NOTE: The New Orleans Hornets traded guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers for three players and three draft picks. Going from LA to NOLA are guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman and forward Al-Farouq Aminu, plus a first-round pick in 2012 and a pair of future second-round picks.
The wait is finally over as the NBA preseason begins Friday with an eye towards the start of the real games on Christmas Day.
The big question regarding the condensed preseason is how will the lockout affect coaching strategy? Training camps only opened last Friday and teams are still filling out rosters this week. The Boston Celtics are a prime example of the upheaval, having to replace half their roster while dangling players like Rajon Rondo in an effort to get Chris Paul.
Coaches are in a conundrum as they try to get their teams ready for the regular season. A good portion of the starters are not in basketball shape and that likely means less minutes during the preseason and even more unpredictable results. Make sure you view the updated Don Best injury report for the latest information.
Embattled Commissioner David Stern won’t be getting too many holiday cards from players this year, but he’s at least made one popular move. The exhibition games are between teams within close proximity of each other, cutting down on travel time.
All eyes on Chris Paul on Friday
New Orleans visiting Memphis is part of the 4-pack of games on Friday. The point guard Paul should be dealt before then with the Clippers the heavy favorite despite whispers that the Lakers are still in the running. If a trade does go through, then the returning pieces likely won’t be available Friday, meaning the Hornets roster could resemble an NBA Development League team.
Cleveland at Detroit is a good chance to see No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving. He’s one of the rare bright spots for this Cavs squad. The Pistons are still trying to sign their leading scorer and assist man from last year, restricted free agent Rodney Stuckey. Rookie Brandon Knight from Kentucky is ready to show what he can do if Stuckey is out.
New York rivalry starts on Saturday afternoon
The best matchup on Saturday is New York visiting New Jersey. The Nets will move to Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season in the brand new Barclays Center and will be competing much more directly with the Knicks. There was more good news for the Nets on Wednesday morning as they look to be the favorite to acquire Orlando big man Dwight Howard. It’s not impossible he could suit up for this game and play limited minutes if the swap goes through.
The Knicks haven’t exactly sat pat this offseason, getting a legitimate center in Tyson Chandler and being forced to use the amnesty clause on point guard Chauncey Billups. That means the ‘Toney Douglas era’ officially begins. Fans better like what they see from this team as there’s no more wiggle room to add another star with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire also on the roster.
Saturday night has Milwaukee visiting Minnesota. The Timberwolves will get to show off two Rookie of the Year candidates in forward Derrick Williams and point guard Ricky Rubio. New coach Rick Adelman has tons of young talent to mold and might as well not leave any wins on the table as the Clippers own next year’s first-round pick. Milwaukee has a veteran, but mostly unexciting team and will look to improve on its 35-47 campaign.
Sunday night hoops cap weekend
The Miami Heat host Orlando on Sunday night with Howard the big question mark. It’s Miami’s first game since losing the NBA Finals on its own homecourt to Dallas. It will be interesting to see what kind of reception LeBron James gets after his poor playoff performance.
Oklahoma City is also at Dallas and these teams are among the Western elite. The Thunder have been quiet on the personnel front, preferring to let their young, talented core continue to develop. They are virtually tied (+200) with the Lakers (+180) in the conference odds now that Lamar Odom has been jettisoned to Dallas.
The Mavericks were happy to pull off the Odom heist for the low price of a first round pick and a trade exception. He can be bought out after the year, giving them payroll flexibility for a big free agent. Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea were all allowed to leave in pursuit of that cap space and the defending champ could take a step backwards.