Duncan and Spurs set to win another championship ring
By Grant Hughes
Just in time to turn our attention away from another NFL season that refuses to make sense, the NBA is all set to bombard its fans with what promises to be a genuinely entertaining 82-game slate. Though the NBA is generally the most predictable of the three major sports (the good teams stay good and the bad ones stay bad), there are a few stories this season that will be especially interesting to follow. The Lakers, Mavericks and Timberwolves spent their summers accumulating marquee talent at a pace none of us have ever seen before. Whether that talent comes together or falls apart will shape this NBA season and many more to come.
You could argue that the Lakers have brought together four players in Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Gary Payton that have been the best at their respective positions in past decade. Malone, at least statistically, is the greatest power forward ever, and he's the team's fourth option. The talent and experience levels here are staggering, but so are the egos. Kobe and Shaq have already been sparring in the media during training camp, and you have to figure that if the Lakers don't get out of the gate quickly this season, Payton and Malone will start complaining as well.
In Dallas, owner Mark Cuban has swung two trades this off season, which netted him a pair of offensively skilled, defensively retarded forwards. Getting Antawn Jamison from the Warriors and Antoine Walker from Boston gives Dallas the most potent offense the league has seen since the 1980s. Of their five best players (Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Michael Finley, Jamison and Walker), only Nash has failed to average 20 points per game in a season. However, you could also make the case that everyone but small forward Michael Finley is the worst defensive player at his position in the entire league. Overall, expect the Mavs to average more than last year's league best 103 points per game, but to get smoked in the playoffs because of their inability to stop anyone.
In Minnesota, GM Kevin McHale has finally surrounded Kevin Garnett with the talent he's been without for the last six years. New additions Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell and Michal Olowokandi have never been team-first guys, and it will only be a matter of time before someone starts mouthing off. Fortunately, the Sacramento Kings' window into the playoffs has shut enough to allow the Timberwolves to step into the fourth playoff spot, and home court advantage in the West.
With all that said, none of these teams has a chance at the NBA title this year. What we're going to see again this season is that accumulating the most individual talent is not the way to win in the NBA. The formula that has worked time and time again requires the league's best player, coupled with role players that understand their jobs. San Antonio boasts, without question, the planet's best player in Tim Duncan. Surrounding Duncan is a network of reliable, experienced role players. Robert Horry (who is guaranteed to hit at least one game-winning three in the postseason), Manu Ginobili, Ron Mercer, Bruce Bowen, Rasho Nesterovic, Tony Parker and others will ride Duncan's coattails and chip in along the way to the Spurs' second consecutive crown. If you doubt Duncan is on his way to a third career title, keep this in mind: Since 1987, all but one NBA champion has won at least two titles in a row.
There's a lot to get ready for this season, and a whole slew of very talented, but frighteningly combustible, teams to take a look at. Be prepared to see the gap between the Eastern and Western Conference get even wider as the West continues to get stronger. Be prepared to see bickering and back-stabbing on teams with too many stars. Most of all, be prepared to have your faith in team basketball restored when the Spurs, going about things the right way, hoist another trophy this spring.
Contact Grant Hughes at (408) 554-4852 or at ghughes@scu.edu.