15 NBA Players Who Will Be Under the Most Scrutiny During Training Camp

A new NBA season is less than a couple months away, and when training camps officially open Oct. 2, certain players will be critically examined more than others.

Stars such as Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum will be scrutinized because they're on a new team. Others like Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will garner attention because they're rookies with high expectations.

Meanwhile, veterans like Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash will be scrutinized because they're embarking on a quest for their first championship.

The 2012-13 preseason will yield a slew of intriguing storylines and players of interest.

15. Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers turned quite a few heads on draft night by selecting Syracuse slasher Dion Waiters.

Immediately, there was buzz about Waiters teaming with Kyrie Irving to form an elite backcourt for the next decade. The two have incredible potential, and with that comes high expectations from the win-thirsty Cleveland fans.

Fans and media will have a close eye on Waiters in training camp and preseason games, wondering if he's improved his jump shot and decision-making.

Bleacher Report NBA lead writer Josh Martin offers a terrific breakdown of Waiters' game, noting that his jump shot efficiency must improve if he wants to become a star guard. 

14. Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers

To keep restricted free agent Nicolas Batum in town, the Portland Trail Blazers made a massive financial commitment to him this summer.

The 6'8" small forward is due to make roughly $46 million over the next four seasons. That's an enormous amount of money for someone who's never scored more than 14 points per game and has a career PER of 15.4.

Portland fans will be closely watching his performance and development as the 2012-13 campaign unfolds.

Can the wiry French star reach his potential in the NBA, and can he help LaMarcus Aldridge lead the Blazers back to playoff territory?

13. Landry Fields, Toronto Raptors

Former New York Knicks forward Landry Fields' sophomore season was considered a disappointment. Part of the dissatisfaction was due to his impressive rookie year, and part of it is simply due to lofty Big Apple expectations.

Nevertheless, he landed a lucrative deal with the Toronto Raptors ($18.8 million over three years) and figures to be a key component of the franchise's future.

How will he fare north of the border in a different lineup?

He'll be joining fellow newcomers Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry on a roster that includes Andrea Bargnani, Lineas Kleiza and Jose Calderon. If this squad can gel early on, it will make more noise in the East than most expected.

12. Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers

If the Indiana Pacers want to be a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference, they'll need a huge year out of Roy Hibbert.

Indy fans will look for positive signs right out of training camp as Hibbert progresses in the paint.

In 2011-12, he posted career-best numbers in nearly every category, including offensive and defensive rating, rebounding, scoring and shooting efficiency. His footwork and nose for the rim have improved markedly over the last year and a half. 

But it's not enough. He must exceed that production in 2012-13 if the Pacers are going to survive. Indiana's tweaked roster will only take them so far if Hibbert scores fewer than 13 points and snags fewer than 10 boards per night.

11. Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Clippers

2011-12 was a year to forget for veteran Lamar Odom.

His lone season in Dallas saw his overall production cut in half, and his efficiency went down the drain.

But let's not dwell on that. The good news for Odom is he's back in Tinseltown, a place where he's comfortable and he knows he can thrive. There's a good chance he can get back to his double-digit scoring and dynamic facilitation as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.

However, he's got to prove he's back to his old winning ways, and that begins with mastering a good chemistry with his teammates in training camp.

10. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Speaking of Clippers, the greatest concern on the team is the Blake Show. Blake Griffin's left knee injury grounded him just before the Olympics, taking some of the wind out of Team USA's and the Clippers' sails.

Los Angeles fans hope he can come back strong and lead the Lob City crew further in the playoffs than he did last spring.

He recently told Sports Illustrated that his rehab is going well and he feels like he's at 100 percent.

Saying it is one thing, but actually playing explosively and nimbly this fall is another. Hopefully, he is indeed healed and owns an improved jump shot. Lob City will become an outdated fad if the Clippers bow out early in the playoffs again.

9. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats

Bringing the Charlotte Bobcats back to relevance and prominence is a tall task for head coach Mike Dunlap, and it won't happen overnight.

But there is some positive energy surrounding the refurbished roster, starting with 2012 first-round draft pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The young star's toughness and versatility helped Kentucky rule college hoops last year, and he'll try to bring some of that positive energy to Charlotte.

He's not quite 19 yet, but the Bobcats will give him a load of responsibilities on both ends of the floor. His offensive game needs polishing, most specifically his ball-handling and long-range shooting.

Training camp and exhibition games will be an early indicator of his offensive effectiveness as a rookie.

8. Eric Gordon, New Orleans Hornets

This season will be Eric Gordon's first full year in the Big Easy, and the Hornets are counting on him to lead the backcourt as the squad works its way back to playoff contention.

Training camp might be a little awkward this year for Gordon, the team, the media and the fans because he signed Phoenix's offer sheet this summer. New Orleans matched it and devoted $58 million to keep him on board, but that doesn't change the fact that he reportedly wanted out.

Check out this interview at Olympic training camp from July. It displays how uncomfortable Gordon was with the situation.

Stellar basketball from the outset is the best medicine for all parties involved.

7. Brandon Roy, Minnesota Timberwolves

Russian standouts Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved are in Minnesota, and Ricky Rubio will rejoin them in a few months, but the player who will undergo the most scrutiny at the actual training camp is Brandon Roy.

The NBA's comeback kid deserves kudos, considering we didn't know if he'd make a full recovery and make it back to the league.

But there should be cautious optimism about Roy because he's more than a year removed from high-level action, and his knees present a tangible risk.

If he can reclaim his playmaking ways on the wing, life will get a lot easier for Rubio and Kevin Love, and the Wolves will be knocking on the door of the playoffs.

6. Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers

The amount of star power in the Los Angeles Lakers' starting lineup is staggering, and it's up to Steve Nash to make sure the squad doesn't start looking like a dysfunctional All-Star team.

We know the Lakers will be good and their potential is unlimited, but their actual level of success this season hinges immensely upon Nash's facilitation of the offense.

He's one of the best pick-and-roll point guards the game has ever witnessed, and Dwight Howard is an easy target for him, but where does that leave Kobe? Nash is also a master at pushing the ball and running the break, but this is a different, older cast he's working with.

The City of Angels is eager to see how the floor general works his magic.

5. Andrew Bynum, Philadelphia 76ers

The mammoth trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers also sent Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia for what will likely be the prime of his career.

The 76ers have had some solid pieces in the last few years, and recently they've boasted a great cast of guards and wings. But they were missing a formidable anchor in the middle (apologies to Spencer Hawes).

In a few weeks, Sixers followers will get a taste of what it's like to have a championship-caliber post player on their side.

All early indications point to Bynum being the positive, productive version of himself, and not the disgruntled youth that he often was in Los Angeles.

4. Jeremy Lin, Houston Rockets

Brand-new Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin is as capable as anyone when it comes to handling media attention and scrutiny, and he'll face a Texas-sized dose of it as the preseason unfolds.

But is he capable of weaving through defenses and guarding top point guards throughout an entire season? That is a tougher proposition.

Lin's per-minute production was better than his Rockets predecessors, so there's a high standard that Houston expects of him. Can he sustain it for a whole season in a new division?

It's unlikely that he'll be an elite point guard this season, especially considering how young the roster is. Even so, last year should have taught us to not underestimate this underdog.

3. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets

A year and a half ago, Anthony Davis was playing high school hoops. Now, the NBA's No. 1 pick is toting an NCAA ring, Naismith Award and Olympic Gold Medal.

He's excelled in every transition in his career thus far, and almost everyone believes he will do so as he breaks into the Association. Davis is a level-headed individual, so he has every opportunity to be a star in the near future for the Hornets.

Bright lights always follow the NBA's top pick, and the glare is even brighter for the ultra-talented shot-blocker out of Kentucky. He can't do everything himself, but New Orleans will rely on him to protect the paint, run the floor and clean up the glass.

Davis shows superb potential offensively, but the Hornets' faithful must be patient. This preseason, they should just be excited to have the best 19-year-old on the planet.

2. Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers

The big fish finally left his small pond in Orlando, and he's now a part of one of the most prestigious franchises in sports.

Dwight Howard follows the footsteps of Lakers centers George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal. That's pretty much the Mt. Rushmore of NBA big men, sans Bill Russell.

He must understand that the city doesn't expect him to be Shaq or Kareem. They just want him to bring enough power to get the squad back to title contention.

Los Angeles wants Howard to help Kobe win his sixth ring and the franchise win its 18th. Will he establish a good rapport with his teammates? Can he and Kobe coexist in the same offense? Absolutely. But everyone's going to tune in anyway to see exactly how it shakes out.

1. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

Is it fair that fans and media have singled out Carmelo Anthony as the best player to not win a championship? Maybe not, but the reality is that New York will only be tougher on him until he lifts the trophy.

Michael Mitarotonda of SNY's Knicks Blog delivers the demanding expectations:

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"Now the highest scoring active player without a title to his name, Anthony has won just two playoff series in his nine-year career...This season there are no more excuses for Anthony. He has had ample time to familiarize himself with his teammates and coaching staff...It doesn’t matter what Carmelo Anthony has done in his career. All that matters is what he will do for the Knicks."

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Not only will Anthony be scrutinized during training camp and preseason, but he'll be closely watched until the final buzzer of the season. With all the talent around him, it's title or tears for the Madison Square Garden throng.

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