RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH FIVE STORY LINES
The NBA had its share of memorable moments in 2016 — from Kobe Bryant’s 60-point finale to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ historic Finals comeback to Kevin Durant’s decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and join the Golden State Warriors.
Now that the New Year’s Eve ball has dropped and the calendars have turned, we break down some of the league’s top story lines to keep an eye on in 2017. CAVALIERS-WARRIORS THREE-QUEL? The NBA world has been prepping for a third consecutive Cavaliers-Warriors Finals from the moment the Cavs rewrote the record books by overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to give Cleveland its first professional sports championship in 52 years.
As if adding a superstar like Durant to the equation didn’t stoke the fire of the league’s hottest rivalry, there was that not-sosubtle Christmas Day reminder that anything less than another Finals meeting between the two powerhouses would be a letdown. Written in the stars? That’s an understatement. WILL RUSSELL WESTBROOK AVERAGE A TRIPLE-DOUBLE? Westbrook is venturing into waters uncharted by anyone in the last 50 years, looking to become the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, joining Oscar Robertson, who did it in 1961-62.
The stat-stuffing point guard is well on his way, leading the league with 16 triple-doubles and averaging 30.9 points, 10.5 assists and 10.4 rebounds through Tuesday. But with more than half of the schedule left to be played, can he keep it up? BEN SIMMONS’ NBA DEBUT The No. 1 overall pick had foot surgery in early October, three weeks before he was scheduled to make his pro debut with the Philadelphia 76ers, temporarily halting the hype in a city champing at the bit to see a little progress from its free-falling franchise.
Though there’s still no official timetable for his return, Simmons is expected to get in on the NBA action at some point this season, joining a roster that — barring trades — features runaway rookie of the year candidate Joel Embiid and former lottery picks Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Dario Saric. FREE AGENCY FRENZY With yet another free agent class full of top-tier talent on tap for the summer, who will be the next star to pack his bags and alter the NBA’s landscape?
After back-to-back MVP awards and at least one championship, will Stephen Curry really try to test the market?
Will Chris Paul and Blake Griffin jump ship and uproot the Los Angeles Clippers’ core?
And what about players such as Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap and Kyle Lowry, who are cornerstones of their respective franchises? LAST HURRAHS? We bid adieu to some of the NBA’s most storied superstars in 2016, from Bryant to Kevin Garnett to Tim Duncan. As Father Time ticks on, will 2017 bring something similar?
Paul Pierce announced in September that this would be his final season, but what about 38-year-old Dirk Nowitzki, who has only played in 10 of the Dallas Mavericks’ 35 games this season?
Or Chris Bosh, who failed his pre-training camp physical after dealing with blood clots in each of the past two seasons? Or 39-yearolds Vince Carter and Manu Ginobili?