Early Predictions for Fiercest NBA Training Camp Battles

NBA training camps won't open for another couple of months, but thanks to a bevy of free-agent moves and a few breakout summer league performances, some seriously competitive position battles have already begun to materialize.

Rookie Victor Oladipo will square off with veteran Jameer Nelson to see who'll be playing the point for the Orlando Magic.

The Houston Rockets have a number of worthy candidates vying for the right to start at the 4 alongside Dwight Howard.

And perhaps most interestingly, Kent Bazemore could be fighting it out for the right to do more for the Golden State Warriors than lead the team in celebrations. The Dubs need a backup point guard, and he might be in the mix to see increased minutes.

A lot is sure to change between now and when teams really have to start making decisions about their rotations, but this offseason is already shaping up to feature a ton of hotly contested positional battles.

Boston's Crowded Frontcourt

The Boston Celtics shipped out two-thirds of their starting frontcourt when they offloaded Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets, which means there are a couple of spots up for grabs under new head coach Brad Stevens.

And as is often the case with rebuilding teams, a number of young guns are lined up to compete with established veterans for playing time.

Jeff Green figures to earn the starting nod at either the 3 or the 4, depending on Boston's stylistic preferences. But Brandon Bass, who started 69 games last year, is hardly a lock to hang onto his position in the first unit.

Averaging 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds as a starting power forward doesn't typically lead to great job security.

And with Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and even Fab Melo in the mix for minutes up front next year, there's no telling how the battle could shake out.

Olynyk looked excellent in summer league play, and with the Celtics building for the future, he should have a good chance to win a starting gig. But don't expect the more experienced members of Boston's big-man rotation to let the kid steal the job so easily.

Otto Porter vs. Martell Webster

Guys like Otto Porter and Martell Webster typically land starting jobs, but for very different reasons.

The Washington Wizards selected Porter No. 3 overall in this year's draft, a distinction that usually results in plenty of playing time. And Webster signed a new four-year, $22 million contract, which indicates that the team expects him to fill a significant role for the club.

But Porter and Webster both fit best at the small forward position, which means that one or the other is going to be starting out on the bench.

On a team with a pre-punched playoff ticket, Webster would be the easy choice to start. He's a career 38 percent three-point shooter with eight NBA seasons under his belt. And although he's unlikely to make any significant improvements going forward, he's the steadier, more reliable option at the 3.

But for a lottery team looking to solidify its young core while giving youth a chance to blossom, Porter would be the better choice.

The issue is that the Wizards are probably caught right in the middle of those two categories. The playoffs are well within reach if the team relies on its vets, but a one-and-done playoff exit would hardly serve the team's long-term growth prospects. At the same time, Washington fans are probably sick and tired of waiting for a winner.

Decisions, decisions...

Jameer Nelson vs. Victor Oladipo

In yet another battle pitting a more expensive, established veteran against a rookie, the Orlando Magic are going to watch as Jameer Nelson dukes it out with Victor Oladipo for the starting point guard spot this offseason.

Oladipo is a project at the point, but his athleticism and work ethic give him an excellent chance to eventually grasp the nuances of the position. He showed off surprising flashes of his ability during the Orlando Summer League, when he averaged 19 points and five assists per game.

Though he lacks most of the subtler traits of a seasoned point guard—timing on the pick-and-roll, an understanding of passing angles, change-of-pace ball-handling, etc.—the raw tools are all there.

Nelson, on the other hand, is a known commodity. The problem is that he's overpaid and almost certainly has no place in the Magic's future beyond this year. Orlando holds an $8 million team option on him for the 2014-15 season that it definitely won't pick up.

There's some value in having Nelson start while bringing the rookie along slowly, but there might be more in letting Oladipo log heavy minutes at the point. He'll take his share of lumps and might not work out at all, but it's going to be tough for the Magic to find out what they've got if Nelson ends up as the starter.

The Houston Rockets' Power Forward Position

In an ideal world, the Houston Rockets would complement Dwight Howard's interior dominance with a power forward that could stretch the floor but still serve as a viable defender. The Rockets have players with some of those skills on the roster, but unfortunately, they don't have any power forwards with all of them.

And that's why Donatas Motiejunas, Terrence Jones, Greg Smith and even Omer Asik are going to be battling it out for minutes at the 4.

Motiejunas is probably the player with the most offensive promise. At 7'0", he has three-point range and an intriguing package of guard skills. But he's invisible on defense and probably needs a bit more seasoning.

Jones is a great athlete who competes extremely hard, but his issues with shot selection might keep him from cracking the starting lineup.

Greg Smith is the most traditional power forward option, but he likes to do his work on the interior, which is where Howard lives.

And Asik would combine with Howard to give the Rockets one of the league's most dominant tandems on D and on the boards, but he's an offensive zero who would only clog things up for Howard underneath.

There are plenty of options at the 4 for the Rockets, but because each one comes with just as many strengths as weaknesses, there's almost certainly going to be a heated fight for minutes.

Bismack Biyombo vs. Cody Zeller

With Al Jefferson in the fold, the Charlotte Bobcats finally have a legitimate scoring presence in the post. But now the Kitties have to figure out if they'd rather have Cody Zeller or Bismack Biyombo alongside their new $41 million man.

Zeller! Biyombo! It's a bona fide clash of the titans.

Seriously though, the Bobcats' choice here will go a long way toward revealing the team's philosophy. Biyombo is still incredibly raw and probably won't ever turn into a passable offensive player, but his defensive potential is still off the charts.

Pairing him with the offense-only Jefferson makes sense.

But Zeller's mixture of athleticism, basketball smarts and fundamentally sound offense make him an equally intriguing option. It might be too soon to relegate Biyombo to the bench—especially considering that the Bobcats still aren't going to win more than 30 games this year—but Zeller is a prospect who's going to deserve serious playing time.

The Golden State Warriors' Backup Point Guard Problem

When Jarrett Jack signed a free-agent deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors lost a valuable presence in the locker room and a player who logged crunch-time minutes in virtually every game during the 2012-13 season.

Most of those late-game minutes will be ably absorbed by new addition Andre Iguodala, but there's still the issue of finding a viable backup point guard to keep the wear and tear on Stephen Curry to a minimum.

Enter Kent Bazemore, noted celebrator and summer league sensation. The second-year pro from Old Dominion showed stunning growth as a converted point guard in Las Vegas—displaying the ability to get into the lane, operate the pick-and-roll expertly and find teammates with cross-court skip passes.

To say Bazemore's transformation from a one-dimensional defensive specialist has been surprising is a massive understatement. He's come a long way in a very short time. And as much as it would hurt to lose his bench celebrations, a point guard with a 6'11" wingspan might be difficult to keep off the floor.

But he'll have to contend with newly signed guard Toney Douglas, rookie Nemanja Nedovic and Iguodala for minutes as the team's backup ball-handler.

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