NBA Media Day 2015: Dates, Schedule, TV and Live Stream Info
The start of the 2015 NBA season is merely a month away, which means it's time for all 30 teams to meet the media and address pressing questions before a fresh campaign gets underway.
So as optimism gets set to reign supreme for the next month and players boast about physical strides made over the offseason, here's a look at when and where you can catch a glimpse of your favorite team's media day.
Schedule
Friday, Sept. 25: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic
Monday, Sept. 28: All remaining teams
TV: NBA TV, 3 p.m. ET on Sept. 28
Live Stream: Check team's official website
2015 Storylines to Watch
Can the Clippers Finally Break Through?
The Los Angeles Clippers' offseason represented an emotional roller coaster as DeAndre Jordan oscillated between bolting for the Dallas Mavericks and sticking in Hollywood. But ultimately, the bouncy center stuck with what he knew and retreated to the Clippers on a four-year max deal.
With all of their core pieces intact and a few new veterans to help bolster depth across the board, the Clippers are out of excuses. They need to win, and they need to win now.
Los Angeles led the league in offensive efficiency last season, and it's even more stocked on paper following a terrific summer. Along with Jordan, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick, the Clippers will trot out Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, Josh Smith, Wes Johnson, and Pablo Prigioni, among others.
"The haul might lack blockbuster additions, but the Clippers needed quantity more than quality," Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley wrote. "They ranked 23rd in bench scoring last season (29.7 points per game, per HoopsStats.com), and that was with super sixth man Jamal Crawford supplying 15.8 points and 2.5 assists on a nightly basis."
While L.A. may take a hit when it comes to defensive aptitude on the wing with Matt Barnes gone to the Memphis Grizzlies, Pierce, Stephenson and Smith are all versatile perimeter players capable of playing multiple positions.
If that group can't net the franchise its first conference finals appearance, it may be time to abandon hope.
Which Team Represents Cleveland's Biggest Threat in the East?
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't finish the 2014-15 regular season with the Eastern Conference's best record—that honor belonged to the Atlanta Hawks—but they breezed through the first three rounds of the postseason.
Prior to clashing with the Golden State Warriors with the Larry O'Brien Trophy at stake, the Cavaliers lost a grand total of two games to Eastern Conference playoff qualifiers. More staggering is that both losses came against the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as the Kevin Love-less Cavs went on to sweep the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks will remain the odds-on choice to push Cleveland in the postseason despite losing DeMarre Carroll to the Toronto Raptors, but the Chicago Bulls shouldn't be discounted.
With Fred Hoiberg in and Tom Thibodeau out as head coach, the Bulls figure to embrace a more modern, uptempo scheme that maximizes the team's ability to get up and down the floor in transition.
However, Chicago's shrouded in mystery. Not only does Hoiberg need to implement a new system that will undoubtedly take time for players to get acquainted with, but Joakim Noah is coming off another injury-riddled campaign.
And while Derrick Rose didn't suffer another catastrophic injury last season, his production left plenty to be desired. Over the course of 51 games, Rose shot 40.5 percent from the field and 28 percent from three while posting an average shot distance of 14.2 feet—the longest of his career.
After 32.5 percent of his field-goal attempts last season came from beyond the three-point line, Rose needs to try to recapture vintage off-the-dribble form in pursuit of friendlier shots closer to the rim.
But if the Bulls and Hawks can't sort things out, don't discount the Miami Heat.
"Imagine a starting lineup of Dragic, a healthy Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside," CBSSports.com's Matt Moore wrote. "Throw in the smart additions they made this offseason in Gerald Green and No. 10 overall pick Justise Winslow, and you've got the makings of something. So I'll go with the Heat—if only because everyone else is so disappointing."
Factor in a healthy Josh McRoberts and potentially rejuvenated Amar'e Stoudemire, and Miami's a sneaky bet to give Cleveland a run in the East.
San Antonio Eyes a Climb Back to the Western Conference Summit
The San Antonio Spurs experienced some uncharacteristic slippage last season that resulted in a first-round playoff exit to the Clippers, but don't expect a repeat performance.
Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have both returned for last hurrahs. Kawhi Leonard is firmly entrenched as a superstar. David West was added on a veteran minimum deal. Danny Green was re-signed to a long-term contract. And, most importantly, LaMarcus Aldridge arrived.
And any time you can slot a player who recently scored on 48.4 percent of his post-ups beside Tim Duncan, you're in for a jolt on offense.
"They've shown over the years they can plug any guy into this system and have him preform [sic] at a high level so I think my life is going to be easier in this system," Aldridge said at his introductory press conference, per CSNNW.com. "I'm going to get easier shots. Tim is going to help me and vice versa. My transition to the offense will be easy."
Challenging the Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder for Western Conference supremacy won't be easy, but the Spurs have the foundation in place to return to the league's championship summit.
All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless noted otherwise.
