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It
started just about five months ago. While LeBron James
seemed to be ascending to the top of the NBA’s
greatest-player heap, that other greatest player in the
league—Kobe Bryant—began making the circuit of radio
talk shows, openly complaining about the state of the
Lakers and acknowledging that, yes, he definitely
(maybe, sort of) wanted to be traded.
That was
late May. Here we are in November, and the NBA has since
seen one of the most monumental trades in its history,
suffered a deeply scarring referee gambling scandal and
witnessed the drafting of the most significant incoming
rookie big man in recent memory (as well as significant
surgery to that significant rookie’s knee). But still,
as the 2007-08 season opens, the question on the minds
of most fans hasn’t changed: Whaddabout Kobe? Whither
Kobe?
Here’s
Bryant’s response to the question, given to reporters
last week: “When I’m here, wherever I’m at, I’m ready to
go. It’s not my job to be worried about what management
is doing. I voiced my frustrations over the summer, and
I just leave it there.”
Which
means Bryant, no matter how many scenarios the rumor
mill pumps out, isn’t going anywhere, not in the near
future, at least. Which means the biggest early-season
story isn’t really a story at all.
So,
where to look for what will be the big stories? Here, of
course.
Sure to
surprise
§
Hawks—They’ve
been making lottery picks for about a decade. A one-loss
preseason gives them something in common with last
year’s big surprise, the Raptors.
§
Hornets—If
they’re healthy, the Hornets are a sure playoff team and
Chris Paul is an MVP candidate.
§
Grizzlies—They’re
younger and deeper, and they’re going to run
early-season opponents into the ground. They averaged
104.3 points in their first six exhibition games.
Pressure’s on
§
Dirk
Nowitzki, Mavericks—Great
player, great team, no rings.
§
Tracy
McGrady, Rockets—Very
good player, very good team, no postseason second round.
§
Larry
Hughes, Cavaliers—Hughes
hasn’t been the running mate for James he was supposed
to be. With the team facing turmoil (holdouts from Sasha
Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao), he needs to change that.
§
Rashard
Lewis, Magic—A
$110 million contract for a guy widely regarded as a
second banana means he better produce.
§
Don
Nelson, Warriors—How
do you follow last year’s stunning postseason? You
better not follow it by missing the playoffs, even in
the West.
The
breakout players
§
LaMarcus
Aldridge, Trail Blazers—A
strong finish last season (14.7 points, 8.0 rebounds in
his final 15 games) paved the way for the Blazers to
dump Zach Randolph.
§
Al
Jefferson, Timberwolves—The
centerpiece of the Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett haul
could prove the trade wasn’t so lopsided after all.
Jefferson was a beast on a bad Boston team and will be
an even bigger beast on a bad
Minnesota
team.
§
Ronnie
Brewer, Jazz—The
Jazz may have found its shooting guard. Brewer, a
second-year pro, averaged 17.1 points in the preseason.
§
Marvin
Williams, Hawks—Williams
is one of the Hawks’ many talented, athletic wingmen. A
former No. 2 overall pick, he might become the best of
the bunch.
§
Raymond
Felton, Bobcats—He
has taken a leadership role on a team that finally has
some scorers. Look for eight or nine assists per game.
The
malcontents
§
Kobe
Bryant, Lakers—He
wants out, but the Lakers know better than to trade the
game’s best player. At least not yet.
§
Shawn
Marion, Suns—He
tried to force a training camp trade, but the Suns don’t
believe he’ll be disruptive enough to warrant one.
§
Andrei
Kirilenko, Jazz—His
max deal makes a trade difficult, but his relationship
with coach Jerry Sloan could be beyond repair.
§
Damon
Stoudamire, Grizzlies—He
wants to go to a contender-the Grizzlies will likely
oblige in the coming months.
The
‘other’ rookies
§
Al
Thornton, Clippers—Elton
Brand is injured, and the tough, athletic Thornton seems
to have earned playing time in his place.
§
Yi
Jianlian, Bucks—Team
owner Herb Kohl helped broker a deal in which the Bucks
promised Yi minutes. The sweet-shooting big man must
justify Kohl’s faith.
§
Al
Horford, Hawks—An
inside force capable of 15 points and 10 rebounds per
night, he will be a big part of the Hawks’ emergence.
§
Luis
Scola, Rockets—He
is one of three interesting international veterans
coming to the NBA as rookies. Juan Carlos Navarro
(Grizzlies) and Oleksiy Pecherov (Wizards) are the
others.
Shhh! No
one’s talking about the ...
§
Defending champs—Same
old Spurs. Nearly the same roster as last season, and
nearly no one outside Texas is picking them to repeat.
§
Retooled
Pistons—A
couple of rookie guards, Arron Afflalo and the injured
Rodney Stuckey, could revitalize Detroit’s championship
hopes.
-
Healthy Nets—Boston
has a new trio, and Toronto has had a rebirth. But if
the Nets are healthy, they might well be the Atlantic
Division champs.
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