The NBA season is officially underway, and following an offseason of free agent signings, injuries and blockbuster trades there’s no shortage of storylines entering the new season. Here are a few to be on the lookout for:
Side Effects of LeBron’s Move to Cleveland
By now even the most casual of basketball fans have heard of four-time NBA MVP LeBron James leaving the Miami Heat to sign with his old team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the move also set off a chain reaction of events including a trade that sent three-time All-Star Kevin Love to Cleveland in exchange for the first pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, Andrew Wiggins.
While the loss of Love makes the Minnesota Timberwolves worse in the short-term, the trade makes sense for both sides. The Cavaliers now boast a big three of Love, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, transforming a team that missed the playoffs in 2014 into the favorites to take home the 2015 championship.
In all likelihood, the Wolves will be one of the worst teams in the Western Conference this season, but in the long-term, trading away Love was necessary for building towards the future. Love is set to be a free agent in the 2015 offseason, and had already made it publicly clear that he was not planning to stay in Minnesota. The Wolves made the trade to get something of value for him in return, and by acquiring the top pick in a loaded draft class the team accomplished that goal.
In addition to Kevin Love and LeBron, the Cavs also upgraded their roster with the free agent acquisitions of veteran swingman Shawn Marion and former Memphis Grizzly Mike Miller.
Healthy Grizzlies Aim for Top Four Seed
The Memphis Grizzlies were plagued with injuries to key players throughout the 2013-14 season, but still managed to keep things together and sneak into the playoffs as the seventh seed, pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the first round. This year the Grizzlies return every starter from that team, and have added firepower off the bench in the form of 16-year NBA veteran Vince Carter.
This year Memphis expects to return to the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, and eyes a top-four seed in the conference that would guarantee the team home-court advantage in the first round. The Grizzlies finished fourth or better in the 2011-12 season, and this year’s Memphis team boasts a deeper roster and the same core of Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol that has been integral to the team’s success since 2010-11.
With Allen, Randoph and Gasol now in their 30s the Grizzlies’ title window is starting to close, but in the meantime, the team has an opportunity to make a deep run this year.
Durant Injury Hurts OKC’s Title Odds
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been an elite team in the Western Conference, finishing second or better in the West in each of the last three seasons, but are already off to an unlucky start to the year.
On October 16 Thunder star Kevin Durant underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot. The 2014 NBA MVP is expected to be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks, forcing Oklahoma City to rely on All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook to carry the team in Durant’s absence.
The Thunder lack depth on the wings and will be unable to makeup for Durant’s high-volume, efficient scoring, and could potentially stumble to a .500 or lower win percentage until Durant’s return, opening the door for other teams such as Memphis, Dallas, or Golden State to get an early lead on Oklahoma City in the race for the top playoff seeds.
