NBA Training Camp Primer: Highlighting Major News and Notes Around the League

The Philadelphia 76ers might have fancied the idea of Andrew Bynum topping the preseason headlines, but not like this.

After sitting out training camp with a bruised knee (and to rest after offseason knee treatment), the All-Star seven-footer is now having an injection to lubricate the knee in preparation for the season. The immediate reaction probably isn't the fairest one—but can we really help it?

Though a host of precautionary absences have typified the preseason thus far, there's far more to report than bumps and bruises alone.

Indeed, this is shaping up to be the season of something to prove—for Dion Waiters, whose draft position (fourth overall) was questioned by skeptics. For Marcin Gortat, who won't have Steve Nash around to make him look so good. And for Andray Blatche, who flat-out stunk last season.

Mike Conley and the Grizzlies are looking to show they can reach those conference finals, and Joe Johnson would like to remind the world he's more than an isolation scorer.

Of course, proving something in training camp is one thing. Keeping it up for an 82-game season is another.

Here's a rundown of the biggest stories coming out of training camp from around the league, including the chips-on-shoulders that could very well shape 2012-13.

Bynum Has Knee Injection

It's too soon to declare the honeymoon between Andrew Bynum and the Philadelphia 76ers over just yet, but those Philly fans could use some good news before this season gets under way.

Hearing about another knee injection probably isn't what they had in mind. But before fretting too much, it's worth noting this one is apparently relatively routine (via the Inquirer's John N. Mitchell):

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"Just look at it as lubrication for his knees," (agent David) Lee said of the Synvisc-One injection that Bynum will receive. The drug is used to treat knee osteoarthritis.

"He's had them in previous years," Lee said. "Look at it as WD-40, for lack of a better way of explaining it. He gets them at the start of the season, and he gets them at the all-star break. It's noninvasive and has nothing to do with the treatment he received in Germany."

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Of course, it's Lee's job to make everything seem fine and dandy, but he probably deserves the benefit of the doubt in this instance. We've long understood that Philly was playing it safe with Bynum and giving him as much time as he needed to get healthy and be ready.

Though the 76ers won't go far without Bynum, they can take some solace in the meantime in the fact that Spencer Hawes and Kwame Brown are capable options, at least on a short-term basis. Hawes was the team's starting center for the last two seasons, and Philadelphia signed the defensively-oriented Brown this summer prior to acquiring Bynum.

Who's Starting in Denver?

JaVale McGee got the start at center for the Denver Nuggets' game against the San Antonio Spurs, but it remains an open question whether he's nailed down the gig once the regular season kicks into full gear.

Timofey Mozgov still has a shot at the starting job, according to Rotoworld, and there's no question McGee can be effective either way—he came off the bench last season for the Nuggets and showed what he was capable of doing in the team's first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, twice putting up impressive double-doubles.

Over the long term, it's hard to imagine McGee coming off the bench. The Nuggets made a big investment when re-signing him this summer, and he reasons to be the club's center of the future.

In the near term, however, don't be at all surprised to see head coach George Karl make him work for it. A little in-house competition has never been a bad thing.

Maybe the Cavs Had It Right with Dion Waiters

When the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Dion Waiters with the fourth overall pick in this summer's draft, the rest of the league scratched its head before thinking, "OK, maybe I can see that..."

He wasn't figured to go so quickly by the Chad Ford types, especially not with guys like Thomas Robinson and Harrison Barnes on the board. It was the second time in as many years the organization created something of a stir, having gone with Texas product Tristan Thompson in 2011.

So far, Thompson looks to be working out pretty well, and the early signs from Waiters aren't bad either.

The shooting guard—who's drawn comparisons to Dwyane Wade—went off in last week's preseason game against the Chicago Bulls, scoring 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. While his range had been a bit of a question mark, it's worth noting he went a perfect 4-of-4 from behind the arc.

The Cavs will need more games like this one if they're to have any hope of making strides and escaping the lottery. Kyrie Irving is sure to follow up his Rookie of the Year campaign in style, but he desperately needs some help on the offensive end.

Anthony Davis' Groin Should Be Fine

Given what New Orleans Hornets fans have already gone through with oft-injured Eric Gordon, you can forgive them for holding their breaths upon hearing Anthony Davis injured his groin last week and missed Friday's preseason game against the Houston Rockets.

The Hornets went on to keep Davis out of full-contact drills on Saturday, but the good news is it all sounds like a matter of precaution, per head coach Monty Williams (via The Times Picayune's John Reid). "He looked good running the floor, but he’s a little sore from the treatment they gave him yesterday (Saturday)," Williams said. "But I think he will be OK this week."

New Orleans' playoff chances remain pretty slim this season, but Davis is nevertheless a reason for excitement, hailed as potentially becoming one of the best big men of his generation. An injury-free and successful rookie campaign would go a long way toward making up for the club's ongoing rebuilding project.

After winning a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, Davis started training camp already having had a taste of pro action with some of the league's elite talent. He can afford to miss some practice here and there until the season gets going.

Joe Johnson Getting Back to His Roots

In his seven-year tenure with the Atlanta Hawks as the team's primary scoring option, Joe Johnson did much of his scoring without much help. His penchant for breaking defenders down on the wing or busting out crafty moves in the post even earned him the moniker "Iso-Joe."

With the Brooklyn Nets, however, that trend looks destined to change (via The New York Times' Howard Beck):

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“When I started in Phoenix, there wasn’t no Iso-Joe,” Johnson said. “I basically played off of Amar’e (Stoudemire) and Steve Nash and Shawn (Marion) and those guys. This is a similar situation for me here in Brooklyn.”

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The Nets' starting lineup includes some solid scorers, most notably fellow Olympian Deron Williams and center Brook Lopez. 

Brooklyn should be able to score in a lot of different ways, ways that don't depend on Johnson trying to do everything on his own. That should be good for the Nets and Johnson alike. Though the shooting guard's efficiency has remained steady over the years, his opportunities to score have declined as defenders zero in on him.

They won't have quite as easy a time focusing their attention on Johnson now thanks to Williams' ability to break defenses down and create for his teammates.

Marcin Gortat Has Something to Prove

Marcin Gortat has thus far made the most of two-and-a-half seasons with the Phoenix Suns, but there's no question he had Steve Nash to thank for much of that success. He wouldn't be the first one.

But without the legendary facilitator around to make everyone's life easier run flawless pick-and-rolls, the seven-footer now finds himself eager to show he's still got it (via Valley of the Suns' Michael Schwartz):

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According to HoopData, Gortat was assisted on 78.6 percent of his buckets in 2010-11 with the Suns and 79.6 percent last year, making some wonder whether he can repeat his superb 15.4 ppg season on 55.5 percent shooting with Nash no longer around to set him up.

"Basically, I am going to try and prove that I can play without him,” Gortat said. “There was a lot of talk in the offseason about how I’m going to play and how I’m going to handle the whole situation without him."

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Of course, it's not as though Gortat will be playing without a point guard. In fact, Goran Dragic (signed as a free agent this summer) averaged 8.4 assists to go along with 18 points in 28 games as a starter last season for the Houston Rockets. He's no Steve Nash just yet, but he should fill in nicely.

And as far as Gortat is concerned, he remains a versatile scorer as centers go, capable of finishing explosively or with a soft touch and featuring a nice mid-range game. He might have to do a bit more of his work with his back to the basket, but he's got the tools to do so.

Mike Conley Scorching Hot from Range

One game doesn't mean much, but the Memphis Grizzlies had to be pleased to see starting point guard Mike Conley go 5-of-5 from three-point range in a preseason win over the Atlanta Hawks.

For the record, Conley has never been a bad long-range shooter. In fact, he's been remarkably consistent over his five seasons, hanging right around his 38 percent career average. The bigger problem for Conley is really that he's never been especially aggressive with his offense.

He's never averaged more than 13.7 points or taken more than 11.8 shots—both 2010-11 figures—and his most recent postseason performance against Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers was uneven. 

For Memphis to finally take that next step and become more than a perpetual dark-horse contender, Conley may have to look for his shot more often, especially that three-point shot if his preseason prowess is any indication.

Andray Blatche No. 0 for a Reason

Is Andray Blatche the new "Agent Zero"?

After earning a big-time contract with the Washington Wizards, the 6'11" forward-center earned himself a ticket out of a town—via the amnesty clause to be exact. His production and efficiency tanked, and his popularity with Wizards fans along with it.

So yes, there's a story behind his decision to wear that No. 0. Now that Blatche has taken whatever's left of his talents to the Brooklyn Nets, he views that number as "a reminder of the amount of support he felt he had after the Wizards used the amnesty clause to rid themselves of the remainder of his three-year, $23 million contract" (via the New York Post's Zach Braziller):

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Everybody thought I was going to be out of the league. Zero reminds me I didn’t have any support system outside of my immediate family, nobody who thought I was going to bounce back and get on another team.

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Wizards fans can probably think of some alternative symbolic meanings, but the point, of course, is that Blatche isn't troubling himself with that these days.

Understandably, the 26-year-old feels like he just had a bad season, a struggle through which he'd hoped fans and teammates alike would support him. Hopefully he won't have to expect the same from Brooklyn fans as he takes on a more limited role with the Nets.

Danny Granger and George Hill Back in Action

The Indiana Pacers have spent most of training camp missing a couple of important pieces—small forward Danny Granger (dealing with a lingering knee injury) and point guard George Hill (sore thumb).

Though it's not entirely certain when either will suit up for a preseason game, the Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells reports that both practiced on Sunday. That's a good sign as the Pacers look to build upon a breakout 2011-12 season and establish themselves as legitimate contenders in a crowded Eastern Conference.

Though Granger's production has declined a bit over the last couple of years, he still averaged nearly 19 points a game last season and remains one of the team's go-to scorers. Meanwhile, Hill will look to assert himself as the team's primary point guard after Darren Collison was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

He'll have to share minutes with free-agent signee D.J. Augustin, but his defensive presence on the perimeter almost guarantees the former San Antonio Spur (and Indiana native) will wind up with plenty of minutes.