It’s basketball season in the United States, and that means it’s time for the NBA, writes GRANT MILLER.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are first-time defending champions, but they have a revamped Golden State Warriors waiting for them. They’ll give us a preview of the playoffs when they duel on Christmas.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are now officially Russell Westbrook’s team after losing Durant in free-agency. The Thunder will test themselves against the Warriors and their former teammate on 4 November.
This season provides a chance to see how today’s stars compete against challenging odds. We will find out who wants to be the giant killer.
1. Kyrie Irving’s ‘Mamba Mentality’
Kyrie Irving said he adopted Kobe Bryant’s ‘Mamba Mentality’ for Game 7 of last season’s NBA Finals. He cooked the regular season MVP Stephen Curry for 26 points, including a clutch three in his face after isolating him. In Game 5, he scored 41 points, combining for 82 with LeBron James.
Irving has drawn comparisons to Allen Iverson as a shoot-first guard in a point guard’s body, and it works, minus Iverson’s athleticism. Though he never coined the phrase, Iverson had the ‘Mamba Mentality’ too when he competed with Bryant. Irving has the potential to score like a combination of both players with Iverson-esque slashing to the rim and a Bryant-esque pull-up game. Only 24 years old, he has yet to reach his peak. This season we’ll see how Irving’s adopted ‘Mamba Mentality’ manifested in his off-season training and on the court.
2. How will LeBron James shape his legacy?
After leading his team back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals with back-to-back 41-point games, leading in every major statistical category, and catching that clutch block in Game 7 on Andre Igoudala, LeBron James’ championship run was historical for himself and the city of Cleveland. James (pictured), who is the first player in 50 years to compete in six straight NBA Finals, could very well make seven straight trips this post-season. That makes him the league’s greatest individual obstacle.
That’s an impressive legacy no matter how you shake it, but he’s not done. James and the Cleveland Cavaliers could face their greatest challenge in the Golden State Warriors after they added Kevin Durant. We’ll see who wins best two out of three if both teams make the finals again for the third straight year. Either way, James is well on his way to a historic career.
3. The MVP race
Will Russell Westbrook, who averaged nearly a triple-double last season and ranked top eight in both points and assists, finally get the MVP award now that the Oklahoma City Thunder are his team? At only 27 years and still an athletic marvel who dunks so hard it should be called a flagrant foul, Westbrook has a chance to lead the Thunder with his relentless attacking style. If the Thunder adopt his killer instinct, they could go far, and he’ll be the main catalyst.
Westbrook isn’t the only player with MVP potential. Kawhi Leonard came second to Stephen Curry last season in MVP votes, due to his play on both ends of the floor. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year can force turnovers by disrupting your team’s offense while pestering your best scorer, including other MVP candidates Stephen Curry and LeBron James. With Tim Duncan gone, expect Leonard to step up in San Antonio just like Westbrook in Oklahoma City, even if he’s a lot quieter about it.
4. James Harden at point guard?
Yes, you read that correctly. James Harden will play point guard this season. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni joked that Harden will be a ‘points guard’ for good reason. Harden ranked top ten in scoring for four straight seasons. But the last two seasons he was also top ten in assists, so perhaps D’Antoni is on to something but it does come with a big risk.
Harden’s defense is so bad it’s viral on social media. Now he must defend point guards, which was a job reserved for injured defensive specialist Patrick Beverly. Harden had a good pre-season at 20 points per game. We’ll see if he can lead a team in the regular season with less embarrassing YouTube videos.
5. The Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the tools to make the playoffs. Karl-Anthony Towns is already a top-ten center. Andrew Wiggins transformed from a track athlete to a consistent 20-points scorer. Combine Wiggins with the super-athlete shooting guard Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn, and you have a competitive team. Other rookies predict Dunn will win Rookie of the Year, and he may take Ricky Rubio’s starting job in 20 games. He can run with Wiggins and LaVine, and if he can manage a team on the pro level, watch for some unstoppable fast breaks.
