NBA Preseason: Most Intriguing Storylines to Follow Throughout Exhibitions
With a wild offseason in the rearview mirror and another NBA season upcoming, the preseason can prove meaningless for certain teams but all-important for others.
For the experience-laden teams with little turnover from 2013-14—I'm looking at you, San Antonio Spurs—the preseason is simply a time to monitor playing time for stars and take a closer look at developing standouts. Other squads, like the Lakers and Celtics, will look to see who on the roster is emerging to replace standout performers recently shelved due to injury.
But the unforeseen happenings of the offseason have generated storylines that few would've expected months ago. Just as well, some of the biggest names in the game face daunting tasks this season that will begin to unfold in these exhibitions.
Let's break down the most exciting ones entering this new NBA season.
LeBron Looks to Lead Miami—I Mean, Cleveland—to Promised Land
For all of the drama, conflicting reports and overall hype surrounding LeBron James' recent free-agency spell, one could be forgiven for allowing his move back home to the Cavaliers to slip the mind. After his essay announcement to Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins, James all but disappeared from the forefront as Cleveland brass finished carving out a championship roster around him. And that's probably how he wanted it, especially after the antics of 2010.
But the waiting is over. The speculation is through. It's finally time to see how the assembled parts of stardom mesh with international coaching dynamo David Blatt in his first season as an NBA head coach.
And no matter your affiliation as an NBA fan, you'll most likely be watching as James tries to tackle his toughest task yet—meshing a young, loaded roster with emerging superstars and delivering Cleveland that elusive championship.
James and his new teammates have hardly been on the court together for a week, but they are already showing that the highlight-reel plays James has thrived on throughout his NBA career won't be soon going away:
The world's best player has made it clear to anyone who wants to know that Kyrie Irving was a big reason why he came back. He's never played alongside such a promising point guard, but that also poses the question of just how much LeBron will be bringing the ball up the court next to an outstanding ball-handler.
Early indications, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post, is that Irving is fine-tuning his shot even more:
Throw in the blockbuster trade for Kevin Love, and it's more than obvious that the Cavs won't be short on offensive potency. James now has the elite frontcourt scorer he's never had at his disposal, and nearly every player around him will be able to knock down open shots—which they should have plenty of.
For the first time in recent memory, though, James may have his work cut out for him on defense. After playing on some of the NBA's best defensive teams in his four seasons as a member of the Heat, he and the Cavs enter 2014-15 with little rim protection and serious questions about how successful the backcourt can defend against elite Eastern Conference guards.
Then, somewhat of a surprise came on Friday, when Blatt told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that the Cavs "certainly could" rest James at times throughout the season in order for him to stay fresh. That's a privilege that was not often bestowed upon him in Miami, when the Heat opted to ride James as much as possible with Dwyane Wade missing what felt like every other game.
Rest and staying fresh for the playoffs, though, isn't at the forefront of anyone's mind around Cleveland. It's how this team will mesh in their first moments together. With all of the time that has passed and all of the talk going on around them, the Cavaliers' new-look roster has had little time to start figuring out its brand on the court.
How they do in the early goings, and how close they stay to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, will play a big role in dictating whether James will be getting said rest.
Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose Face Legacy-Altering Comebacks
Let's just get this out of the way—whether Kobe Bryant returns to his own stardom and brings the Lakers back to the promised land won't impact the five-time champion's status as one of the best players of all time.
That much is obvious. But as he looks to make his comeback in 2014-15 and usher the Lakers into the Byron Scott era after both of his last two seasons were cut short, the pressure is undoubtedly on for one of the biggest competitors this game has seen.
The offseason courting of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James came up short, leaving Bryant with the likes of Steve Nash, Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill to make an improbable playoff run in the Western Conference. To make matters worse, Nick Young tore a ligament in his thumb and is expected to be sidelined at the start of the season, per ESPNLosAngeles.com's Arash Markazi.
But for Bryant, well, he's feeling like he's back, per NBA:
The Lakers open their preseason schedule on Monday at the Valley View Casino Center against the Denver Nuggets. While Bryant's minutes are sure to be numbered, he'll be hungry to get 2014-15 off to a good start with some impressive preseason performances.
The Chicago Bulls—albeit in a much better position to contend for a championship—enter the season in a very similar situation with their star player. Derrick Rose has missed almost all of the last two seasons, and hopes to make a return to full health alongside a roster capable of winning the East.
Rose showed flashes of being back to his normal self with Team USA, but had his minutes noticeably shortened by Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Thibodeau. While he was effective at times, it's hard to tell at this point how returning to an 82-game slate and 40-minute outings will fare for him.
The Bulls start out at home on Monday against the Washington Wizards, and Rose will have his hands full dealing with John Wall and Bradley Beal in the backcourt. Pass that test with flying colors, and hopes will start to trend up for Rose's season.
It's All About the Rookies
A year ago, the play of rookies entering the season was all but an afterthought. Anthony Bennett started slow as the top overall pick, and strong starts from Victor Oladipo and Michael Carter-Williams helped to mask an otherwise uninspiring rookie class.
But even since that moment, it was inevitable that the incoming 2014 crop of rookies would be a seismic shift in that regard. With a couple of potential star players amongst them that left draft scouts swooning, look for the top rookies to come out firing to start their professional careers.
Top overall pick Andrew Wiggins—after a marquee trade from Cleveland—will begin his much-anticipated career with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers on the road. His athleticism and rim-attacking ability was on display throughout the Summer League.
He'll join a stacked core of youngsters that also features Bennett and fellow lottery pick Zach LaVine, which Chris Palmer thinks will be a nasty pair:
Then, of course, there's Jabari Parker.
The Milwaukee Bucks made no mistake selecting Parker with the No. 2 overall pick, and he showed out as well in the Summer League—proving he can tote the rock as the feature scorer while improving his brand on defense.
He's showing some early chemistry in Jason Kidd's system with Brandon Knight, as the Bucks' Twitter account shows an impressive alley-oop:
The Bucks open with a home game against the Grizzlies Wednesday to start the preseason, but there'll be plenty more matchups featuring promising rookies. Lottery picks Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton will make their debuts for Orlando Tuesday, as will No. 5 overall selection Dante Exum for the Utah Jazz.
Throw in Julius Randle with the Lakers, Nik Stauskas ripping nets in Sacramento, Doug McDermott with the Bulls and Noah Vonleh joining forces with Al Jefferson in Charlotte, and you have a stacked class of rookies that could play a big role in 2014-15.
There's no telling who among these rookies will take off, but the preseason will be a big indication. Almost all of these squads will roll out their rookies hoping for them to generate some chemistry and find some early success, and how they fare in the exhibitions will decide how much of a role they play in the 82-game slate.
