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The 2014-15 NBA season is just hours away! There is a lot to pay attention with injuries and new faces on different teams, but here are five story lines to really look for:
1. The top storyline has to be the defending NBA champions. How will the San Antonio Spurs do coming off to straight finals appearance in an extremely competitive Western conference?
The Spurs make basketball look so easy. They have one of the top coaches in the league and a roster that despite age continues to play head and shoulders above other teams. They annihilated the Miami Heat in the finals and could very well end up right back there as Tim Duncan’s career is starting to come to an end. You would not believe he is in his late thirties as he outplays guys in their twenties.
The Spurs also have young talent in Kawhi Leonard and rookie Kyle Anderson who can allow the veterans to rest. Anderson at 6’9″, is also able to play point guard, allowing Tony Parker time on the bench and creating a massive mismatch for other teams. Let’s be honest, anything less than a Conference Finals appearance would be disappointing and shocking for this San Antonio team.
2. How will Cleveland’s newly assembled Big Three do in their inaugural season?
Lebron is back in Cleveland, but he didn’t come alone. Since James signed with his former team, Kevin Love and Shawn Marion have also made the move to Cleveland. The talent is clearly there, but with a championship or bust mentality will they be able live up to that? James and Marion, the only ones with Finals experience, will be the veteran leaders as this team tries to build chemistry with one another. Is this the year the Cleveland sports curse is finally broken and James is looked at as a savior once again by Cleveland fans?
3. Will Derrick Rose finally be able to stay healthy for an entire season and lead his team to the playoffs?
Chemistry is certainly not a problem for this Chicago team. Health, on the other hand, has been their biggest enemy in recent years. However, this looks to be the year Derrick Rose will finally return for an entire season, fingers crossed. Rose impressed during his time with Team USA, showing that despite knee injuries, he is back to his former MVP self. The team added Pau Gasol who can likely add 15 points a game which will help this team who struggled offensively and they still have the heart of their team in center Joakim Noah.
4. Will the Clippers finally turn their regular season success into postseason success?
The Clippers have all the talent and coaching necessary, yet every year they seem to fall short of the finals. A team with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan coached by Doc Rivers should be competing in the Western Conference Finals almost every season, but they fell way short last season. Now with their owner from hell banished, there are no excuses left for this team. Paul makes cute commercials with his son and everyone really likes him, but he has never been able to lead his team to the finals. If this team fails to do that for another season, there will be a lot of questions about who stays and who goes in the offseason. It is time for this team to deliver when it counts.
5. Will Kobe Bryant return to at least half the player he once was?
Let’s face it, this could be a long year for Lakers fans. They did not sign any of the big free agents that they had hoped for this offseason. Instead, they acquired Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin; not quite the Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James signings they were hoping for. They did draft Julius Randle who looks like he could be a force in the league. The Lakers might not be playoff bound in the extremely deep Western Conference, but Kobe is back and that in itself is entertaining. ESPN has already disrespected the five-time champion by ranking the 40th best player in the league which just adds fuel to already one of the most fiery competitors ever.
