By JOSH HELLER
Staff Writer
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We are now less than a month away from the NBA season, and it’s time to check out some of this year’s biggest headlines. Some involve rookies, while others involved grizzled veterans. Now, let’s take a look.
1. Andrew Wiggins vs. the Hype
In this past draft, Wiggins was, for the most part, undisputedly the best player available. He was taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first pick overall. Shortly after Wiggins was drafted, it was announced that Miami Heat forward LeBron James would return to his original team, the Cavaliers. This created an issue for Cleveland, who was left with LeBron and Wiggins, both small forwards, and no talented power forwards. After a long period of reports and no official announcement, the Cavaliers traded Wiggins and 2013 first overall draft pick Anthony Bennett to the Minnesota Timberwolves for star Kevin Love. Both teams get a tremendous amount of talent in this deal, and it was good for both franchises. For Wiggins, he now goes to a young team with a roster consisting of Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Thaddeus Young, and Mo Williams. I expect Wiggins and Rubio to click, and furthermore I think Wiggins will do well in Minnesota.
2. Jabari Parker vs. Andrew Wiggins
Although at the time the difference between Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker was large, people who watched the Summer League saw Parker play and were generally surprised by how well he did. Although Parker does not have as many weapons on the Milwaukee Bucks as Wiggins does on the Timberwolves, I think Parker will shine. I do not believe he will have better numbers at the end of the year than Wiggins, but it will be close.
3. The Paul-George-less Indiana Pacers
In an USA basketball exhibition this past summer, Paul George, in one of the more gruesome injuries seen in basketball, broke his leg falling down on the court. Now, the Pacers have to do without George, one of the top players in the league. The Pacers also lost guard Lance Stephenson to the Charlotte Hornets, who was a huge part of the team last season. Granted, Indiana still has center Roy Hibbert and forward David West, but the Pacers definitely will not be the same as they were last year, and I would not be surprised if they barely sneak into the playoffs.
4. The Return of Kobe Bryant
Simply put, the Lakers were bad last year, but I guess that is what happens when they are Kobe Bryant-less. Luckily for Los Angeles, they brought in free agents Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer, and also drafted rookie Julius Randle. Yet they also lost Pau Gasol to the Bulls, a huge part of the team. The Lakers will definitely be better than last year, and Kobe has looked good in the pre-season, but I do not think the Lakers will make it far in the playoffs, if they make it there at all.
5. The Cavaliers Expectations
The Cleveland Cavaliers, after receiving the number one pick in this past draft, have improved tremendously in the offseason. The projected starting lineup will now be All-Star Kyrie Irving, youngster Dion Waiters, the best player in the game in LeBron James, All-Star Kevin Love, and Andrew Varejao. That lineup is absolutely deadly. The question is if the Cavaliers are legitimate title contenders. For me, I say no. I think the Cavaliers can win the Eastern Conference, but the West is just too good for the Cavs to take down.
6. Can the Heat Still Rise To the Top?
Even after losing LeBron James, the Heat still kept Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, who are no slouches themselves. However, they now have to fill the spot left by James, which is difficult to do when losing the best player in the game. I think the Heat will definitely make the playoffs, but I do not see them contending for the title. It would be interesting to watch a playoff series between the Heat and the Cavs, and I hope that happens.
7. Derrick Rose’s Health
If there’s one player that the whole league has missed in the past two seasons, it is Derrick Rose. Rose tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs, and missed a huge amount of time. The Bulls managed to make the playoffs, but they are not the same team. They have lost Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng, but they have also added Pau Gasol. I think Rose and Gasol will work well together, and that the Bulls will make the playoffs once again.
That’s all for the headlines. Tune back later in the season for a playoff preview, and enjoy the games, which should not be hard, what with all of the major moves from this offseason and the return of two big stars: Bryant and Rose.
