NBA 2010-11 Preview: The Big Question For Each Team
It's almost time for the NBA season to start up again, and after a tumultuous offseason many questions remain.
No offseason has inspired so much conversation about basketball.
Between "The Decision," anything having to do with Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant's play at the FIBA World Championship, and more, the NBA has an incredible buzz about it.
Each team goes into the season with a perfect record and a belief that they can make some serious noise in the run for a championship. Some of those hopes will be realized, but only one team can come out on top.
Will it be the Lakers for a third straight year? The Heat with their new super-trio? The Celtics? The Bulls? Could the upstart Thunder take the title? Or is the best team in basketball not even on our radar yet?
Read on for the biggest question surrounding each and every team in the NBA.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
Was Joe Johnson really worth the biggest offseason contract?
After yet another early playoff exit, one in which Johnson seemingly gave up and turned on his own fans, most Atlanta fans didn't really want No. 2 back in a Hawks uniform. Especially not at the exorbitant price tag with which he was associated.
It seemed as though re-signing Johnson would doom the franchise to another spell of mediocrity. Despite their wishes, Johnson remained an Atlanta Hawk.
There's no doubt that he's a great basketball player, but he's really going to need to step it up and become a leader this season, a role he's failed to fully adopt in the past.
The Hawks are loaded with young talent.
Jeff Teague and Jordan Crawford inject youthful talent into a lineup that already contains three All Star-caliber players in Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.
If the Hawks can remain near the top of the Eastern Conference and advance further into the playoffs, it may just justify the Johnson contract.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
Can the O'Neal duo put this team over the top?
After their mediocre regular season, the Celtics made a dramatic playoff run that culminated in a trip to the Finals. The Lakers got the best of Boston, but it still had to be considered a surprisingly good season.
As the Miami Heat made the biggest offseason splashes in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics were content with keeping their nucleus of talent and adding a couple big men with the same last name.
The Big Four of this team (Rajon Rondo is officially too talented to be left out of the nickname) are all great players. Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen are all capable of lighting it up at any time.
But the success of this team could hinge on the play of two older big men: Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal. If they play well, it's very possible that the Celtics could be the team to beat.
Charlotte Bobcats
3 of 30
Can D.J. Augustin and Larry Brown get along?
The Bobcats have a good bit of talent on their squad with Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace, but they need a good point guard to really get the offense going.
D.J. Augustin could be that guy.
During his rookie season he played quite well, but got into disputes with head coach Larry Brown during his sophomore campaign and ended up riding the pine.
If the preseason is any indication, Augustin is playing confidently and quite well, and could be the missing puzzle piece for the Bobcats.
He's the key to their season. If he performs well, the Bobcats could find themselves in the playoffs.
But if he fails to live up to the expectations placed upon him when he was drafted from the University of Texas, the Bobcats could be having a very long season.
Chicago Bulls
4 of 30
Can Carlos Boozer take the Bulls to the next level?
The Bulls had a good, but not great season last year. They followed it up with a great offseason, highlighted by the acquisition of Carlos Boozer.
Boozer, who most recently plied his trade in Utah, is one of the best forwards in the league and is a double-double machine when he's healthy.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, that is not always the case. For example, Boozer will miss the first few weeks of the regular season until he returns from a hand injury.
When he is in the lineup, Boozer has the potential to carry this team for stretches during the game and will need to do so in order to take them to the next level.
Cleveland Cavaliers
5 of 30
Who will help make Cleveland fans forget about LeBron James?
The answer is quite simple. No one can really do that at this point in time. The wound is still too raw to heal.
But, J.J. Hickson sure might be able to help ease the pain a little bit.
Hickson is a young player who has serious star potential. He can shoot the ball, he can make flashy plays and he can crash the boards with authority. Hickson even averaged 19.7 points per game during the summer league season.
Cleveland is bound to have a bad season (it's impossible to replace someone like King James right away), but they should have a bright spot this season.
Dallas Mavericks
6 of 30
Can the Mavericks actually make a move in the playoffs?
After a disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2010 playoffs, the Mavericks had a productive offseason. Dirk Nowitzki resigned and Tyson Chandler was acquired.
The Mavericks have traditionally done well in the regular season, but exited early in the postseason.
This year they may have even more talent than normal.
Jason Kidd and Nowitzki are back yet again. Caron Butler will be spending a whole season playing for Dallas and Rodrigue Beaubois may have a breakout season in store for his fans.
Could it all add up to postseason success this year?
I wouldn't be surprised.
Denver Nuggets
7 of 30
Will Carmelo Anthony finish the season in a Nuggets uniform?
All indications point towards Melo starting the year in Denver, but the question remains: will he finish the year where he starts it?
The offseason (post-Decision) has been filled with speculation about where Anthony will take his talents to. New Jersey, New York and virtually every team in the NBA has been rumored to be taking the star off the Nuggets' hands.
Recently, the rumors concerning the New York Knicks have picked back up again.
It's sad for Denver fans that the primary focus this season will end up being where else Melo will play, but it looks like that is going to be headline No. 1.
Detroit Pistons
8 of 30
What will Tracy McGrady bring to the Pistons?
We're a long way from the Bad Boys of old Pistons lore. This team doesn't have much to brag about at all.
Rodney Stuckey and Austin Daye could prove to be two young stars in the making, but the season may hinge on the success of the Tracy McGrady experiment.
McGrady only scored 9.4 points per game for the New York Knicks last year, but the Pistons will be counting on significantly more production out of the veteran player.
If he plays like the T-Mac of old, the Pistons could have a surprisingly good season. If not, well, who knows. . .
Golden State Warriors
9 of 30
Can Golden State score enough to make up for the lack of defense?
There is no doubt that Golden State can put up points in bunches.
Monta Ellis is known for his ability to score the basketball. Stephen Curry can light it up on any given night and has one of the purest shooting strokes in the league. David Lee can drop 20 when he needs to.
And the rest of the lineup isn't bad.
Dorell Wright has potential and will be starting with a blank slate after leaving the Heat behind. Andris Biedrins is a talented player as well.
The problem isn't scoring. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Warriors put up 140 points a few times this season. The problem is the defense.
Keith Smart, the new head coach, is going to need to emphasize defense a little bit more than the man he replaced.
Houston Rockets
10 of 30
How long can Yao Ming stay healthy?
When Yao Ming is on the court, the Houston Rockets are an entirely different basketball team. A much better one, in fact.
Unfortunately for Houston, the 7'6" center is often on the bench due to some sort of injury. For example, Ming sat out all of last year, citing a foot injury as the cause.
This season, Ming is supposed to be healthy, at least for the time being.
His minutes are being monitored by the Rockets brass though to prevent an injury from occurring.
When you think about it, this situation is none to surprising.
Human beings aren't supposed to be this big, so when they are it's beneficial to their teams when they're on the court, but has the opposite effect on the player's health.
Indiana Pacers
11 of 30
Can Darren Collison make the difference for a young Pacers team?
Last season, Collison started 37 times and put up 18.8 points, 9.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in those games. That is not bad at all for a rookie.
He is incredibly quick and has well-above-average vision for a point guard.
Now, instead of backing up Chris Paul in New Orleans, Collison gets to lead this Indiana Pacers squad. He'll have the pleasure of feeding the ball to both Roy Hibbert and Danny Granger.
If Collison can be anywhere near as productive over the course of this season as he was in his limited exposure last year, the Pacers could be in for a surprisingly good season.
Los Angeles Clippers
12 of 30
How good is Blake Griffin?
After fracturing his kneecap on a dunk last preseason, Griffin had to sit out his entire rookie year.
But because of that, he maintained his rookie eligibility and will be returning with a vengeance this season.
Blake Griffin is an incredible talent. He has the potential to be one of the five best players in the NBA. Maybe not this season, but at some point in the future.
If he remains healthy, he should be a shoe-in to contend for Rookie of the Year honors. Blake Griffin, more than any other player on the Clippers roster, has the potential to carry this team to some sort of success.
I don't know about you all, but I'll be tuning in to any televised Clippers games just to see this young man play basketball.
Los Angeles Lakers
13 of 30
Is a third straight title a possibility for the Lakers?
After winning the NBA Championship for the last two seasons, the Lakers are in the enviable position of competing for a three-peat.
There's really no reason to think that they couldn't complete the task. The lineup is still fully intact.
Kobe is still Kobe, even though he now has some injury concerns with his knee. Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest and Matt Barnes are all still with the team. Their biggest loss may be. . . Adam Morrison?
Standing in the way are the same old foes in the Western Conference: the Utah Jazz, the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks. But this year, the Oklahoma City Thunder could strike some fear into the Lakers' hearts.
On the other side of the playoff bracket is the real talent. The Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat are all capable of making a run at the title.
A three-peat is absolutely possible, but won't be easy.
Memphis Grizzlies
14 of 30
Can the young players take another stride forward?
After going 40-42 last season, the Grizzlies have much higher hopes for this year. In fact, they just finished completing their exhibition season without even a single loss.
The hopes for this season are going to ride squarely on the backs of the young studs for this team.
Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol all have enormous potential, and have been great so far in their young careers.
Another year of experience for all four of them should be helpful and it will be interesting to see if they can all take another step forward.
If they do, Memphis could surprise a lot of people this year.
Miami Heat
15 of 30
How will the three stars work together?
In case you've been living under a rock, Miami now has LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on their roster.
Their season basically comes down to this:
If they avoid injury and work together, they could very easily win it all. If not, trouble could ensue.
Enough said.
Milwaukee Bucks
16 of 30
Can Brandon Jennings improve his shooting and carry this team?
Brandon Jennings showed off his ridiculous ability when he dropped 55 points early on in his rookie season, but his first-year campaign was largely plagued by shooting woes.
In fact, the guard shot only 37% from the field, a number that proved his inefficiency.
Jennings has all the potential in the world and he's one of those players who you just can't take your eyes off of when he's on the court, but he needs to shoot for a much higher percentage.
If he can do that this year, he and the Bucks will become much more unstoppable than they were last season.
Minnesota Timberwolves
17 of 30
Can Michael Beasley capitalize on his fresh start and justify his being picked No. 2 overall?
Michael Beasley was absolutely incredible during his year at Kansas State, but his time in Miami was just awful. Judging by what I've heard Heat fans say about him, he's not exactly the most popular man in South Beach.
It surprised me when David Kahn made a good decision and brought Beasley over to Minnesota. He gets a fresh start and is now on a team where he'll be fed the ball on offense.
Beasley could very well rediscover the magic that got him drafted second overall a few years back.
Now, if only the Timberwolves could find a better starter than Darko Milicic. . .
New Jersey Nets
18 of 30
Has Mikhail Prokhorov brought a winning mentality to the table?
The offseason may currently be viewed as a disappointment because the Nets failed to secure any of the big free agents, but a few years from now we may look at it as a success.
Why? Because New Jersey brought in Mikhail Prokhorov. Prokhorov, a Russian multi-billionaire, is the new Nets owner and has brought a buzz with him.
When was the last time an owner inspired a Bill Simmons column?
The Nets definitely have some talent. Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, Terrence Williams, Damion James, Derrick Favors and Brook Lopez are all very skilled basketball players.
The days of 12-win seasons should be behind these Nets.
New Orleans Hornets
19 of 30
Will Chris Paul be a member of the New Orleans Hornets at the end of the season?
This is pretty much the same question that plagues the Denver Nuggets, except Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets replace Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets in this case.
Most people don't think that Chris Paul will finish the season wearing his current jersey, but the question remains, where will he play?
The Hornets might as well start looking for a new point guard now, especially because Darren Collison is now on the Pacers.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
Can Amar'e Stoudemire handle the media spotlight of New York City?
I think that the answer to this question is yes. Stoudemire has always loved the spotlight and should enjoy having it to himself now.
His game, full of highlight-reel-worthy offensive plays and devoid of defense and rebounding, fits in well.
Unfortunately, Amar'e alone may not be enough to make the wins start piling up in the city that never sleeps.
He's a great start, though, and if he can become a superstar here, he'll draw other great players to the city to join him.
Can anyone say Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony?
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
Can Oklahoma City win an NBA title?
To be honest, I have no idea, but this team is loaded with talent.
Kevin Durant is the favorite to win the MVP, and that's for good reason. He's an incredible basketball player. Russell Westbrook could vault into the upper echelon of NBA players. Not just point guards, but players in general.
Serge Ibaka, Jeff Green, Cole Aldrich and every other player on the team could blossom as well.
It's incredible just how likable and talented this young team is.
I wish I was a Thunder fan. . .
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
Can Dwight Howard take a step forward with his offensive game?
Dwight Howard is already a superstar, but he's not without his flaws. Howard's offensive game basically consists of put-back dunks and other teams have been able to exploit this weakness and knock the Magic out of the playoffs.
This season, Howard spent time with Hakeem Olajuwon to work on his offensive moves.
If he made significant progress, Howard is going to be absolutely unstoppable.
The rest of the Eastern Conference is praying that he didn't.
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
Can Evan Turner justify being drafted second overall?
Evan Turner was an amazing player at Ohio State and was rewarded by being selected No. 2 overall. Then came the Summer League and he looked like a draft bust.
Turner was out of shape and looked absolutely awful. He didn't look that athletic, his jump shot wasn't finding the hoop, and he didn't look like he belonged.
During the preseason however, Turner showed that he can handle the ball, rebound, and draw fouls. So the offseason wasn't entirely without positives.
If Turner can deal with the fickle Philadelphia fans, he could blossom into a great player.
After all, there's a reason he was drafted so high.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
Will Hedo Turkoglu redeem himself after his awful year in Toronto?
Turkoglu was magnificent for Orlando back in the 2008-2009 season, but then the 2009-2010 season rolled around and he experienced a decline in every single statistical category, but blocks per game.
He let his team down in Toronto and didn't live up to the high expectations at all.
Part of the reason, though, was that he simply wasn't happy with the team. He's said publicly that he didn't really enjoy playing for the Raptors.
Turkoglu should be able to redeem himself and recapture his form from his days in Orlando. He's now in a great situation in Phoenix and has the luxury of being fed the ball by Steve Nash this year.
Expect a bounce-back.
Portland Trailblazers
25 of 30
Can Nicolas Batum break out this year?
Batum didn't get too much of a chance to contribute last year because of a shoulder injury, but he's the unquestioned starter at small forward this year for the Blazers and has the potential to be an excellent player.
For example, in one of his preseason games, Batum was on the court for 35 minutes and made opponents pay. He put up 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists against the Golden State Warriors.
Batum is great at making cuts to get open and has incredible skills when he has possession of the ball.
Get to know this guy from France because he's going to be around for a long time.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
Can DeMarcus Cousins win the Rookie of the Year Award?
DeMarcus Cousins was unleashed this year during the Summer League, where he just flat-out dominated. He is pretty much a walking double-double.
If the Kings are going to take another step forward, Cousins will have to step up and play very well.
To do that, he'll need to curtail the weight issues and remain focused during the season. One of the knocks on Cousins was his mental game. People worry that he may not be able to keep his head screwed on straight.
With Tyreke Evans last year and DeMarcus Cousins this year, the Kings have the rare opportunity to claim back-to-back Rookie of the Year awards.
If they do so, they could make a run at the eighth seed in this year's playoffs.
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
Are the Spurs too old to make a run this year?
The Spurs are almost always listed among the contenders, but they may be nearing the end of that run. Their players are just getting too old and there isn't quite enough young talent.
Tim Duncan is 34. Tony Parker is 28. Manu Ginobili is 33. It seems like that core has been around forever now.
If the Spurs are going to win again, the time needs to be now. San Antonio has already shown that they're going to monitor Duncan's minutes this year, and that's never a great sign.
There's no doubt that this team has talent, but the question remains. Are they deep and young enough to get through the whole season?
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
Who is going to replace Chris Bosh in Toronto?
When Chris Bosh left Toronto behind for the warmer climate of Miami (that was the only reason he left, right?), he left behind some pretty large shoes to fill.
The Raptors definitely still have some talent on their team, but they're bound to suffer this season.
Andrea Bargnani is probably going to be the man who becomes the new team leader but he'll be helped out by Leandro Barbosa, Linas Kleiza, Amir Johnson, DeMar DeRozan and Jose Calderon.
There's lots of potential in Toronto right now, but no clearly defined roles. This season should help to change that.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
Is Deron Williams going to be the best point guard in the NBA?
There's definitely a debate raging about whether Chris Paul or Deron Williams is the best point guard in the league now. Steve Nash and Rajon Rondo aren't too far out of the conversation either.
For Utah to remain near the top of the Western Conference without the service of Carlos Boozer, Williams is going to need to step up his game even more. That's a lot to ask for sure, but it needs to be done.
Williams can do it all and he'll need to this season.
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
Will John Wall live up to the hype?
Yes.
I've had the pleasure of watching him in person and it's simply unreal how fast he is. He has all the talent in the world.
Please, please, please, please, please watch John Wall play at least once this season.
He's that good.
