8 NBA Teams with the Biggest Chemistry Concerns Entering 2013-14

The fact that real, meaningful NBA games are finally here is both a blessing and a curse for the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and a handful of other teams still harboring major chemistry questions.

Can L.A. find a way to fight through Kobe Bryant's absence with a cobbled-together supporting cast of retreads and veterans? How will so many players who've never suited up together establish a rhythm?

Are the Knicks ever going to settle on a starting lineup? And how will they deal with the distraction of Carmelo Anthony's impending free agency?

On the one hand, legitimate competition will provide answers about shaky lineup construction, the impact of key injuries and unresolved coaching conundrums. On the other, those answers might not be pleasant ones.

Let's see which NBA teams still need to sort things out.

Denver Nuggets

Brian Shaw, widely respected and more than deserving of his first head-coaching gig, is on the job in the Mile High City. For all of his clout as a sound defensive mind and solid personality manager, he's still brand new to the rigors of running an NBA team.

And that's only the beginning of the potential chemistry issues for the Denver Nuggets.

Also a concern: Virtually the entire front office and coaching staff has turned over since last year's 57-win campaign. George Karl and Masai Ujiri, the franchise's on-court and front-office braintrust, are both gone, so the total leadership overhaul makes the Nugs vulnerable from the top down.

On the court, Andre Iguodala is elsewhere and Danilo Gallinari is due to miss a big chunk of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Even worse, the defense is now anchored by a frontcourt trio of JaVale McGee, Kenneth Faried and J.J. Hickson, none of whom rate as even average NBA defenders.

Denver is a popular choice for "team most likely to regress" this season, and considering the upheaval in the boardroom and on the bench, it's easy to understand why.

New York Knicks

Per Ian Begley of ESPN, New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson was waffling on his starting lineup a mere 24 hours before the team's first regular-season game.

That's a problem on its own, but the bigger issue is that Woody doesn't have enough sensible combinations to make any potential starting five an ideal choice.

The quirky forward bunch of Amar'e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani, Metta World Peace and Carmelo Anthony doesn't seem to fit together in any clear way. Roles overlap, positions are murky, and no matter what Woodson decides, the frontcourt is going to have to make a major sacrifice on either the offensive or defensive end.

There aren't a lot of well-rounded forwards on the Knicks.

Not only that, but there are other distractions throughout the roster.

J.R. Smith's suspension/injury/general tomfoolery will test the team's patience all year. Plus, Anthony is a lock to exercise his early-termination option this summer, and the oppressive regime of wild-eyed owner James Dolan is keeping everyone on edge.

Get ready for a lot of infighting and finger-pointing in New York.

Houston Rockets

Wherever Dwight Howard goes, questions about chemistry follow.

If that feels like an unfair characterization, too bad. Howard has earned his reputation as a malcontent through diligent complaining and a slavish devotion to acting like a clown in each of his last two stops.

He's presumed guilty of being a locker-room distraction until he proves his innocence.

Adding to the potential problems in Houston is the recent removal of Jeremy Lin from the starting lineup, Omer Asik's ongoing discontent with his role, and the added pressure of serious expectations.

Trade rumors are sure to swirl around this team all season, and it remains to be seen if Kevin McHale is up to the challenge of coaching a potential contender.

Everything comes back to Howard, though.

If he's happy and committed, there's not much that will derail the Rockets. But what if he continues to balk at running the pick-and-roll? And what happens when he sits down the stretch of close games as the Rockets go small?

A repeat of his performances in Orlando and L.A. isn't out of the question. If that happens, things could get messy in a hurry.

Detroit Pistons

If you've read anything about the Detroit Pistons in the past three months, you're well aware that they've got major spacing issues on offense.

Josh Smith should never shoot from outside the lane, and if he's playing small forward alongside the hulking tandem of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, Detroit is going to be fighting against a congested lane all season.

It's true that all three of those players won't spend 48 minutes per game on the court together, but the Pistons will almost certainly want to use them to close out contests if they can. Without solid outside shooting from the backcourt, that might not be an option.

Some combination of Kyle Singler, Chauncey Billups and rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will attempt to provide necessary perimeter shooting, but none appear to be reliable choices.

Beyond the spacing concern, we also know that Brandon Jennings has made a recent habit of clashing with some of his former teammates, including Larry Sanders. The Pistons had better hope he doesn't go the same route with his current compatriots.

Toronto Raptors

Masai Ujiri is basically running the Toronto Raptors now, and anyone that he didn't hire or sign to a contract should be a little concerned about job security.

As general manager, Ujiri will be tasked with stripping away overpaid assets and rebuilding the Raps into a team that is smarter, leaner and more well-rounded.

That could mean shipping out Rudy Gay or DeMar DeRozan at some point this year, but it could also entail firing head coach Dwane Casey, a man Ujiri had no part in hiring.

New bosses have a habit of cleaning house, which makes for a somewhat uncomfortable work environment. When you also consider that Toronto is positioned somewhere between fringe playoff contention and a high lottery pick—also known as NBA "No Man's Land"—the potential for upheaval only increases.

Change is good, and it's probably necessary for the Raptors. But the fear of change, and the uncertainty that comes with it, is murder on team chemistry.

Oklahoma City Thunder

In the past, the Oklahoma City Thunder have addressed concerns—both chemistry-related and otherwise—by leaning on Kevin Durant.

But can he find a way to bond with a supporting cast that should, at least at first, provide him with very little help?

Per John Schuhmann of NBA.com, KD played just 44 minutes last year without either Russell Westbrook or Kevin Martin on the floor.

It's safe to say Martin won't be joining KD at all this year, unless there's some sort of talent-sharing program between the Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves that I'm unaware of. And Westbrook is going to miss a few weeks to start the season.

So if Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb don't both take leaps forward in their development, Durant is going to be a man on an island—much like he was when the Memphis Grizzlies mauled him in last year's playoffs.

The Thunder are still a postseason lock, but the continued removal of auxiliary scoring punch has left them a bit more vulnerable than they've been in the past.

Sacramento Kings

New Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Malone is as old-school as they come, and his presence alone should bring some stability to a franchise that has been the league's most dysfunctional for the past decade.

In addition, the Kings finally have a capable ownership group that seems to care about things like winning and high character. Weird, huh?

The potential for unrest remains, though. Sacramento has something like 12 players on its roster that could be part of a rotation. DeMarcus Cousins is assured of his starting spot, but he spent the preseason reminding everyone that a new contract wouldn't stop him from whining about calls.

When he represents roster stability, it's a bad sign.

Elsewhere, the Kings have a glut of decent talent at every position but no clearly deserving starters.

How long will Greivis Vasquez hold off Isaiah Thomas at the point? Can Ben McLemore play well enough to get minutes ahead of Marcus Thornton? Who should occupy the small forward spot? Can Jason Thompson outplay Patrick Patterson?

Questions abound in Sacramento, and there are still enough problematic personalities to make this thing spiral out of control—new ownership and culture be damned.

In other words, Malone's first frustrated tirade should come sometime in November.

Los Angeles Lakers

Perhaps you heard at some point last year that the Los Angeles Lakers suffered from a few internal squabbles.

Alternatively, perhaps you've recently emerged from cryogenic sleep, which is really the only way you could have missed hearing about LA's soap opera season.

Howard, the center of the team's unrest, is gone. That should go a long way toward alleviating tension, but there are still a ton of basic issues with the Lakers' roster that remain unsolved.

Kobe Bryant will return sometime between next week and never, and whenever he makes it back onto the floor, nobody is sure what he'll look like. Steve Nash is no longer good for more than 20 minutes per game, and he can't play on consecutive days. Mike D'Antoni is dealing with a roster full of washouts and reclamation projects, but he seems somehow confident that this collection of "talent" fits his system better than last year's.

Oh, and Pau Gasol is a trade candidate, Nick Young is going to piss everyone off with his atrocious shot selection, and there's a barely concealed rift between Jim and Jeanie Buss.

Other than that, chemistry is just super in Lakerland.

Truthfully, there's a sense that reduced expectations and the sheer number of last-chance players on the roster has contributed to surprising team unity. We'll see how much that counts for as the losses mount.