often been criticized for not being able to lead teams deep into the playoffs. The Doc is here to cure that ill. Shooters J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley were shipped to L.A. as well to spread the floor. It will be interesting to see the growth, if any, of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The general consensus seems to be that they can’t coexist on the floor because of the limits of their offensive games and free throw shooting. Fans should keep an eye out for a possible roster shift or trade.

Leaving Hollywood this free agent season was Dwight Howard. The newest attraction in Houston, Howard is expected to catapult the Rockets into the championship conversation. Along with Omer Asik, the Rockets have the two of the best defensive big men in the game. Perennial All-Star James Harden is a year older and a year better. It could be their year to take that step.

Taking a huge step back into the basketball world is Bulls guard Derrick Rose. After sitting out all of last season recovering from surgery to repair his ACL, he looks like his old self again. Actually, he looks better. Rose admits to having gained 5 inches on his vertical leap and has no mental trepidation about his knee. Translation: Defenders should be wary. Luol Deng is healthy. Jimmy Butler has improved. Boozer looks focused. The Bulls look to contend to represent the East in the Finals.

Before that can happen, they must go through Miami. LeBron James is seeking his fifth MVP award and is trying to make the Miami Heat the third team in the last 20 years to three-peat. They return the bulk of their championship roster, minus 3-point specialist Mike Miller. The additions of Greg Oden and Michael Beasley should improve the Heat’s most glaring weakness, rebounding.

No matter who represents the West they’ll most likely have to contend with the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs return basically the same roster. The loss of Gary Neal was filled with Marco Belinelli. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are a year older. Gregg Popovich surely will implore his strategy of limiting their minutes as much as possible to keep them fresh for another run at the Finals.

The Thunder hope to return to the big stage after an early exit last season. A lot will be predicated on the health and effectiveness of Russell Westbrook coming off knee surgery. There are no reports that indicate he will have any issue returning to form. One issue looming for the Thunder is that third perimeter scorer. After losing James Harden and Kevin Martin in a year span, the Thunder hope second year player Jeremy Lamb will emerge as that extra scoring punch.

The season tips off Tuesday, and there many more compelling stories that will develop. Who will you be watching?

Spencer is a senior in LAS. He can be reached at [email protected].