NBA
Starting Five
By Kevin Cottrell
October 1, 2019
A breakdown on five of the top stories heading into training camps.
Despite the unseasonably warm temperatures across the nation, we are in the midst of the Fall season. Whether you call it a mild Autumn or an Indian summer, the 2019-20 NBA season is officially underway. Fresh off the Toronto Raptors capturing the 2019 NBA Title the league experienced tons of player movement with hopes of resetting the league hierarchy. Teams have adjusted from super teams and Big threes to dynamic duos and balanced rosters. You’ll surely hear the optimism ring out from your favorite team’s Media Day, but we’re here to breakdown five of the top stories heading into training camps.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma |Lakers Media Day
Clippers Media Day
- HEIR TO THE THRONE? All eyes will be fixated on the City of Angeles in anticipation of the battle for the West going down in the Staples Center. With much of the offseason focus being centered on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returning home for the other A. team, the Lakers may be quietly forming the modern-day version of Magic and Kareem. LeBron James has welcomed all-world big man Anthony Davis with open arms. After failing to hand over jersey #23 (due to league rules), the King has openly stated that the offense will run through the Brow. After 16 years of league supremacy this will be something fun to watch develop over time. If the Lakers can ride the broad shoulders of Davis throughout the 82-season gauntlet, this could mean a fresh LeBron James come playoff time and a scary outlook for their opponents.
Russell Westbrook and James Harden | Getty Images
2. DEUCES WILD! If you thought the Warriors “ruined” basketball, then you can thank Kawhi Leonard for piecing it back together. After dismantling the East, Leonard propelled the Raptors to their first title in franchise history. Feats aside, the rest of the league took note and the mad scramble in free-agency began. The Rockets (Harden/Westbrook); Clippers (Leonard/George), Lakers (James/Davis), Sixers (Embiid/Simmons), Blazers (Lillard/McCollum) and Nets (Durant/Irving) all plan to build around a dynamic duo with hopes of capturing the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy. The league has officially shifted to dual threats, and the organization that fills out their roster the best should stand tall in the end.
Michael Porter Jr. | Photo: DNVR
3. DIGGING FOR GOLD: The narrative heading into this season will be based squarely on new faces in new places. As for the Denver Nuggets, their story will be told with its roster continuity. Arguably the deepest team in the West, the team with the conferences second best record returns fully in tact with the addition of young phenom Michael Porter Jr, athletic wing Jerami Grant and promising young big Bol Bol. The taste of a heartbreaking game 7 loss still resonates in their taste buds and this team seems to be hungrier than ever to right their wrongs. While other teams look to gel their new look duos, the Nuggets will have a golden opportunity to bank wins and position themselves to sit atop of their conference and quite possibly the entire Association.
Giannis Antetokounmpo | Getty Images
4. MVP RACE: Since the advent of the twitter app, there hasn’t been a topic on #NBATwitter hotter than the MVP debate. Okay, so GOAT debate aside, this topic is sure to heat up early in the season. Leaders in the clubhouse include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis to name a few. But is it too early to consider Stephen Curry a serious candidate? The three-time champion and two-time MVP lost a ton of power this offseason. Not only will he be forced to carry the offensive load, but he’s tasked with adjusting to a new look roster while maintaining success until the return of Klay Thompson from an ACL injury. We all know his range starts whenever he pulls into an arena parking lot but if this team finds their way in the top three of the West, the three-time champ may possibly add a third MVP statue to his award case.
Harrison Barnes, De'Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Harry Giles | Kings Media Day
5. SURPRISE PARTY! Every year there’s a surprise team to ascend into playoff contention. Last year we saw the Clippers clinch a playoff berth after trading multiple assets at the trade deadline. This season things may be different. With the East being wide open, teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat all have a chance to play well into April. No matter who emerges from that group not many will be shocked, but out west there’s a team who has yet to reach the postseason in the last decade the Sacramento Kings. The Kangs are a year old and added veterans like Trevor Ariza and Cory Joseph to their core. With a healthy core intact, the Kings could surprise many by challenging the bottom of the West for the 7th or 8th If they are successful Sacramento can say goodbye to the longest playoff drought in the NBA.
Longest Current Playoff Droughts
13- Sacramento Kings
9- Phoenix Suns
6- New York Knicks
6- Los Angeles Lakers