NBA Superstars with the Most on the Line Entering 2016-17
LeBron James is off the hook.
This past spring, he fulfilled his promise, carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship and, in doing so, vanquishing the city's 52-year pro sports title drought. James and Co. still figure to defend their crown vigorously this season. But there is no longer the same cosmic urgency for James to scale that mountain—the core of his legacy is secure. So, too, is his employment status, after signing a three-year, $100 million deal with the Cavs over the summer.
For just about every other superstar in the NBA, the stakes will be high during the 2016-17 season. Some will step into even more prominent roles. Some will have to adjust to life with talented new teammates. Others could be staring down changes of address if things don't pan out.
For these 11 members of the league's elite, the opening of training camp this fall will bring pressure like never before.
Honorable Mentions
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Paul George, SF, Indiana Pacers
Larry Bird's mission to transform the Indiana Pacers from a defense-first grindhouse to a run-and-gun operation is nearly complete. This summer, he brought in Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young to help speed things up while adding Al Jefferson as a change of pace off the bench.
Yet, for all the changes, these Pacers will once again turn to Paul George as the rug that ties the room together. Now more than two years past his horrific leg injury and with Olympic gold under his belt, George won't get quite the same pass this time as he did last season, when Indy squandered an opportunity to upset the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs.
James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are firmly James Harden's team again: Dwight Howard is gone. Head coach Mike D'Antoni is in, along with a pair of shooters in Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson to spread the floor around Harden's drives.
The four-time All-Star will be even more vital to the Rockets' success this season, as if he could be any more so. Last year, he led the league in minutes (38.1 per game) while posting career highs in points (29), rebounds (6.1), assists (7.5) and turnovers (4.6).
As NBA.com's Shaun Powell noted, Harden will have even more to prove during 2016-17, even setting aside his increased salary and extended contract:
"Harden logs heavy minutes...and almost always has the ball. That makes it impossible for a traditional point guard to be Harden's teammate (poor Ty Lawson ... he never had a chance last season). And it frustrated Howard to no end. You wonder if the Rockets will ever be able to attract an A-list talent in free agency, given Harden's overbearing offensive role.
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Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs
Kawhi Leonard is many things: an NBA champion, a Finals MVP, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, an offensive fulcrum for the San Antonio Spurs and a product pitchman, albeit a silent one. What he isn't yet, or at least hasn't been, is "the man" on a pro team.
Tim Duncan's retirement will move Leonard one rung closer to a leadership role in the Alamo City.
Whether Leonard has the proper disposition to be a galvanizing force remains in question. He's never been the vocal sort and seems better equipped to lead by example. Fortunately, with Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, LaMarcus Aldridge and now Pau Gasol around, Leonard won't have to assume Duncan's old mantle just yet.
But in many respects, Leonard is already San Antonio's biggest star. How he handles that next step up the ladder could be the difference between the Spurs challenging the Golden State Warriors' western hegemony and slipping into the conference's second or third tier.
7. Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks
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Carmelo Anthony spent the summer sprucing up his public profile: He spoke out about racial tensions with his superstar squad at the ESPYs, extended his political consciousness into his hometown of Brooklyn and led Team USA to another Olympic gold—his record-setting third—in Rio de Janeiro.
The New York Knicks can only hope Anthony has enough left in the tank to lift them back into the playoffs this season. They've missed the postseason the last three years after cracking the East's top eight during 'Melo's first three campaigns in the Big Apple.
Jim Boeheim, his college coach at Syracuse and an assistant with Team USA, said his former pupil was "unlikely to win an NBA title" with the Knicks, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard (h/t ESPN.com's Ian Begley). Anthony himself said he'd be content with his career even if it ended without a Larry O'Brien Trophy to accompany his NCAA title and three Olympic championships.
Phil Jackson has done his best to take the pressure off his aging star: The Knicks boss traded for Derrick Rose, signed Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee and figures to encourage new head coach Jeff Hornacek to feature Kristaps Porzingis more prominently this season.
Still, as New York's native son, there's only so much Anthony can do to dodge great expectations, short of delivering hardware to Madison Square Garden or vacating the premises entirely. And at 32 years old with a surgically repaired knee, Anthony's timetable for delivery shrinks by the day.
6. Dwight Howard, C, Atlanta Hawks
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Dwight Howard has endured all kinds of pressure during his 12 NBA seasons: He's played in the Finals, manned center for the Los Angeles Lakers, gritted his way through pain and injury, and competed with and against other superstars on his own squad.
This year, Howard will experience a new pressure—he'll soon suit up for the Atlanta Hawks after signing a three-year deal worth over $70 million with his hometown team. On top of recovering from a career nadir in Houston last season, Howard will now presumably have to juggle family matters, appeals from old neighborhood friends and the weight of a city's skyrocketing expectations.
And he'll have to do all that while filling the formidable shoes of Al Horford, who bolted to Boston in July. The Hawks made the playoffs during each of Horford's nine seasons in Atlanta—the longest such active streak in the Eastern Conference.
Howard should help the Hawks extend that run to an even decade. But building on the highlights of the previous era, most notably a 60-win season and a trip to the conference finals during 2014-15, will be a challenge for the 30-year-old pivot, especially with Dennis Schroder set to assume a more prominent role in the ATL.
5. Dwyane Wade, SG, Chicago Bulls
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No player will be greeted by a bigger or more burdensome homecoming than Dwyane Wade with the Chicago Bulls.
His accomplishments with the Miami Heat (i.e., three titles, one Finals MVP, 12 All-Star appearances, eight All-NBA nods) speak for themselves. But filling the shoes left behind by Derrick Rose, a former MVP and would-be hometown hero in his own right, will be a tall order for Wade.
And that's before factoring in his age (34), injury history and new teammates. After 13 years as the face of a successful franchise in South Beach, Wade will have to adjust to playing with two other ball-dominant guards (Rajon Rondo, Jimmy Butler) on a team that's long been racked by internal turmoil (and could be once again this season).
Wade will spend whatever energy he has left on raising his three kids and working to end the violence that has turned Windy City into an epicenter of tragedy—including the fatal shooting of his own cousin, Nykea Aldridge.
"Were going to...then direct him as to what could be his next steps, to use his image, his likeness, his brand to do more for Chicago," Wade's sister, Tragil Wade, told the Chicago Tribune's Phil Thompson.
That's a lot for Wade to live up to. All the while, people will measure the on-court fortunes of his Bulls against those of the Heat. Questions about the wisdom of Wade's summer departure are sure to follow if his stint in Chicago goes awry.
4. DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings
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It's out with the old, in with the new for the Sacramento Kings. They have a new coach in Dave Joerger, new logos, new uniforms—even a new building, the Golden 1 Center. They've also added four new centers in the last 15 months.
None of that bodes well for DeMarcus Cousins, who's arguably the most talented 5 in the NBA.
So far, Cousins and the Kings have endured little more than misery together. The team has won just 34.5 percent of its games since drafting him in 2010, and he's made his dissatisfaction known through inconsistent effort, clashes with coaches and teammates, fines and suspensions, and all manner of public comments.
The relationship between player and franchise may already have run its course. But the Kings have been largely reluctant to move their newly minted Olympic gold medalist, and according to NBA.com's Shaun Powell, he's not likely to press the issue:
"For starters, they know that Cousins, despite his unhappiness with the lack of basketball success, loves Sacramento. He has never demanded a trade. This could backfire on the Kings in two summers, when he becomes a free agent. The longer they wait, the more leverage they'll lose, because few teams will be willing to rent Cousins for a year and surrender assets in return. Then, the Kings will be at the mercy of Cousins and whether he'll want to stay or move on.
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Another miserable season could shift that calculus closer to divorce. Then again, if Sacramento finally finds a groove under Joerger, perhaps Cousins and Co. will find a reason to stick together.
3. Chris Paul/Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
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There has never been more at stake for the Los Angeles Clippers than there will be in 2016-17. And that has everything to do with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
For Paul, this may be his best chance yet of (finally) cracking the conference finals. On paper, the Clippers should be no worse than a top-three team in the West. Depending on how the retooled Spurs coalesce, L.A. could pose the greatest threat to the star-studded Warriors.
That will ride largely on the health of Paul and Griffin. The latter was plagued by a quad injury for most of the season and suffered a setback in the very same playoff game that saw a broken finger knock out Paul.
Along with DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick, those two comprise a formidable core that, were it not for repeated postseason heartbreaks, might already have put the Clippers on the map.
If it doesn't happen for L.A. this season, that crew could look completely different come the fall of 2017. Paul and Griffin can both opt out of their contracts next summer, and Redick will be an unrestricted free agent regardless.
And while the Clippers' dynamic duo would have plenty of reason to stay, each could just as easily cut a path out of town—especially Paul, whose age (31) and longstanding friendships around the league might be enough to seek another shot at a title elsewhere.
2. Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Kevin Durant recently said that he and Russell Westbrook are "still cool," despite the former's jarring departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
And, upon closer inspection, why wouldn't they be? As a result of their split, Durant gets to chase rings in the Bay Area, while Westbrook has the title of "team leader" all to himself. As CBSSports.com's James Herbert recalled, that arrangement worked fairly well for OKC two seasons ago when Durant was sidelined by foot injuries:
"That version of the Thunder was a good offensive team and a decent defensive one. That version of Westbrook was otherworldly. It was the best season of his career, and that's not just because his per-game numbers were inflated. Then-coach Scott Brooks empowered him to take complete control of the offense, and no one could slow him down. Westbrook had the second-highest usage rate of all-time and he didn't sacrifice efficiency because he cut down on turnovers and got to the free throw line like crazy.
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The supporting cast also figures to be better than the one Westbrook dragged to the precipice of the playoffs, sans Durant. Steven Adams has become an exceptional starting center, and Andre Roberson and Enes Kanter have matured into solid role players. Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova give the Thunder productive, reliable secondary and tertiary scorers.
If Westbrook leads OKC anywhere near the West's upper echelon, he'll garner serious MVP consideration and could perhaps help lure another star to his side via free agency. But if the Thunder struggle with Westbrook in command, his recently signed extension could look more and more like an expiring contract that needs to be moved before he gets any ideas about following Durant out the door.
1. Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors
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For the last two seasons, Stephen Curry has been the best player in the NBA, at least as far as the MVP award is concerned. Come 2016-17, he might not even be the top dog on his own team.
A healthy Kevin Durant—with his size, on-ball skill and sharpshooting—could snag that mantle from his Golden State Warriors running mate. It wasn't so long ago (i.e., two-and-a-half years) that KD earned a Maurice Podoloff Trophy of his own.
Curry insists that his game "won't change at all," as he told ESPN.com's Darren Rovell:
"That's the reason KD joined—knowing we weren't going to sacrifice anything, that we all have to be ourselves to make things work. There will be some adjustments when it comes to the in-game flow and how we work together, but for us to be who we're supposed to be, we all have to kind of elevate ourselves.
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But if Curry's style of play doesn't change, his role surely will. How could it not, with the addition of another scoring champion who's capable of creating offense for himself and his teammates?
Remember, too, that Curry is coming off an uneven Finals (22.6 points on 40.3 percent shooting, 3.7 assists, 4.3 turnovers in 35.1 minutes) on the heels of a less-than-memorable showing in the 2015 edition (26 points on 44.3 percent shooting, 6.3 assists, 4.7 turnovers in 42.5 minutes). According to ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz, the league wasn't entirely pleased with Curry's most recent performance:
"The NBA was generally pleased with the viewership numbers—and you can't go wrong with a seven-game series—but one official also noted that the league would've been happier had the world been treated to vintage Curry, the joyful bomb-thrower who has made the NBA a religious experience for basketball junkies these past two seasons.
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The pressure of competing for a championship with a stacked deck, after blowing a 3-1 series lead to conclude a historic 73-win season, would be more than enough to put Curry in a tough spot this season. But his predicament comes with an even trickier caveat: his impending free agency.
Another stellar season could net the Warriors' baby-faced assassin a new contract worth north of $200 million. But any Finals-like slippage in his performance or struggles adapting to the rest of Golden State's revamped cast could drag down his market value.
