The 2014-15 NBA season is upon us, officially. The offseason revolved around LeBron James switching jerseys and coming home to Cleveland, but there is just so much more to look forward to this NBA season.
There are so many intriguing storylines to pay attention to as the season gets underway. Here are four that do not include LeBron:
1. The health of Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant
One of these players is injured, and it’s not Rose.
Rose is finally healthy after missing time each season since 2011-12, and he’s expected to lead a Chicago Bulls team considered either No. 1 or a close 1A in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have competed fiercely without Rose each of the past three years as a perennial playoff team, and have seen Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson explode onto the scene in his absence. But now Rose is back and expected to play at an MVP-type level yet again. The question is whether he can maintain his health for a full 82-game slate.
The same cannot be said for the reigning MVP, who suffered a foot fracture this offseason. Durant has started every career game he has played since entering the NBA in 2007-08, and missed just six games over the last five seasons. In that time, he has led the NBA in games, minutes and points with 388, 15,064, and 11,356, respectively. Now he’s expected to be on the sidelines until late November or December, and we have to wonder whether the Thunder will fall too far back in the standings without their star.
2. Who’s the best in the West?
Trying to figure out which team in the Western Conference is the best from year is year is as easy as winning the lottery on your first try.
The past few years, it’s been San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Los Angeles hovering around the top of the conference standings. The defending champs have most of their nucleus back from a season ago, while the Clippers look poised for a deep playoff run. The Thunder must try to weather an early season storm as they try to stay afloat in the playoff race without the likes of Durant.
Houston looks to take another step forward with Howard and James Harden together for another year. The Rockets added Jason “The Jet” Terry and Trevor Ariza, and are going forward with Patrick Beverley as the top point guard as they look to break through in the West. They’ll have to contend with Golden State, which is breaking in first-year head coach Steve Kerr and the Triangle offense. Can Steph Curry and Klay Thompson continue the Warriors’ ascent in the always competitive West?
You also can’t forget about the Trail Blazers, who owned first place for a lengthy period of time last year. They return the same core of talent. Dallas stole Chandler Parsons away from the Rockets and traded for Tyson Chandler to give Dirk Nowitzki another chance to chase a title. Then there’s Phoenix, which surfaced out of the blue last year to be one of the NBA’s best surprises. They, too, should be in the hunt this year.
3. Who will be this year’s Cinderella?Â
The Suns were close to making the playoffs last year, and were a team widely considered able to make some noise in the West. Over in the East, Toronto finished as the No. 3 seed, but were ousted in the opening round of the playoffs to the veteran-laden Nets. And how can we forget about Charlotte, which finally jumped out of the cellar and into the postseason behind its young core of Al Jefferson, Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
This season, there are many candidates to be a surprise playoff team. With Anthony Davis and Omer Asik in the frontcourt, the Pelicans could be in line to make a playoff push. A healthy Kobe Bryant could be the difference between a lottery pick and the Lakers playing games deep into the spring.
In the East, can Carmelo Anthony excel in Derek Fisher‘s newly implemented Triangle offense? He’s got new weapons like Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert around him, not to mention a budding star in Tim Hardaway Jr. Cleveland won’t even come close to being named a Cinderella team, but what about the young Celtics, who return a healthy Rajon Rondo alongside one of the NBA’s youngest and promising lineups.
4. Familiar faces in new places
On Tuesday night, Chandler Parsons made his Mavericks debut, scoring 5 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in his team debut. Parsons figures to be one of the new sources of offense as the Mavs perhaps begin to turn toward the post-Dirk era in Dallas.
Lance Stephenson was one of the most prized free agents on the market, as the young shooting guard left a declining Pacers team to bolt toward a rising Charlotte squad. Stephenson must continue to develop as a scorer as he teams up with Walker and Jefferson under Michael Jordan‘s watch.
Veterans like Pau Gasol and Paul Pierce have been reduced to role players with contending Eastern Conference teams. Gasol helps pick up where Carlos Boozer left off with the Bulls, teaming up with Noah and Gibson to comprise a very talented frontcourt. Pierce is now in the nation’s capital alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal, and looks to be that veteran voice in the locker room as the Wizards look to build off last year’s success.
Kevin Love‘s blockbuster trade that sent him to Cleveland was the second-most anticipated and discussed deal of the offseason in Cleveland. Love teams up with James and Kyrie Irving with the Cavaliers, creating perhaps the best trio in the NBA. For the first time in his NBA career, Love will be heading toward the postseason.
