Burning questions
As NBA training camps open around the league Monday, a number of questions come to mind whose answers could have a major impact on the season.
1. Can the Jeff Van Gundy/Tracy McGrady relationship work in Houston?
Jeff Van Gundy is known as one of the most demanding, intense and defensive-minded coaches in the game. Tracy McGrady is one of the most gifted players in the NBA, but he has never appeared overly concerned about defending anyone. The relationship between these two is the key to what has the potential to be a very good Houston Rockets season.
Van Gundy could be exactly what McGrady needs to get to the next level – remember McGrady has never won a playoff series. The two should be very compatible offensively because each is most comfortable in a half-court setting.
Van Gundy loved to slow the ball down and rely on sideline isolation plays for Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell in New York, and he'll want to do the same for McGrady.
With Yao Ming manning the low post, the last thing Van Gundy wants is a fast pace for the Rockets, so he'll try to win games in the half court. McGrady will feel right at home, as he has always excelled in that type of game.
But Van Gundy's challenge will come at the other end of the floor. He will demand that T-Mac defend every play with intensity and focus, and he'll be relentless in his quest.
McGrady's response to the coach will be critical. If he "buys into the system," as the cliché goes, he will become a much better defensive player and Houston could be a very tough outfit. If not, he and his coach will butt heads all season and the Rockets will simply be a low-scoring, boring, mediocre squad.
2. What will become of Jason Kidd?
With a bad knee and a six-year contract (at almost $100 million) – and a New Jersey Nets team that has already unloaded two of its high-priced stars – Jason Kidd's future is up in the air. Rumors of possible trades to Dallas or Portland were floated in the offseason, but Nets president Rod Thorn insists Kidd isn't going anywhere.
The league's best point guard is not happy that management has dismantled the team, and he must rue the day he decided not to accept San Antonio's contract offer last summer. He would be teaming with Tim Duncan trying to win championships the next five years or so. Instead he's unhappy, rehabilitating a knee – he's out for at least the first month of the season – and wondering what's become of his Nets.
With no Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles, New Jersey is not a real factor in the East. Meanwhile, Kidd will rehab a knee that hobbled him at the end of last season, and it remains to be seen how effective he'll be upon his return.
The irony is that if his knee is healthy and he plays well, Kidd might end up in a new uniform. If the injury renders him less than his all-star self, nobody will touch his contract and he'll remain a Net. A hobbled Net.
3. How good will LeBron James be?
The kid was phenomenal as a rookie, possibly surpassing the unrealistic expectations placed upon him. He was explosive, fearless and highly entertaining. Now LeBron James enters his second season with greater expectations from Cleveland Cavaliers fans. He must do more than entertain this season – he must win.
Anything less than a playoff appearance will be considered a failure. And without Carlos Boozer, who fled to Utah, making the postseason won't be easy. James will have to improve his jump shot and his half-court execution, as the Cavaliers will need him to be able to score at the end of close games. Has his jump shot improved? Can he be relied upon to make big shots and win games? That's an awful lot to ask of such a young player, even one as gifted as James.
Remember, he shot just 41 percent last year, which is poor when you consider how many dunks and layups he made.
But with the addition of point guard Eric Snow, James should get better shots and will have less responsibility handling the ball. He and the Cavaliers are in good position to make the playoffs, but James has to take the next step in his blossoming career.
4. Will Grant Hill play again?
It's been an agonizing four years for Grant Hill, who was one of the league's best players and ambassadors before suffering his debilitating ankle injury in 2000. He has undergone four surgeries on his left ankle the past few seasons without success, but vows to be healthy and ready for this season.
Hill almost made a comeback at the end of last season before deciding to choose caution and wait until this year's camp.
He has been cleared to practice full bore with the Orlando Magic, who – like most teams – will conduct two-a-days for the first part of camp. Coach Johnny Davis must be thrilled to see Hill in uniform and ready to go, but he must be careful with his comeback. Hill has played in just 47 games with Orlando since signing with the team in 2000, and even if his foot holds up, he will undoubtedly have a lot of rust to his game.
Still, he can make the Magic a much better team simply with his leadership, his ballhandling and passing skills and his unselfish nature. Here's hoping one of the classiest men in the NBA completes a successful comeback and continues on with a healthy career.
5. Can the Hornets survive in New Orleans?
When the New Orleans Hornets moved to the Bourbon City from Charlotte two years ago, many questioned whether or not New Orleans was a viable NBA city. The Jazz hadn't lasted in Louisiana during the 70s, and with the importance of corporate money these days in terms of sponsorship and luxury-box income, it's questionable whether the city can support this team.
One thing the Hornets had going for them when they moved to New Orleans two seasons ago was that they were a strong team playing in a weak Eastern Conference. They were a legitimate title contender, which was an attraction to the local fans.
Now, with a season-ending injury to Jamal Mashburn, a move to the deep Western Conference and a supposedly unhappy Baron Davis, this team looks like a non-factor. If the team does indeed struggle, will the fans continue to support the team?
