Congratulations, NBA fans! You’ve survived yet another summer of social media rants, players grumbling about ESPN rankings and video game ratings and mostly unfounded trade rumors, and are now ready for the 2017-18 training camps certain to be accompanied by social media rants, players grumbling about ESPN rankings and video game ratings and mostly unfounded trade rumors.
For the anxious NBA fan, the start of training camp represents the clearing of another hurdle – we can at least find comfort by looking at the calendar, which tells us the regular season is less than a month away.
This is the time for optimism – real or imagined – for each of the league’s 30 teams, where the good teams are talking championship, the mediocre teams are talking deep playoff runs and the bad teams are talking about getting the 8th seed.
In September, no one talks about missing the playoffs, though nearly half the teams will do exactly that.
What To Expect
The accounts of the first couple of practices for all 30 teams will include a discussion of the coach’s renewed emphasis on defense, though we know that once the season starts, only about 1/3 of the teams will actually play any.
Each team will discuss how one of their veteran players with weight/conditioning issues shed 25 pounds over the summer, while they’ll silently hope he doesn’t gain them all back during the season.
We’ll hear about the teams that loaded up on players 6’5″ thru 6’8″who can guard the perimeter like the Golden State Warriors, but won’t be nearly as successful because they won’t be able to shoot or pass like the Golden State Warriors.
We’ll hear about potential sleeper teams in the already inferior, yet weakened Eastern Conference, which will include every team not expected to qualify for the post-season (“Don’t sleep on the Orlando Magic!”).
By the second or third day of training camp, we’ll hear about the oft-injured, double-digit year veteran who didn’t participate in drills because he was being rested.
For most teams, we’ll hear about the post player in his late teens or early twenties who is ‘raw’ and ‘has upside’ but ‘lacks upper body strength.’
For most teams. we’ll read about the player entering his third year in the league who’s ‘primed for a breakout season.’
We’ll hear about a team with three or four consecutive lottery picks being ready to ‘take it to the next level.’
We’ll hear about the low-post seven-footer who spent the entire summer working on his three-point shot.
We’ll hear about the veteran in his first training camp for his seventh team since joining the league, suggesting that he’s ‘found a home’ with his new team.
We’ll hear about how almost every player over 30 who signs with a bad team was brought in to ‘mentor’ the younger players, even though each team has about 10 assistant coaches.
We’ll hear about the second-round draft pick or undrafted free agent who is ‘turning heads’ at camp trying to make the roster by outplaying secure veterans with guaranteed contracts.
We’ll hear the rookies talking about having to adjust to the speed and physicality of the pro game while learning the playbook and having to carry the veterans’ luggage when traveling.
Finally, upon hearing news of a disgruntled star player from another team asking for a trade, local fans will destroy their General Manager for not constructing a deal including their 3rd string center, a future second-round pick and ‘cash considerations’ to acquire the other team’s best player.
What Not To Expect
We will not hear about players spending the summer working on mid-range shots.
We will not hear a player mention playing all 82 games as a personal goal.
We will not hear coaches talking about slowing the pace offensively.
We will not hear General Managers talk about anything of substance.
We won’t hear about teams that loaded up on players who can shoot or pass like the Golden State Warriors.
We will not hear any player or coach from either team in the New York metropolitan area talking about winning an NBA title in 2018 with a straight face.
We will not hear any team executives admit their team is on a deferred winning program, hoping to land a top draft pick in June 2018.
And thankfully, we will not hear about players on any team struggling to learn the Triangle Offense.
Looking Ahead
Next stop: Exhibition games and roster cuts. Then reality sets In.
The NBA Regular Season begins on October 17th. Let’s hope no one rests their star players that night.
