National Basketball Association

NBA: The 10 Biggest Storylines Heading Into The 2016-17 Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With training camp behind us and preseason getting underway, we explore the 10 biggest storylines heading into the 2016-17 NBA campaign

The NBA’s regular season is set to begin in roughly three weeks. Training camps are in the books and preseason is officially underway.

As the NBA undergoes yet another evolution in its ever changing league, there’s no shortage of optimism and hype heading into the 2016-17 campaign. There are new faces in new places, legends who paved the way for the modern generation of NBA superstars hanging up the sneakers and many other interesting storylines to follow for this upcoming NBA season.

With the league looking to begin the dawning of a new era, there are some interesting subplots for the upcoming campaign that will affect the shape of the league. We explore the 10 biggest heading into the new season.

The Dawning of a New Era

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, three stalwarts of the NBA from the late 90’s to the 2000’s all decided to call it quits and hang up the sneakers for good. In addition, Paul Pierce announced that the upcoming campaign for Paul Pierce will be his last.

Kobe Bryant, who embodied the Los Angeles Lakers spirit, helped rejuvenate the Los Angeles Lakers and during his stint; he accounted for an MVP award, two gold medals, 18 All-Star appearances, two Final MVP’s and five NBA championships, combined with a plethora of other accomplishments.

He also made his mark as one of the most influential players in NBA history, as he helped set the stage for new breeds of superstars at his position. He left behind a legacy as one of the game’s greatest competitors who had an unbreakable spirit for the sport, despite the numerous lingering injuries he suffered throughout his career.

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He ended his career as only Kobe could, in grandiose fashion. Dropping a league-high, 60 points in his final game stepping onto the Staples Center, it was the perfect storybook ending for one of the game’s greatest.

Timmy

Tim Duncan is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time, primarily due to his consistency. The San Antonio Spurs were upset by the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games, and many wondered, as Tim Duncan left the area for the final time if it would be the final game of his career.

As only Duncan, the soft-spoken giant could, announced his retirement, thereby ending his legacy with the San Antonio Spurs. Duncan himself also won five NBA Championships to add to his two MVP’s, three Finals MVP’s and a depository of other records. Despite his advancing age, his game didn’t seem to be affected greatly.

He adjusted accordingly with the numerous supporting casts he’s worked with throughout his career, but Duncan’s run with Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker culminating in them having the most combined wins for a trio goes to show the extent of the success Duncan enjoyed in Texas. Forever immortalized in NBA history as a one of a kind NBA giant, there is no doubt that Duncan left his mark in the NBA.

Finally, Kevin Garnett recently announced his retirement as he completed a legendary NBA career spanning the course of 21 years. Garnett entered the league as a dominant player fresh out of high school and was handed the keys to being the future of the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the franchise leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, Garnett single handedly carried the Minnesota timberwolves into a force in the Western Conference.

Garnett reached his apex in the 2004 campaign by winning the MVP and carrying the Timberwolves to their first ever Conference Finals, before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. While Garnett wasn’t successful in bringing a championship to the city, he gained his own championship in 2008 by forming a trio with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen by beating the Lakers in six games.

In the final stages of his career, Garnett helped mentored the younger crop of stars on the Timberwolves, including the likes of Andrew Wiggins and reigning Rookie of the Year, Karl-Anthony Towns.

Garnett may be one of the game’s most underrated players, as his spirit for competition, incredible defensive prowess and dominance on both ends of the floor will surely lead him on his way to a future Hall of Fame enshrinement.

With these superstars retiring, one may begin to question when the likes of Vince Carter and Dirk Nowtizki will choose to call it quits as well.

How Will Kevin Durant Embrace the Villain Role?

Kevin Durant turned the NBA world on its head when he announced that he would be signing with the Golden State Warriors via The Players’ Tribune. In his emotional piece, Durant stated, “But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth.”

Despite this, Durant has picked up major criticism for his decision due to joining the team that defeated his Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 after gaining a 3-1 advantage.

Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors are coming off one of the greatest campaigns in NBA history, breaking the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ record of 72 wins in an NBA season. While they don’t have an NBA championship to show for their success, they are armed with the reigning two time MVP (the latter of which was the only unanimous decision in NBA history), Stephen Curry, sharpshooter Klay Thompson and the ultimate utility player in Draymond Green.

In addition, the Warriors added trustworthy veterans such as David West and Zaza Pachulia. The Warriors came under some scrutiny towards the end of their season because of supposed arrogance and show-boating and many believed the Warriors got their comeuppance and a humbling at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers as they defeated the Warriors in dramatic, and historic, fashion.

Now, with the Warriors adding another former MVP, and one of the game’s most dynamic scorers in Kevin Durant, he now finds himself in a similar situation akin to LeBron James when he announced his decision to join the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010, and now, it appears as though he will have no choice but to don the black hat and embrace that role of being hated.

For so long, people praised Durant’s loyalty to the franchise, and now, with him joining the team that beat them, it will be very interesting to see how one of the league’s most beloved superstars transitions into this phase of his career.

Russell Westbrook Becomes The New Face Of Franchise

Of course now, with Durant’s decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, this leaves the Russell Westbrook, the explosive, versatile point guard becoming the new face of the franchise. There was a great fear that Westbrook may have chosen to leave the Thunder with his long time partner in crime leaving, but Westbrook raised many eyebrows when he decided to extend his contract with Oklahoma City with a 3 year, 85 million dollars.

Now, becoming the beloved of the Oklahoma City fans, is Westbrook ready to be the alpha dog for the Thunder. There were many who criticized the play of Westbrook because many felt as though that he took shots away from Kevin Durant and often made bad decision making. No, taking the reigns as the leader of the team, along side new teammate Victor Oladipo, Westbrook may be primed for an explosive season.

It should be put into perspective that Westbrook went wild without Durant two seasons ago as he seemingly put up triple-doubles with ease. And while certain high scoring games could be attributed to volume instead of efficiency, Westbrook’s play was still stellar.

The offense will now certainly revolve around Westbrook while the others take a backseat and watch. It may also be bold to suggest that Westbrook could very well be close to averaging a triple-double for an entire season.

End of the Big 3 Era In Miami

Pat Riley recently announced that the Heat will not clear Chris Bosh and have officially moved on from him. With Dwyane Wade shockingly heading to his hometown of Chicago to play for the Bulls, the Big 3 in the Heat has officially reached its end, and a new era in Miami Heat basketball has arised.

The Big 3 started when Chris Bosh announced that he would be teaming up in Miami with Dwyane Wade, and then all eyes were own the crown jewel of the free agency class of 2010, LeBron James.

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Then, in a special one hour program on ESPN, LeBron James announced that he was “taking his talents to South Beach”, and thus, the Big 3 was born. The Big 3 was ushered in with a big celebratory party and LeBron conceiving that the Heat, with this roster, could go on to win in excess of 6-7 championships. However, the Big 3 would only stay for four seasons.

All three were all stars for all four years. LeBron James would help Miami repeat in 2012 and 2013, and made the Finals all four years.

However, in the summer of 2014, where Miami and Cleveland were the only two options he’d consider, eyebrows were raised when LeBron opted to go home and fufill his promise to win a championship for Cleveland, leaving Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh behind. Then, at around February of last year, Bosh experienced health issues and it was then attributed to blood clots.

The same issue arose at around the same time period this season, and ultimately, for Bosh’s good, Miami Heat doctors and ultimately Pat Riley believed that it was in best interest for both parties to not clear Bosh, thus leaving Dwyane Wade to carry the Heat in what would be his last season with the franchise as well.

Now that the Big 3 era is finished in Miami, the future of this franchise is now in the hands of electric point guard Goran Dragic, but perhaps more so in the youthful big man, Hassan Whiteside, who exploded in the NBA seemingly out of nowhere two seasons ago. With the Eastern Conference getting stronger, however, the losses of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, however, contention for a playoff spot will get very steep for this new Miami squad.

New Look Bulls

For the last two seasons, it started to become abundantly clear, that either Jimmy Butler or Derrick Rose had to leave the Bulls, as they had visible frustrations playing with each other and sharing the glory.

Ultimately, it was Rose, the youngest NBA MVP in history when he won it back in 2011, who was traded to the New York Knicks and Butler, who started to emerge as the clear alpha dog in Chicago, stayed. In the offseason, Dwyane Wade, the heart of the Miami Heat franchise chose to sign with the Bulls, seemingly due to financial rifts that Wade had with the Heat, and also added former all star point guard in Rajon Rondo.

On paper, this team initially looked to be a team that could be a threat to the Cavaliers in the East. However, upon further analysis, there are huge flaws in this team that may prevent the Bulls from achieving any more success than they had in the Rose Era.

There is one blatant elephant in the room that should be addressed with this team. The projected starting lineup for this team is Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez. Just by the names itself, you would know that the blatant weakness on this team is the shooting.

Rajon Rondo is a career 29 percent three point shooter. Dwyane Wade is a career 28 percent three point shooter. Jimmy Butler is a career 32 percent three point shooter. Then, you have the bigs. Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott, for all their upside have also shown that they can’t be relied on for consistent shooting. The NBA is widely transitioning into a league that pushes the pace and places emphasis on shooting.

This team may not be built for the current NBA, because efficiency and shooting are two prime issues which affected the Bulls before. Unfortunately, none of the offseason moves address the issues the Bulls currently have, and they may not be primed to make significant change from last season’s disappointing outcome.

Last Ride For Lob City?

The Lob City era of the Los Angeles Clippers enters year 6, and unfortunately, despite the Clippers acquiring all star point guard Chris Paul, their playoff success has been meager, never making it past the second round.

They were swept by the Spurs in 2012, lost in six against the Grizzlies in 2013, lost in six against the Thunder in 2014, blew a 3-1 lead against the Rockets in 2015, and lost in six against the Blazers this past year (though the late injuries to Blake Griffin and Chris Paul played a big role).

The Clippers look like a formidable adversary on paper, but they seem to collapse in the most important moments, especially on defense, and one could wonder if this will be the last run for the Lob City if the Clippers can’t reach prominence this year.

Both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the two stalwarts of Lob City, are unrestricted free agents next summer, and if they fall short again in the playoffs, the Clippers may believe that it’s better to explore moving either one in a trade and move in a different direction seeing as how it is a formula that doesn’t work.

Early reports in the summer actually had the Thunder pursuing Blake Griffin for next summer. Both men are primed to attract lots of suitors, and Clippers management knows this. In addition, the Clippers haven’t made any major changes in the offseason to tilt the balance of power in the Western Conference.

And there’s nothing to suggest right now, barring an unforeseen action that would make the Clippers a threat to the upper echelon in the Western Conference, that the days of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul playing together aren’t numbered.

Will The Knicks Finally End Their Playoff Drought?

There is much hype surrounding the Big Apple regarding the new team that the New York Knicks have assembled in the offseason. They received former all star point guard Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings as their prominent acquisitions.

The New York Knicks have been in quite a funk since finishing second in the Eastern Conference in 2013. In the four seasons since their last playoff appearance, the Knicks have only won 37, 17 and 32 games respectively, missing the playoffs all three times. Fans have grown restless over the Knicks’ incompetence, and now, with the new faces that the Knicks added to their roster over the offseason, expectations have been raised.

Derrick Rose, provided his pending legal issues doesn’t affect his play towards the start of the season, has vowed to push the pace for the Knicks, prompting the training staff to focus heavily on the conditioning of the players to adjust to the new style head coach Jeff Hornaceck will want to run.

The spotlight will also be on sophomore Kristaps Porzingis, a crowd favorite who had a solid first year as a member of the New York Knicks. He has shown that he is capable of stretching the floor and play solid defense. While he is green in a lot of areas, there is more than enough time for him to grow, and he will rise to become one of the focal points for the Knicks this season. This of course leaves the current face of the franchise, Carmelo Anthony.

Carmelo Anthony turns 33 next May, and while he is still in physical prime, one has to wonder how much more Anthony will tolerate not being able to compete for a championship. Anthony had said that he would take solace if his career ended winning a gold medal and not an NBA Championship.

While not winning an NBA championship in his career may suffice for him, Knicks fans have yet to know what it is like to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy since 1970. While the Knicks may not be competing for an NBA Championship now, the playoffs may not be out of the question.

Boston Celtics Set To Compete for Eastern Conference Crown?

The Boston Celtics of the last couple of years have rejuvenated the fighting, gritty Celtic aura that surrounds the history of the team. While the Celtics have been eliminated in the first round by the Hawks and Cavaliers in the previous two offseasons, the Celtics may look ready to challenge the Cavaliers.C

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Al Hortford chose to not re-sign with Atlanta in lieu of donning the white and green, bolstering their frontcourt. They are also led by the neophyte Isaiah Thomas, coming off his best campaign as an all-star. While their wing depth may have taken a hit with Evan Turner choosing to sign with Portland, it appears as though that talents such as Marcus Smart and first round draft pick Jalyen Brown will be ready to take on added responsibility in his absence.

This is also coupled with elite perimeter defenders such as Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley. Combined with signings and talents received in the draft, the Celtics enjoyed one of the better offseasons in the league, and after two seasons of growth, it looks as though that they are ready to take the next step in the Eastern Conference.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens has been able to get his players to buy in to his philosophy, and after many believed that the Celtics were primed for failure after the Big 3 era, the Celtics are firmly back in the upper echelon in the Eastern Conference, and after salvaging one of the crowned jewels in the offseason in Hortford, there is a case that the Celtics may be able to turn some some heads.

As of right now, they will certainly need more on court chemistry to run their system more efficiently, but once this machine runs smoothly, Boston can become one of the dark horses in the league competing for the championship trophy.

Can Kawhi Leonard and Lamarcus Aldridge Lead the Spurs Franchise?

Tim Duncan finally called it quits in his illustrious NBA career, leaving behind the all star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Lamarcus Aldridge left to carry the team. The question now is can these two step up and continue to the tradition of San Antonio’s excellence season after season.

In the legendary career of Tim Duncan, he never had a season under 50 wins and won five NBA championships. While that is indeed a difficult legacy to follow, the torch from Tim Duncan has been passed to Lamarcus, and eventually, when Parker and Ginobli decide to call it a career, the new breed of players will have to rise and continue.

The San Antonio Spurs are coming off their best season win total wise in franchise history by winning 67 games, but were upset in the second round in six games by the tandem of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Of course, it helps that all star big man Pau Gasol signed on to the team, but seeing as how LA is the younger talent, Gasol will most likely be there more in a supportive rule as opposed to taking a prominent role. The Spurs have remained a consistent threat each year, no matter the circumstances under Duncan, Ginobli and Parker’s leadership, and now, as the Spurs enter a new phase of their franchise, management is counting on the younger brigade to step up and continue the yearly consistency.

Kawhi Leonard has received rave reviews from critics all across the league, coming off his best season a pro, especially shooting wise, and he is already a defensive stalwart with his two Defensive Player of the Year Awards in his short career. It’s scary to think how much he can grow if he keeps his current pace, so the Spurs are firmly in the upper class of the West for the forseeable future.

Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with the Larry O

Can The Cavaliers Repeat?

As much as it sounds weird, the Cavaliers will be beginning a season where they will be defending an NBA Championship. With every conceivable odd stacked against them, it what can only be described as a perfect storybook ending, the Cavaliers managed to win the NBA Championship down 3 games to 1, all thanks to dominant performances by Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.

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LeBron essentially cemented his legacy in these Finals, silencing any doubters about him rising when the moment counted. It started in Game 5, when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving dropped 41 points apiece. Then, in Game 6, LeBron rallied his team to a Game 6 victory with another 41 performance, and in Game 7, the dramatic conclusion to the exciting series, each member of the Big 3 had a huge moment to help seal the deal.

It started with LeBron James’ incredible block on Andrew Iguodala, who seemingly came from out nowhere. Then, Kyrie Irving drilled a clutch step back three point shot to put the Cavaliers up three, and then, in what could be considered cruel irony for the Warriors, it was Kevin Love who locked up Stephen Curry on the ensuing possession to help force a miss and end the game.

Now, the Cavaliers, knowing what it feels to be champions and celebrate with champagne in the locker room, they want that feeling again, so now the question remains, can they do the unthinkable, and repeat? While they lost some pieces to the puzzle from their 2015 Finals run in Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellavadova, they were able to pick up savy veterans in Mike Dunleavy Jr and Chris Anderson.

With Mo Williams backing out of playing another season and announcing his retirement, the drafted Kay Felder could get a chance to see some shine as well. Pending JR Smith’s contract status and assuming the two sides come to middle ground eventually, the Cavaliers are entering this season oozing with confidence and health, and should they remain healthy, they run the Eastern Conference. In actuality, it’s LeBron James who has run the Eastern Conference since 2010, since that is the last year he didn’t make the NBA Finals.

Now, the Cavaliers are on top looking at the bottom for the first time, and with their Eastern Conference improving and a 73 win team adding Kevin Durant, the odds are even greater that the Cavaliers won’t win again. Then again, after this season, when it comes to the Cavaliers, never say never.

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