Starting Roles That Will Be Decided During 2014 NBA Training Camp
NBA training camp starts with the basics.
So before getting to the critical questions of style, pace and for a team like the New York Knicks, which lucky assistant trainer is responsible for icing down J.R. Smith's shooting arm, teams need to figure out who's actually going to play.
Starting gigs around the league are up for grabs, and the aforementioned Mr. Smith is involved in one such position battle for Phil Jackson's Knicks.
Big fish and bottom feeders alike have undetermined roles at this early (embryonic, really) stage of training camp. With bodies just now getting on the floor as part of official preseason workouts, there's a great deal yet to be decided.
That means, at least for now, the Oklahoma City Thunder actually have something in common with the Milwaukee Bucks: Neither squad is certain which quintet will take the floor on opening night.
What is certain?
There are a whole lot of wing players set to fight it out for starting gigs, a not-so-surprising trend that speaks to just how replaceable guys at those positions are becoming in today's NBA.
That's another conversation for another day, though. For now, we'll focus on starting gigs up for grabs in training camp—and the players fighting to claim them.
Shooting Guard, New York Knicks
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There'll be plenty of changes in New York this season, though most of them will pertain to the team's philosophy, organization and professional attitude—which is to say the Knicks will have those things now.
Jackson's presence lends a sense of calm to New York's operation, one that could be quickly disrupted if J.R. Smith cracks the starting lineup. Earl gets shots up, and not all of them are good. You can live with that a little more comfortably off the bench, where spark plugs are forgiven for questionable discretion.
Well-kept secret: Smith was better as a starter than a reserve last year.
In 37 contests as a member of the first unit in 2013-14, Smith turned the ball over less often, scored more efficiently and was particularly accurate (40.7 percent) from downtown. In the 37 games Smith came off the bench, he wasn't quite as effective.
Iman Shumpert is the best wing defender on the roster, and if the Knicks could cram him into a limited role as a three-and-D wing, he'd be the obvious choice to start. But so far, New York hasn't yet figured out how to limit Shump to the things he's good at.
Tim Hardaway Jr. can also score, and using him as a starter would give New York much better balance among its reserves.
Of course, all of this is further complicated by the possibility of the Knicks using Carmelo Anthony as the starting small forward. We should all know by now that 'Melo is demonstrably more valuable as a power forward, but perhaps Derek Fisher and Jackson will need to learn that lesson the hard way.
Point Guard, Dallas Mavericks
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The Dallas Mavericks brought back Tyson Chandler to solidify (in theory) their front-line defense. But in order to add a clear starter at center, they had to give one up at point guard.
Jose Calderon is gone, and one of either Raymond Felton, Devin Harris or Jameer Nelson will take his place in the starting lineup alongside Monta Ellis. Per Matt Moore of CBSSports.com, Felton's odds are longest, but even he isn't totally out of the question:
"Felton was once a really useful, multi-talented point guard. He is eons away from there. He would have to show up for camp in the best shape he's been in five years, and play extremely confident while shooting the lights out and playing defense he hasn't shown for, again, five years, just to be in consideration for the starting spot. But he's in the conversation.
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Nelson is the steadiest influence and best shooter of the bunch, but he's also the smallest. With Ellis occupying the other guard spot, Dallas might be wary of starting such a defensive liability at the 1. Then again, the Mavs opted to start Calderon, an even worse defender, last year.
Rick Carlisle, as he always does, found a way to make that work.
Harris profiles nicely off the bench, where his size allows him to play either guard position. On the other hand, his defensive versatility makes him a sensible option as a starter.
This is effectively a two-way tossup between Nelson and Harris—one training camp will likely sort out. Know this, though: If Felton secures the starting job, it's probably a bad sign for Nelson or Harris, who would almost definitely have to be injured to fall behind in this race.
Almost Everything, Milwaukee Bucks
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Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo are going to start. This much we know.
Where they'll start is another question entirely. Parker can play either forward spot but probably makes the most sense at the 4. Unfortunately, the Milwaukee Bucks are loaded with guys who offer the most value as power forwards—Ersan Ilyasova and John Henson chief among them.
Antetokounmpo can play pretty much anywhere, including a half-dozen entirely new positions that haven't even been invented yet. If he really does get some run as a giant point guard, that throws a whole new set of variables into the mix.
Does Brandon Knight slide over to the 2? And if he does, will we see Khris Middleton, O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless all fighting for minutes off the pine?
Is Larry Sanders sure to win the starting center job over Henson, who might have no place to play if Parker starts at power forward?
I guess if you've just completed a 15-win season, nobody's job should be safe. So some uncertainty is a good thing.
"There's a lot of open positions in the sense of starting," head coach Jason Kidd told Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Minutes are wide open."
Training camp should help clear up the league's least-certain rotation.
Both Wings, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Andrew Wiggins is the future for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Corey Brewer might be the better player in the present. We'll find out for certain if that's the case during training camp.
There's something to be said for holding Wiggins back from a role he hasn't yet earned. At the same time, if he's a potential franchise cornerstone, maybe tossing him out there early is the best way to see what he's made of.
Per B/R's Adam Fromal: "Wiggins is eventually going to start for the Timberwolves, so it's best to get that process kicked off from the very beginning of his rookie season and start establishing some form of continuity."
Of course, Wiggins and Brewer don't need to be mutually exclusive as starters. Both could get a crack at the first unit, but that would mean beating out some combination of Kevin Martin, Anthony Bennett, Zach LaVine and Chase Budinger (who is healthy until further notice).
You could make a case for any of those players to start at a wing spot, though LaVine is probably the biggest long shot.
Martin is the best scorer on the roster and has the most experience. Bennett was a top overall pick who has remade his body this summer. Budinger has size, range and can defend.
The Timberwolves aren't under much pressure to sort their lineup out; they won't challenge for a playoff spot anytime soon. But it'll be fascinating to see this roster take shape in the coming weeks.
Shooting Guard, Detroit Pistons
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Shooting was a problem for the Detroit Pistons last year, and they're hoping the addition of Jodie Meeks lifts their accuracy rate from the 32.1 percent it sank to in 2013-14. That figure ranked 29th in the league.
Caron Butler, another new face, might have something to say about the off-guard spot, though.
If Detroit really does break up its ill-fitting frontcourt, relegating Josh Smith or Greg Monroe to the pine, Butler could slide over to the small forward position, which would leave Meeks (or fringe contender Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) to fire away from distance at the 2.
At Pistons media day, Stan Van Gundy spoke about last year's frontcourt, per Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: "When they played together, they clearly weren't effective."
Nothing's certain yet, and a strong camp from Caldwell-Pope could complicate the situation even further. And if SVG is serious about sitting one of his bigs, we might have to start talking about the battle for the starting small forward position as well.
Point Guard, Orlando Magic
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Lineups with two capable ball-handlers are the wave of the future, and the Orlando Magic would very much like rookie Elfrid Payton to show he's ready to join Victor Oladipo in the backcourt this year. Oladipo endured a trial by fire at the point in 2013-14, and while he struggled mightily as a primary facilitator, his skills in that area suddenly look a lot better when put to use at shooting guard.
Payton, though, may not be ready to assume a starting role. And even if he grasps the nuances of the position in camp, his shaky jumper might make it hard to include him in the first unit.
Luke Ridnour is on the roster now, and Evan Fournier has shown flashes at both guard spots in the past. Plus, a big camp from Ben Gordon might cause head coach Jacque Vaughn to consider utilizing him at shooting guard, which would require Oladipo to slide back to the point.
An excess of young talent is a good thing, but Magic fans will need to be patient as it develops.
Center, Denver Nuggets
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Question: How important is comedic relief in a starting center?
If the answer is anything between "somewhat" and "very," JaVale McGee is the pick for the Denver Nuggets hands-down.
McGee, in addition to occasionally running the wrong way, throwing alley-oops into the fourth dimension and appearing as a nightly bloopers staple, is also a promising athlete with ridiculous length. If he tones down his shenanigans and shows a willingness to play within a scheme, he could win the starting gig during camp.
Timofey Mozgov is a better defender right now, but his ceiling is far lower than McGee's. He feels like the safe pick, which isn't a knock at all. With Kenneth Faried still struggling to play sound team defense, Denver needs a reliable rim protector on the front line.
J.J. Hickson stuffs the stat sheet but is one of the NBA's very worst interior defenders. He makes guys like David Lee and Kevin Love look like willing helpers on that end.
But he sucks up rebounds like crazy, so if the Nuggets decide that's more important than stopping the other team from scoring, he could get a look too.
Shooting Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Reggie Jackson has a lot of good reasons for wanting to start at shooting guard this season, not the least of which is his personal belief in the importance of building an NBA legacy.
Royce Young of Daily Thunder tweeted from Oklahoma City Thunder media day: "Reggie Jackson on why he wants to be a starter: 'Because I want to be great...I can't remember anyone great that wasn't a starter.'"
Ignorance of Manu Ginobili notwithstanding, the Thunder should be ecstatic that Jackson's expectations are so high. Of course, OKC must also be aware that Jackson—if he can't agree to an extension before Oct. 31—will be a free agent after the season, which means he's got another incentive to chase a role that pumps up his stats and profile.
Jeremy Lamb is also an option at the 2, and even if Jackson is quite clearly the superior player, there's a case to be made for giving the rangy Lamb the gig.
OKC's backup point guard situation is ugly, and Jackson is the only player on the roster who can capably handle relief duties for Russell Westbrook. Starting him would require some tricky rotation work for Scott Brooks, who'd have to find a way to keep either Westbrook or Jackson on the floor at all times.
If Lamb plays well in camp, it could make the decision to bring Jackson off the pine even easier.
He won't be happy about it, but a backup role (which would still allow him to finish games) is probably the best thing for Jackson and the Thunder.
Small Forward, Memphis Grizzlies
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Tayshaun Prince has been a starter in 842 of the 882 games he's played in his career, and if you exclude his rookie season, the veteran small forward has come off the pine in just three of the last 800 games he's played.
Vince Carter looks utterly bizarre in a Memphis Grizzlies jersey, so if he winds up taking Prince's job in the starting lineup, we'll be in for a doubly weird situation this year.
Right now, Carter is a better player than Prince, despite being four years older.
Last season, the two played nearly an identical number of minutes (1,973 for Carter, 1,948 for Prince), per Basketball-Reference.com, and Vinsanity doubled Prince's scoring output.
Not only that, but Carter shot 39.4 percent from long range, crushing Prince's putrid accuracy rate of 29 percent. And perhaps you've heard: The Grizzlies desperately need somebody who can improve their spacing.
Even on the defensive end, where Prince used to shine, Carter was at least his new teammate's equal a year ago.
The smart money is on Carter to win this job, but the Grizzlies have insisted on starting Prince for as long as he's been in Memphis. For most of that time, he hasn't been the best small forward on the roster. Quincy Pondexter was better in 2012-13 (and he's also in the mix for this spot, by the way), and James Johnson was probably a superior option last season.
Nonetheless, the Grizz have always given Prince the nod whenever he's been healthy.
We'll see if that continues to be the case in camp.
Note: Michael Beasley is also in Memphis on a non-guaranteed deal. If he somehow ends up in this conversation, we'll know the world is nearing its end.
Point Guard, Los Angeles Lakers
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I'm just going to do it.
Just going to toss this one in here despite the fact that Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott has already dropped hints Steve Nash is his starting point guard—most recently in an interview with Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
By all accounts, Nash looks Nashier than he has in years, and if that narrative sticks throughout training camp, Jeremy Lin won't have a prayer of stealing the starting point guard job. Forty or not, Nash is a better player—a potentially transformative one, even—than Lin if he's healthy.
But nothing is ever really certain with the two-time MVP. Not at this stage of his career and especially not after the litany of games he's missed over the past two years. The slightest twinge or the mere mention of nerve irritation in Nash's back will open the competition right up, giving Lin a chance to claim a permanent starting position.
Either way, Lin was probably going to see some starts whenever the Lakers rested Nash—probably on the second night of back-to-backs or on particularly lengthy road trips. A Nash setback could expand that role, and we'll get a very good idea of how likely such a setback might be during camp.
