After a busy off-season of high-profile moves, a massive TV deal with big implications, and one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory, unlike Hedo Turkoglu the NBA is in its best shape in years.
Whether the goal is reaching the playoffs or hitting the jackpot at the lottery, a look around the league will show that most teams have a lot to be optimistic about. And then there’s the Pacers. So as the season finally draws near here’s a look at where all 30 teams sit heading into opening night. First up, the Western Conference’s lottery contenders.
(In reverse order of projected finish)
15. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Deal: Received an admirable return for Kevin Love, and now boast parts of an exciting young team with lots of promise. But it will take time—a lot of it—before it results in wins.
Ask An Optimist: The Andrew Wiggins Era is about to get underway, and there’s more talent around the young Canadian than you think.
Ask A Pessimist: Right now, Ricky Rubio might be the Timberwolves best player. Enough said.
Will Only Go As Far As _____ Takes Them: Thad Young, who was traded from Philadelphia as part of the Love deal.
Don’t Sleep On: Shabazz Muhammed, who spent his summer training with this guy.
Song That Will Define Their Season: “Beautiful Morning” by The Rascals. It’s OK, Minnesota. The storm is over. Kevin Love is gone. And now, here in the light of day, things actually seem…pretty great, considering! Wiggins is as good a building block as any to get the youth movement started with a campaign that will surely feature plenty of style, if not substance.
Relevant YouTube Clip: Win or not, this is going be fun (…for us, at least):
14. Sacramento Kings
The Deal: There’s some talent at the top, not a lot of depth, and the pieces don’t quite fit properly. You’d think things couldn’t get much worse after the last couple of seasons, but this year’s Kings might prove otherwise.
Ask An Optimist: DeMarcus Cousins is ready to finally stake his claim as the best big man in the NBA. Oh, and this team just had two players—Cousins and Rudy Gay—win gold playing for Team USA this summer. That has to mean something, right?
Ask A Pessimist: What a mess. They let a budding star walk (Isaiah Thomas), only to replace him with a career backup (Darren Collison). And in Sacramento they call that ‘progress’.
Will Only Go As Far As _____ Takes Them: Ben McLemore. The second-year shooting guard needs to start showing he’s worthy of a starting gig in the NBA.
Don’t Sleep On: Nik Stauskas. The Canadian rookie has an all-around game and killer shooting instincts that will translate well to the NBA.
Song that will define their season: “We’ve Got To Get Out Of This Place” by The Animals. This one’s for Stauskas. A rookie’s success is often based on where they’re drafted, and on a clogged offence missing a point guard to get him the ball in the right spots, Stauskas is in for an uphill battle in Year One.
Relevant YouTube Clip: Cousins says he’s going to cut down on technical fouls this season. Good thing he got this out of his system:
13. Los Angeles Lakers
The Deal: Good luck. With a roster of mid-level spare parts assembled like a crappy toy car, the Lakers are left with little choice but to rely on Kobe Bryant to shoulder the load at age 36 and fresh off a torn achilles.
Ask An Optimist: After landing promising bruiser Julius Randle in the draft, the Lakers are well-positioned to add another prize prospect in 2015. Or, Kobe has a monster comeback year. Win-win.
Ask A Pessimist: This will be both the NBA’s worst defence and its most poisonous locker room.
Will Only Go As Far As _____ Takes Them: Bryant.
Don’t Sleep On:: Ed Davis, who should get more burn than starter Carlos Boozer.
Song That Will Define Their Season: “We’re Only Gonna Die From Our Own Arrogance” by Sublime. The Lakers and GM Mitch Kupchak shot themselves in the foot when they handed Kobe $48 mil over the next two years and then acquired a bunch of veterans who could help make them just good enough to not land a top-five pick.
Relevant YouTube clip: Hey Lakers, have fun playing with this guy:
12. Utah Jazz
The Deal: The second-youngest team in the NBA, Utah will rely heavily on a deep crop of young players—and there’s a lot to like about nearly every one of them. Whether that translates into wins yet is another story.
Ask An Optimist: A handful of supporting stars—Alec Burks, Enes Kanter, Trey Burke—are ready to take a leap forward, which will have this surprising group fighting for the eighth seed. Or, at least, respectability.
Ask A Pessimist: Who is this team’s go-to star? Gordon Hayward? Derrick Favors? Not buying it.
Will Only Go As Far As _____ Takes Them: Burke. He showed flashes as a rookie, but needs to put it together consistently and improve as a playmaker.
Don’t Sleep On: Alec Burks. He’s quietly good enough to develop into a top-10 shooting guard in the league—and this season.
Song That Will Define Their Season: “Pick Up The Pieces” by Average White Band. There’s a glut of promising young players in Utah and seeing who emerges alongside Burks, Favours and Hayward this year will help the Jazz figure out a more specific direction to take their club.
Relevant YouTube clip: #FreeRudy:
11. Phoenix Suns
The Deal: Both point guard stars, Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe, are back to lead a team that just missed the playoffs last season. But last year’s surprise won’t be able sneak up on the NBA this time around.
Ask An Optimist: This might be the best backcourt in the NBA, and the development of the Morris brothers will more than make up for the loss of last year’s X-factor, Channing Frye.
Ask A Pessimist: The Suns also brought Isaiah Thomas into the fold, a player too good and getting paid too much to ride the pine. This will be a season-long experiment in playing super-small ball with three point guards in action at once.
Will Only Go As Far As _____ Takes Them: Bledsoe. Phoenix needs him healthy and to play up to his new $70-million deal in order to break through to the post-season.
Don’t Sleep On: Zoran Dragic. That’s right, Goran’s brother, who tore up the rest of the world at the FIBA championships this summer.
Song That Will Define Their Season: “The Big Rock Candy Mountain” by Harry McClintock. This old folk anthem is about a place where the “cops have wooden legs,” lemonade flows like water and cigarettes grow on trees. A hobo’s paradise, I reckon. Except the Big Rock Candy Mountain doesn’t exist. It’s a far-off dream. Kind of like handing extended minutes to three point guards.
Relevant YouTube clip: That said, when your point guards can do this…
10. New Orleans Pelicans
The Deal: Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis.
Ask An Optimist: I mean, have you seen Anthony Davis play basketball?
Ask A Pessimist: One player alone can’t make a team great, and aside from Davis (and Jrue Holiday), nobody on this roster really turns the dial.
Will Only Go As Far As _____ Takes Them: Omer Asik. He’s always played in somebody’s shadow, but Asik is a very good post defender who can combine with Davis to form one of the more formidable frontcourt duos.
Don’t Sleep On: Tyreke Evans. He’ll never be the player we saw make history as a rookie, but Evans had a very strong year last season and is well suited to his current role off the bench.
Song That Will Define Their Season: “Shop Around” by The Miracles. As we all gaze in awe at the ‘Brow’s ascension, watch his supporting cast and keep in mind that there are some assets on the roster that may be a bigger help to the Pelicans’ long-term plans as part of a trade.
Relevant YouTube clip: Have I mentioned Anthony Davis?
9. Denver Nuggets
The Deal: The Nuggets are deep and talented, sure, but still lack direction two years after George Karl’s departure.
Ask An Optimist: Ty Lawson is coming off his best season, and Arron Afflalo could prove to be the kind of two-way player they were missing at shooting guard last year. Most. Underrated. Backcourt.
Ask A Pessimist: A clusterfudge of a roster with no real star, this team is in NBA No-Man’s Land—not good enough to compete for a high playoff seed and not bad enough to land a top draft pick.
Will Only Go As Far As _____ Takes Them: Kenneth Faried. He was unstoppable on Team USA this summer. He’ll need to show that kind of consistency for Denver to turn things back around.
Don’t Sleep On: Jusuf Nurkic. The monstrous rookie will take most—if not all—of JaVale McGee’s minutes at centre and prove to be the steal of the first round.
Song That Will Define Their Season: “Almost Cut My Hair” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. “Almost cut my hair…But I didn’t, and I wonder why.” With Faried’s contract expiring and a disappointing campaign in the rearview, The Nuggets could’ve got the ball rolling on an overhaul of the core they’ve had for a few seasons now. Instead, they kept their locks, added a complimentary piece or two, and will have another go at it with a (finally) healthy roster.
Relevant YouTube clip: Sorry Denver, had to do it: