Hoop 2015/16

LeBron James James Harden Stephen Curry Kevin Durant Anthony Davis

2015-16 ANNUAL

Dwyane Wade Kobe Bryant Chris Paul Kawhi Leonard Derrick Rose

WARM UPS

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With his pregame routine—ethereal shooting exhibitions, mesmerizing dribbling drills and autograph sessions—Stephen Curry has given fans a reason to arrive early to games.

WARM UPS

ISSAC BALDIZON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

It’s always quiet right before a big storm. You can bet Chris Bosh heard the calming waves softly lapping on Biscayne Bay right before he dunked on Robin Lopez.

WARM UPS Rudy Gobert stands 7-2, a far cry from the towering French monument he’s nicknamed (Stifle Tower) after, but if you ask shooters around the League, it definitely feels just as imposing.

BART YOUNG/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

WARM UPS

One of the most amazing and overlooked aspects about LeBron James’ game is his vision and ability to throw all kinds of passes— on the run, in the air, falling out of bounds—with high velocity and pinpoint accuracy. It only makes sense that he recently joined Oscar Robertson as the only players in League history to rank in the top 25 of both points and assists.

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SE L

VIDEO GAM E BA

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AVAILABLE NOW Alcohol Reference Mild Language Mild Suggestive Themes Violent References

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THE GAMEPLAN

2015-16 ANNUAL

FEATURES

34 36 40 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 64 66 58 70 72 74 78 80 82 86 88 92 94 96 98 100 102 104

an Antonio Spurs: The Bridge on the River Kawhi S Cleveland Cavaliers: The One-Man Gang Los Angeles Clippers: The Incumbent Dallas Mavericks: Hurts So Good Toronto Raptors: Growth Spurt Chicago Bulls: Heel Turn Phoenix Suns: Bleeding Orange Philadelphia 76ers: Boy to Man Golden State Warriors: From Dray to Prey Brooklyn Nets: One With The Force Portland Trail Blazers: Trailhead Atlanta Hawks: It’s Al Good Orlando Magic: Hunger Gamers Oklahoma City Thunder: Future Present Tense Boston Celtics: Stature of No Limitations Detroit Pistons: Starting at 1 New Orleans Pelicans: Seven Feet High and Rising Charlotte Hornets: Staying Sane Minnesota Timberwolves: Northern Light Indiana Pacers: Furious George Sacramento Kings: Boogie-ing To His Own Beat Miami Heat: The Right Spot Utah Jazz: No Go Denver Nuggets: Diay of Reckoning Memphis Grizzlies: Be Like (The Other) Mike Los Angeles Lakers: The Victory Lap Washington Wizards: The Beal Deal Houston Rockets: Hard Act to Follow Milwaukee Bucks: Sophomore Revelation New York Knicks: The Melo Before The Storm

Poster Kevin Durant on one side; LeBron James on the flip.

010

Presenting Our Most Colorful TV

THE GAME PLAN 2015-16 ANNUAL DEPARTMENTS

2

Warmups

14

The Point

16

Jumpball

Starting Five: Well-traveled Kevin Martin intros his career starting lineup; Transition Game: Kyle Lowry hasn’t changed much through a decade in the NBA; Know Your Newbs: Recent No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns and “rookie” Julius Randle; Head 2 Head: MVP candidate point guards Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook face off; Celeb Row: A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg knows his basketball history; Brackit: Looking at who could be a first-time MVP this season; Dance Life: Golden State Warriors Dance Teamer Patrisha expounds on cheering on the defending champs; First Ride: Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton reminisces his first car; Peripheral Vision: A chat with Stance’s director of basketball Tzvi Twersky on the importance of socks; 24 Seconds: Tyson Chandler shows off his varied tastes in our Q&A.

118 Stepback A snapshot of 2012’s Christmas Day main event between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.

120 Call Out NBA good deeds go noticed.

012

106 HOOP Holiday Gift Guide We make a few choice selections to give and get for the holidays.

THE POINT Volume 44. No. 1 Editor-in-Chief Ming Wong #2 Design Director Kengyong Shao #31 Associate Editors Phil D’Apolito #17, Dan Holzhauer #68, John Martin #16 Assistant Editor Adam Kaufman #0 Assistant Art Director Ita Goldfeder #18 Online Editor Darryl Howerton #21 Editor-at-Large Jeramie McPeek #4 Copy Editor Trevor Kearney #8 WNBA Editor Lois Elfman #40 Senior Writer Michael Bradley #53 Contributing Writers Ray Bala #55, Russ Bengtson #43, Seth Berkman #91, Alex Bracetti #44, Frank Capa #28, Christopher Cason #24, Jon Cooper #10, Bryan Crawford #26, Jim Eichenhofer #12, Anthony Gilbert #1, Brian A. Giuffra #17, Jarrel Harris #3, Melody Hoffman #34, Steve Hunt #29, Andy Jasner #27, Steven Lebron #88, Holly MacKenzie #32, Brett Mauser #25, Branden Peters #63, Duane Watson #7 I hate lists.

BONUS POINTS Whether it’s to-do lists,1 shopping lists2 or playlists.3 1. A list would mean there’s an I especially loathe top [insert number and topic] lists. end, which there never is.

2. Whatever looks good and For something that is supposed to neatly quantify who or what is better, it only fresh is what I roam the aisles serves to further the debate. in search of.

I often get asked who’s in my top 10 all-time NBA list.4 In no particular order: 3. Shuffle, all day.

4. This list is, of course, everKareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, evolving.

Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon. I refuse 5. We always hide an easter egg player on each of our covers. Go to number them. I will say that my No. 1 is not everyone’s undisputed bald, tonguefind him.

5 wagging GOAT. His Airness, however, is hidden on this cover somewhere.

6. Unlike me, he has no aversion to naming his No. 1.

The only guaranteed outcome of the back-and-forth required to compile any 7. The mystique of Jordan still numbered list is more back-and-forth dissecting the list. I suppose that’s really carries on, even though it’s ultimately the endgame. been over 12 years since he last played.

I recently asked my 7-year-old son about which players comprise his all-time top 8. Take away his mane and 6 10: Steph Curry tops his list. Then it’s followed by some usual suspects that can Harden gets lost in the shuffle for many casual fans. be expected of someone born in 2008: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, 9. “He’s got the same name 7 Dwyane Wade. Even he’s not immune to the draw of Michael Jordan and James as me.”

10. “Mutombo is fun to say. He Harden’s magnificent beard.8 Then he ends with a few head scratchers like Tristan also has a really long name.”

9 10 11 Thompson, Dikembe Mutombo and Jeremy Lin. 11. “His hair is cool.”

The point of all this: Go with your 10 and make it yours. The more obscure, the 12. Three dunk contests in his three-year NBA career. quirkier, the better.

So go ahead: Like Timofey Mozgov because of his ridiculous local Cleveland commercials.

Put Antoine Walker on your 10 because of his shimmy.

Place Ricky Davis in your pantheon because he wanted to cop that triple-dub so badly.

Rushmore Terence Stansbury12 because he didn’t do anything much in the League except participate in dunk contests.

Wait, am I making up a list?

Illustrator Matt Candela #52 Retired Numbers #6, #11, #13, #30, #99 Professional Sports Publications

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JUMPBALL

AS TOLD TO JON COOPER #10

STARTING 5

KEVIN MARTIN

SMALL FORWARD: KEVIN DURANT Teammates in Oklahoma City in 2012-13

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

“Just his scoring ability all over the court and his presence, how he attracts other players. He’s just a hard worker, a great guy, an MVP of the League. He speaks for himself.”

Kevin Martin has been playing the same role of quiet efficient scorer since being drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the 26th overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft.

Now in his 12th NBA season, the 6-7, 190-pound two-guard, the first Western Carolina University Catamount ever selected in the first round of any sport, has traveled throughout the Western Conference. He’s made stops in Sacramento (five-plus seasons), Houston (two seasons), Oklahoma City (one season), Minnesota (2013-present).

At every stop, Martin flashes his trademark game of efficient scoring based off of midrange jumpers, three-point accuracy and getting to the line.

For his career, he’s averaging 18.1 ppg, on 44.0 percent shooting, 38.5 percent from downtown, and 87.0 percent from the free-throw line.

His career totals rank in the top 25 among active players in threepoint field goal percentage, in the top 20 in three-point field goals and free throws made, and the top five in percentage from the charity stripe.

Along his many NBA stops, Martin has had the pleasure of playing with a variety of players. Here is his personal squad of all-time teammates.

POWER FORWARD: KEVIN GARNETT Current teammate in Minnesota “His Hall of Fame nature speaks volumes. Everything that he’s been through in his career, he’s one of the best. I respect how he puts confidence in his teams. He’s put confidence in [point guard] Ricky [Rubio], the way he’s shooting. He’s a great leader.”

CENTER: BRAD MILLER Teammates in Sacramento (2005-2009) and Houston (2010-11) “In the past my favorite center to play with was Brad Miller. The way he makes everybody around him better, the way he could pass the ball and his feel for the game was great. He was really tough, too.”

016 DAVID SHERMAN (3); LAYNE MURDOCH; ROCKY WIDNER (2); JOE MURPHY/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

TWO GUARD: KEVIN MARTIN “Since I didn’t get to play with Michael Jordan, I was always the starting two guard, so that’s my answer. I’m going to be around those guys, just the shooter on the court. I don’t know how to stop me [laughs]. I feel like I’m a player that has a lot of different things I bring to the game. I just bring out different weapons.”

TRANSITION GAME

KYLE LOWRY

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

POINT GUARD: RICKY RUBIO Current teammate in Minnesota “He’s one of the best passers to ever play the game. When it comes to passing he’s like a Pete Maravich. The way he can control the ball and get it in tight spaces is amazing. Personally, he’s a sneaky funny guy. He’ll definitely throw in some jabs while he’s having a conversation with you. Everybody thinks he’s so innocent but he’s really not.” [laughs]

WILD CARD: METTA WORLD PEACE Teammate in Sacramento 2005-2008 “I liked his defensive presence and the way he could dominate a game with his physical nature. He’s one of my favorite teammates that I ever played with. He averaged 20 one year.

He was an all-around great player.”

017 JESSE D. GARRABRANT; RON TURENNE; ROCKY WIDNER (3); SAM FORENCICH; BILL BAPTIST; FERNANDO MEDINA; JOE MURPHY (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

JUMP BALL KNOW YOUR NEWBS

JULIUS RANDLE LOS ANGELES LAKERS Technically, Julius Randle is not a rookie. Sure, the 14 minutes he logged last season before fracturing his right tibia make him ineligible for Rookie of the Year honors, but the 6-9, 250-pound forward has long flashed the skill that makes us believe the training wheels came off a long time ago.

This season, it’s apparent Randle has a grown man’s game that separates him from other youngbloods in the League. Whether it’s the slick handle, the post moves or the moxie, Randle is part of the Lakers’ future.

Do you consider yourself a rookie?

The experience I got last year was still very valuable even though I didn’t get to play. But there are certain things that you can’t really experience until you go out and play. It’s kind of in between for me.

Do you still get treated like a rookie in the locker room?

No. That’s over.

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t need long to not only adapt to but excel in a new environment.

Last year, as a college freshman, the 7-0,

Was the last year rehabbing the hardest part of your career?

It was extremely hard. I was motivated, very dedicated in my rehab. It made it easy. I had a great team around me.

What kept you motivated?

My goals. Where I wanted to be as a player.

Just motivation.

Any guys in particular on the roster that kept your head up throughout?

Kobe was big for me as far as texting me and keeping me motivated, stuff like that.

Do you get a special feeling playing in Madison Square Garden?

It’s just a different vibe. It’s my first time playing in Madison Square Garden. I played in Barclays, stuff like that. New York’s just got a different feeling to it.

How do you like the West Coast?

Yeah, the weather. You never know who you’re gonna see. A lot of good food. There’s a lot to do. Like I said, the weather. You can wear whatever you want any day.

It’s just a beautiful place, man. I love it.

SETH BERKMAN #91

244-pound center from Edison, N.J., was a dominating presence on a Kentucky Wildcats team that started 38-0 while playing with 11 underclassmen.

While Kentucky’s title train would be derailed in the Final Four, there would be no stopping short of the NBA, as six Wildcats would be selected in the 2015 NBA Draft, four in the first round, led by No. 1 pick Towns How would you describe your relationship with KG? He is teaching me everything about being a pro—how to be a better leader, how to have better footwork, just be a better player. Everywhere and around, KG has been mentoring me about life in general.

How did you prepare for an 82-game schedule after playing half that last year in college?

Just being in the best shape of my life before the season started. I was in the best shape of my life and am just constantly taking care of my body, making sure I’m always in top shape.

What is the biggest difference in being an NBA rookie vs. a college freshman?

The biggest difference, obviously, is paying your bills, [laughs], actually living like an adult. There’s no university making sure you’re taken care of with everything.

What’s the difference in initiation as a pro rookie vs. a college freshman? [laughs] There’s been nothing. This is a team. We’re looking deeper than just initiations. We’re looking to be a playoff team.

With fellow No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins and so much young talent in Minnesota, how exciting is it to grow together?

It’s just a fun time for me to be able to play for this organization and be able to hopefully do something special this year.

Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford is a member of the Dominican national team and he recalled you as a skilled 14 year old. Do you remember him?

Of course. I remember days we used to do workouts and I remember days we used to just talk. We’d just sit down, have ice cream or something like that and just talk about life, talk about basketball. Just garnering so much knowledge, learning how to be so much of a better player, a better human being. I just had a ball talking to him about everything that hopefully I would be running into, which is the NBA life and we’re here now.

What do you remember about the Dominican team’s visit to Kentucky?

They never played the University of Kentucky team.

They played the Kentucky pros. So they were already in the NBA. So it was like John Wall and those guys.

They played and the Dominican team sent me out there. It was really fun.

Do you plan on continuing your relationship with the Dominican national team?

Yes, definitely. I’m going to continue that relationship and hopefully one day I’ll take them to the Olympics.

JON COOPER #10

018 DAVID SHERMAN; ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN; DAVID SHERMAN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

TM & Š 2015 Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Š 2015 NBA Entertainment. Photo by Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

JUMP BALL HEAD 2 HEAD

Stephen Curry vs.

Russell Westbrook Pick your poison. Do you want the NBA MVP embarrassing your guards and your double-teaming bigs with Curly Neal dribbling exhibitions and Meadowlark Lemon shooting theatrics? Or do you want the All-NBA Tasmanian Devil driving your team all Looney Tunes with his fast-and-furious breaks coming at you 35 minutes per game?

01 Scoring: Sometimes it’s just a matter of timing. A year ago, Curry was a scoring machine, but did so efficiently as evidenced by his .638 true shooting percentage and 23.8 points in 32.8 minutes per game. This season, Curry decided to let his game rage out-of-control, to the point where he now burns even more accurately (.709 true shooting percentage through November 15) and more vociferously (33.3 points in 35.1 minutes per game), scoring buckets off his own dribbledrive creations as often as coming off picks and cuts and catching the ball on the move. Westbrook has been quite the opposite, due to his pairings with former scoring champ and the recently frequently-injured Kevin Durant. He carries the scoring load when KD doesn’t play, as was the case for most of 2014-15, when Westbrook averaged 28.1 points in 34.4 minutes per game at a .536 true shooting clip. This season, with Durant in and out of the lineup, Westbrook has been averaging 25.4 points in 34.5 minutes per game, while shooting at a .547 true shooting percentage, splitting double teams, posting up and taking the ball on the break as ferociously as ever.

Advantage: Curry

Stephen Curry

Guard, 6-3, 190 pounds Golden State Warriors Curry

Westbrook

G

11

10

MPG

35.1

34.5

PPG

33.4

25.4

RPG

5.1

8.1

APG

5.6

10.3

TOPG

3.1

4.9

SPG

2.5

2.2

FT%

.930

.848

2FG%

.591

.477

3FG%

.452

.327

3sPG

5.2

1.8

Stats as of November 15, 2015 Key: G games; MPG minutes per game; PPG points per game; APG assists per game; RPG rebounds per game; TOPG turnovers per game; SPG steals per game; FT% free throw percentage; 2FG% two-point field goal percentage; 3FG% three-point percentage; 3sPG three-pointers per game.

020

02 Floor Game: Nobody handles the ball more than Westbrook, leading the NBA in usage rate (38.2 possessions used per 40 minutes in 2014-15; 35.6 in 2015-16), while also maintaining an efficient 21.9 assist ratio to 11.2 turnover ratio (playmaking stats indicating percentage of possessions ending in either an assist or TO; 28.0 and 12.8 in 2015-16). Curry initiates head coach Steve Kerr’s pass-friendly offense as triplethreat point guard, equally adept as passer, dribbler and shooter. Last season, the Warriors’ playmaker touched the ball less (28.5 usage rate) and shared the ball more (26.3 assist ratio to 10.6 turnover ratio); this season, he has been looking for his own shot more (31.9 usage rate with 17.5 assist ratio to 9.3 turnover ratio). But can you blame him? He is shooting at a historic .709 true shooting clip for a guard. Both players had dominant offensive Real Plus-Minus numbers last season (Curry, +7.43; Westbrook +7.79).

Advantage: Westbrook

BY DARRYL HOWERTON #21

03 Defense: Curry has come a long way as a defender—from his days as defense being an afterthought in Don Nelson and Keith Smart’s small-ball lineups to head coach Mark Jackson’s emphasis on team D to Kerr and defensive guru Ron Adams’ contributions in creating the NBA’s No. 1 defense. Curry’s defensive RPM indicates as much with his -0.38 (201314) and +1.91 (2014-15) numbers the previous two seasons. Westbrook, who has always been an up-in-your-face ballhawk, has not made the strides Curry has, but has been a consistently good defender whose main focus is offense, evidenced by his DRPMs (+0.23 and -0.71 in 2013-14 and 2014-15).

Advantage: Curry

Russell Westbrook Guard, 6-3, 200 pounds Oklahoma City Thunder 04 Leadership: Both men carry teams on their backs when necessary, just as both know how to make teammates better (Curry, +9.34 RPM; Westbrook, +7.38). The Warriors would not have been a 67-win NBA champion without Curry last season, and the Thunder could not make the 2015 playoffs with both Westbrook and Durant missing dozens of games (Westbrook, 15; Durant, 55). According to Kerr, Curry comes from the Tim Duncan school of encouraging leadership, while Westbrook, whether playing for new coach Billy Donovan or old coach Scott Brooks, hails from the Kobe Bryant college of keep-up-with-me and my furious pace.

Advantage: Curry

05 Intangibles: Ask any basketball fan born after 2000 , “Who is your favorite basketball player?” and a majority will answer “Stephen Curry” because they see themselves in the 6-3 Warrior, who happens also to be one of the smallest unassuming players on the court. We all see a bit of ourselves in Steph, but teammates and coaches alike will tell you the thing that separates Curry from his peers is his work ethic. His time dedicated to shooting is unparalleled in the NBA. His ballhandling skills and drills are legendary. Even his defense, Adams testifies, is something Curry continually works on, even with the significant strides he has already made. Westbrook, too, is a motivator. Durant himself says he wouldn’t be the player he is without Westbrook at his side in games or pushing him in practice before the games. The two men practically coordinated team practices at UCLA all summer long. Who does that?

Advantage: Curry

The Verdict Ask anyone to name the five best players in the NBA, and you’re guaranteed both Curry and Westbrook will make that short list. The two 27-year-olds truly are two greats who play the same position with totally different styles. But when all is said and done, you have to take Curry as the best point guard. Not only does he elevate his teammates to historic levels (67-win NBA champions), he also is en route to becoming the greatest long-range shooter in NBA history (40th in three-pointers made and second in career three-point percentage).

LAYNE MURDOCH (2); NOAH GRAHAM; JACK ARENT; /NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

021

JUMP BALL

How do you identify a great player?

Somebody who is first of all about the team. They could do it all—shoot it, defense, steals, possible blocks, rebounding—as well as the intangibles, things you’re not going to see in the box score—diving on the floor for loose balls—anything for the team. Any player that can do all of those things, I’m a fan. LeBron James is that player for me right now. You have some people that can strictly score the ball. That’s their job and they can’t do anything else. You have certain players that play very good defense, but there’s a lot to be desired with the offense. LeBron James can do it all—defense, offense. His vision is like a point guard. He could play at least four out of the five positions on the floor. As much of a superstar that he is, he’s all about team.

CELEB ROW

PHIFE DAWG He describes himself as a basketball historian, which is evident in his answers to every question about the game. As an emcee, rapper Phife Dawg often incorporates sports references into his delivery. Growing up in New York City, he developed a love for hoops by watching the amazing players all around him. At just 5-3, he fell naturally into the point guard position on the court. Being the floor general made him admire another point guard, Magic Johnson, who is his all-time favorite player.

Phife’s group, A Tribe Called Quest, recently issued a special 25th anniversary edition of their classic debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths of Rhythm, which includes bonus tracks of previously unreleased material. There will be new material from Phife in 2016, an EP that features the single “Nutshell.” Until then, you can catch him in performance, especially if you live in a city with an NBA team or near his favorite college team, University of North Carolina, as he’s been known to book gigs just to catch some hardwood action.

What is it you love about basketball?

Different teams play different ways. Some have the bump and grind style of the Boston Celtics in the ’80s. Some have fast break style of the Showtime Lakers of the ’80s. I like different styles of play. I like to see the growth in players—from AAU, high school, college, pro. I just love the game.

What was it like to see yourself as a playable character in the video games NBA 2K7 and 2K9?

It was really, really cool. I need to get on one of the latest games because with videogames the graphics get better and better every year. They have twists and turns that make it unbelievable, like you’re watching an actual game.

On Twitter you refer to yourself as a basketball historian. What things do you study most closely?

All of it. I love defense and I love seeing certain plays on offense develop. Like when you set picks. I love seeing defense in the clutch in order to win games. Three-point shots made at the buzzer as well as defensive stops at the buzzer. As long as it’s in the clutch, I love it.

022

Who were the players that first caught your interest?

As far as NBA, I have to say Bob McAdoo. He was one that could score the ball at will. George Gervin was another. Dr. J was really my introduction to NBA basketball. He was such a superstar, but he was a team player. There was Tiny Archibald as well, who led the League in scoring and assists at one point in the same season. Those are the four, my true introduction to NBA basketball. Once I got a glimpse of Magic Johnson playing in college that was it for me. My all-time favorite.

So where do you stand on the Magic Johnson/Michael Jordan debate?

Magic Johnson is my favorite basketball player, ever. I put no one ahead of him. Only being 5-3, even smaller when I first started playing basketball myself, I had to play point guard. Because of Magic Johnson, I learned how to incorporate my teammates and keep them involved. Despite being 6-9, he did it like no other. Michael Jordan is the greatest player ever as far as I’m concerned, but Magic is my personal favorite.

How do sports fuel your music?

Right before a performance, I feel like a boxer. I’m getting ready to do battle on that stage. So I’m in that zone. You know how Chris Paul or LeBron or Magic will be in that zone. They listen to music or might read books. You literally can’t talk to them right before that game. That’s me right before I hit the stage.

Do you have a favorite NBA game you attended in person?

New York Knicks, Game 7, against the Indiana Pacers. We beat them in ’94 in order to go to the NBA Finals. We played the Houston Rockets, who we lost to in seven games. That was the joy. That was probably the best game I ever attended. Then the worst game I attended was probably Knicks/Bulls in the playoffs, ’93. We were up 2–0 on the Bulls in the series, and they came back and beat us four straight to go to the Finals.

So you still love the Knicks even though you don’t live in New York?

I still love the Knicks.

What inspires you about the release of this 25th anniversary edition of People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths of Rhythm?

I’m happy that we’re still relevant after 25 years and the fans love us as if we have new material right now. I’m thankful to the fans, I’m thankful to God, I’m thankful to my bandmates that we’re able to remain relevant. That’s an inspiration.

Do you try to catch games if you’re touring or performing in different cities?

If there’s a game going on, I’m absolutely there. It doesn’t matter who’s playing.

LOIS ELFMAN #40 ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

JUMP BALL BRACK-IT

EIGHT THINGS. ONE UNDISPUTED CHAMP.

WHICH PLAYER HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING HIS FIRST MVP?

ANTHONY DAVIS VS. DEMARCUS COUSINS Both All-Star forwards are on teams hoping to ascend to the top four in the West over the next few seasons, a prerequisite for any player to be considered for the MVP award. The Pelicans made the playoffs last season, and Davis continues to improve. Meanwhile, Cousins has played for three coaches since the start of last season and has yet to make the playoffs despite being one of the most gifted centers in the game. Put Cousins’ numbers on a contending team and he’d be a perennial MVP vote-getter. Because of Davis’ ceiling and New Orleans being ahead of the curve in terms of building a contender, the Pelicans superstar moves on.

PAUL GEORGE VS. ANDREW WIGGINS After returning from a gruesome injury suffered during an intrasquad game for USA Basketball, Paul George is hoping to stay on the floor this season and regain his spot as one of the premier two-way players in the League. The Pacers have lost Lance Stephenson, Roy Hibbert and David West from the core group that challenged LeBron James and the Heat in back-to-back Conference Finals, and are now in retooling mode.

Meanwhile, in just his second season in the League, Wiggins—the reigning Rookie of the Year—is already one of the best young players in the game, on a team brimming with potential. Wiggins is on the fast track to become one of the best players in this League, on an up-and-coming team that has the right narrative to make him a MVP candidate. If we’re betting between Wiggins and George to make a leap over the next five seasons, Wiggins is the right choice.

DAVIS VS. WIGGINS Perhaps as soon as next season, we might start talking about the Pelicans and Timberwolves as teams most likely to become the next great Western Conference powerhouse. Wiggins’ offensive game has improved leaps and bounds since his one year at Kansas, and when he’s on, you see glimpses of a player who can dominate on both ends of the floor. But in terms of singular talent, if he stays healthy, it’s not inconceivable that Davis will be in the conversation as the best player by the end of this season. If Davis approaches those heights, and carries the Pelicans into the 50-win range and takes down a contender or two in the playoffs, everything will be set up for this to become Davis’ league for the next decade. In that scenario, Davis would be in contention for MVP voting every season. Both players should get themselves into that conversation eventually, but right now, Davis is the choice.

DAVIS VS. HARDEN A close call here depending on what criteria you want to measure for predicting future MVPs. The Rockets are closer to winning a title, but Davis edges Harden for the title of best player in the game.

Even on a middle-of-the-pack team, Davis is so great we might see him change the way we perceive what the MVP should represent beyond just team success. If a player is so valuable that without him the team would be in the lottery, does that not represent as much value as a great player on a championship team? If the Pelicans don’t become a contender, Davis is dominant enough that in his prime, he might single-handedly force himself into the conversation for MVP. Even in a treacherous Western Conference, Davis is primed to be head and shoulders above his individual competition and put up absurd numbers, which he is already doing. In a pool of such great players, the choice is still obvious: Anthony Davis is most likely to win multiple MVPs in his career.

Prepare for the future. It’s coming sooner than you think.

024

BY STEVEN LEBRON #88

RUSSELL WESTBROOK VS. JOHN WALL With Kevin Durant out for most of last season, Russell Westbrook took over as the go-to guy in Oklahoma City and dazzled the League on a nightly basis, racking up triple-doubles and highlight dunks nearly every time he took the court. Playing alongside Durant might hurt him in the MVP voting, but Westbrook is talented enough that it would surprise no one if he emerged as an MVP candidate for this season and beyond. In Washington, the Wizards are hoping Durant will consider coming home when he hits free agency next summer. In the meantime, they’re in good hands with John Wall and Bradley Beal in their backcourt. Wall is already one of the best point guards in the NBA, but we have to give the advantage to Westbrook by just a hair because the Thunder are perennial championship contenders, and that spotlight bodes well for individual awards.

JAMES HARDEN VS. KYRIE IRVING Kyrie Irving is one of the League’s most exciting players, a deft ballhandler and crafty finisher at the rim with unlimited range from beyond the arc. Playing alongside LeBron James and Kevin Love, Irving has to share the ball and his lower usage puts him at a disadvantage in terms of contending for the MVP award.

There are no such issues in Houston, where James Harden is the focal point of the offense, an elite scorer capable of taking over games with his jumpshooting and ability to put his defenders in positions to foul, almost at will. Already a runnerup to Stephen Curry last season for the award, it’s not hard to envision Harden putting together his own MVP season, perhaps as early as this year.

HARDEN VS. WESTBROOK A battle of two former teammates, one (Harden) who has his own spotlight while the other (Westbrook) has to share it with the 2014 MVP. Assuming both stay with their current teams, Harden is in position to challenge for the scoring title every season, and is the main reason why the Rockets fancy themselves as championship contenders this season. Westbrook might not find as much team success if he finishes his career elsewhere, but imagine the box scores he can put up on a team that is truly his. Thunder fans probably don’t want to think about that alternate reality, but if it were to happen, Westbrook could put himself in position to win multiple MVPs. But in the reality we currently live in, Harden is already knocking on the door, and will continue to be the go-to guy on a championship team for quite some time.

WHICH PLAYER HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING HIS FIRST MVP?

ANTHONY DAVIS 025 ROCKY WIDNER; RON HOSKINS; FERNANDO MEDINA; ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN; DAVID SHERMAN (2); LAYNE MURDOCH JR. (2); NED DISHMAN; BILL BAPTISTM(2); DANNY BOLLINGER; LAYNE MURDOCH/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; EZRA SHAW; MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES

DANCE LIFE

PATRISHA WARRIORS DANCE TEAM How long have you been on the Warriors Dance Team?

This is my fifth season. I was a captain last year.

Is training camp for the Warriors Dance Team equally as grueling as it is for the Warriors?

I’ve never experienced the Warriors camp, but I’m pretty sure it’s as intense. Everyone is fighting for their spot on this team, so it’s really competitive. A lot of women came out this year for auditions since we won the championship. We all have high hopes, all of us are working really hard and we get along really well.

When did you start dancing?

I started dancing when I was 7. I was actually with one of my teammates that is on the Warriors Dance Team now for my first dance class; her name is Tarah. It was a combo class, so it was a jazz and tap class combined, and I just remember walking in and really being excited, but I was also nervous because I didn’t know what it was going to be like.

What was your first game on the Warriors Dance Team like?

I remember being extremely nervous. I started the

season where it was the lockout (2011), so it was a really long audition process, because we didn’t know if we would even have a season. I remember my first game. It was really nerve-wracking, but we had a lot of vets that season, so they were always making sure we were comfortable.

What was the atmosphere like in Oracle Arena during the Finals?

Oh my gosh, it was amazing! I can’t even tell you, there were butterflies in my stomach. I kind of had a little bit of anxiety as I wanted us to make it to the championship. Our fans were so crazy and always on their feet, but its kind of like that every game. I just think there was more at stake because we just really wanted to make it all the way.

Can you explain the passion Filipino people have for basketball?

Me and four other girls just went to the Philippines this summer for NBA 3X. I’m full Filipino, my parents were born there and came to the States, and I think just being Filipino, we’re always super passionate about what we love.

I think basketball is the kind of sport that you need

the fans to interact with you. I think the fact they’re passionate, and basketball is a very passionate sport.

It’s also really interactive with the fans, and that’s why I think they love it so much in the Philippines.

What’s the one major thing you tell new girls coming on the team?

I really just tell them to stay humble and work hard.

We get a lot of spotlight just being on this team, being dancers, but being on this team I have learned that we’re just not dancers, we’re also ambassadors to our community and the Warriors organization.

You’re a longtime Warriors fan. Aside from winning the championship, what do you think was the greatest Golden State moment?

Just because I started in 2011, that was kind of when things were changing in the organization. I think the greatest reward is being a part of the journey. Our fans have always been loyal from day one. My family have been Warriors fans even though we lost a lot of games.

Just seeing that they have been winning and that we went all the way last year, that’s the biggest reward.

What part of the game do you look forward to most?

I would have to say right at the beginning when we have intros. It’s when all the lights go out, the music is really loud, the fans are screaming and sometimes we can barely even hear the music. It’s when all of us come together and the players are getting introduced and that’s the first time during the game that me and my teammates get to dance together.

DUANE WATSON #7

FIRST RIDE

KHRIS MIDDLETON MILWAUKEE BUCKS

My first car, in Charleston, [S.C.] was an ’03 Ford Explorer—Eddie Bauer edition. I got it when I was in high school in Charleston. My grandfather bought it for me, I was so happy. We’re a tight-knit family—my sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, everything. I just kept it plain and simple. That’s a fresh car so you wash it every day, make sure it’s clean, make sure everything’s right with it. It got me from A to B and everywhere else. I had a 30-minute drive to school—I went to private school [Porter-Gaud School]—so it was me and my Ford Explorer every day for 30 minutes. I think I sold it right after I left college and got a new car.

AS TOLD TO SETH BERKMAN #91

026 COURTESY GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS; GARY DINEEN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

PERIPHERAL VISION

TZVI TWERSKY STANCE SOCKS, DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL

Perhaps Keith Van Horn was onto something with those long socks. Admittedly, aside from the sock length, the blank canvas of the plain whites were a pretty weak look. But a generation later, Stance has completely upped the ante, all the way to becoming the official sock supplier of the NBA this season.

What started with prints of a few NBA legends has morphed into hundreds of styles, perfect for wear on the blacktop, at the beach or in the boardroom.

We expect Stance’s Christmas game socks to be the hottest stocking stuffer of the year—that is, if you can find a pair.

One of the people behind the Stance deal is Tzvi Twersky, a longtime colleague who put in tireless work in the print world over at SLAM (Twersky started as an intern in December of 2008 and eventually became senior editor before joining Stance last year). Twersky reveals how socks have evolved from back-of-thedrawer fodder to front-of-the-line style statements and the future of collaborations between basketball pros and the fashion world.

When did Stance begin?

It was founded in 2009 and we put out our first socks in 2010.

What appealed to you about Stance?

We had worked with them for a few years with an NBA Draft suite that SLAM did with Foot Locker and Stance.

So I had the chance to work with some of the people and see the product and see the excitement that NBA players, rookies had when they saw the product.

I was like, “Man, there’s something to it, there’s an excitement.” When I brought the socks home, my nephews, my brother-in-law, my cousins would get excited. There was just something I saw—this buzz.

You’re director of basketball at Stance. Were you involved in negotiations for the deal with the League?

I kind of came in near the end of that. I think they brought me in hoping they were going to be landing this deal and wanting someone to steer it once we 028

get it. For me, part of the reason I took this job was this amazing opportunity, a chance to steer the NBA program, that was right in my wheelhouse.

What’s it like choosing and then working with professional athletes on their own Stance collection?

When I joined Stance in December of last year, the first person I went after and signed was Allen Iverson, to kind of be the face of our NBA Legends collection.

For me it was an obvious decision—he’s iconic to a generation of people. If you’re an ’80s baby, a ’90s baby, you grew up on AI. That’s the pinnacle of both athletic achievement and keeping it real to yourself.

In April, I went out with him to Philly for a photoshoot. We shot AI in the middle of Love Park in Philly. He had never been able to be there and do that.

It was an amazing moment for me.

Was there ever a point where you thought, ‘Who thinks of socks as a market?’ and then a change to, ‘There’s endless possibilities with socks’?

It’s crazy. It’s an emerging market. It’s a baby. The sky is the limit. We’re just kind of diving in. What can we do scientifically? How can we make a better sock? How can we make a cooler sock from a design perspective?

Five years ago, 1 out of every 10 people would have said, ‘I’m particular about my socks.’ Now socks match shoes, they match shorts. There’s something to it.

Do players look more for performance or panache?

Offcourt, they want the most up-to-date stuff, the most stylish stuff—the stuff we call top-stitch. It’s made of the best material, it feels best on your foot, it’s the fanciest. On-court, it’s all about performance first. Where do we need the cushioning? Where do we need the ventilation? What’s gonna help me play for an extra two minutes?

I always ask this of shoe designers, but do you now watch games differently, like below the waist more?

Yeah, it’s funny. I’d be lying if I said I’m not. Part of it is it’s still fresh to me, it’s still exciting to see these guys

wear the socks. It’s hard not to notice it, especially on social media. Looking at sneaker pictures, you go through it and all I can see is the socks. It’s an incredible way to watch the game. It’s an incredible feeling. I can only imagine how Tinker [Hatfield] feels when he sees his kicks everywhere.

How many players have reached out for socks?

I had a player text me who doesn’t have a Christmas game. I was like, ‘Hey man, they’re on the site right now. Good luck trying to get them.’ The reaction behind the Christmas jerseys was incredible. We saw the design and said, ‘What’s a sock that’s gonna pair up with it?’ Our designers did an incredible job.

What is next?

It’s really fine-tuning and listening to player feedback and trying to make sure that we have the best sock in the world and it continues to get better. Right now we have the best players in our world wearing our socks. Their feedback is invaluable. At the end of the day you get this huge picture that you wouldn’t have otherwise. Why don’t we tweak this and make it better for the next iteration?

How often are you in contact with trainers, team personnel?

I work with an amazing team, I want to stress that, but there are about three of us here that talk to teams almost on a daily basis. We talk to the NBA, the 30 teams, individual players. The best thing about a pair of socks—you know it’s good when you have it on and you forget about it, if they become a part of you. That’s the highest compliment we can get.

Growing up, what were your favorite socks to ball in?

I don’t even know if I had matching socks. I had handme-downs, my brother’s knee-highs. My sock game was wack. I remember when I got my first pair of Jordans and I kind of feel that way about my first pair of Stance. I got a pair of the AI socks. I will never go back to something else. SETH BERKMAN #91 REID KELLEY/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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JUMP BALL 24 SECONDS

with TYSON CHANDLER HOOP: More recently, you posted a photo of yourself and Steve Nash4 together in the Suns’ locker room.

CHANDLER: It was an honor to watch his retirement ceremony and be able to spend some time with him. I love players that elevate other players and make everybody better. He did that throughout his career.

HOOP: Nash is obviously a legend in Phoenix. But we see that you are a legend on the tetherball court.

CHANDLER: Absolutely! With my height advantage, I would try to hit the ball up high and then keep it up high. I was undefeated.

HOOP: Is it true kids made fun of because you were so tall in school?

CHANDLER: All the time. People thought I was held back because I was so tall. I was 6-4 in the sixth grade. So they thought I was 14 or 15 when I was actually 11.

HOOP: Did you take it out on those kids on the tetherball court?

CHANDLER: I would punish them [laughs].

HOOP: We enjoyed the photo of you dropping the ball at the Scottsdale Polo Championship.

CHANDLER: That was awesome. I had never been to a polo match, but I always wanted to. I love the vibe, the big hats and fashion. So I jumped on it and it was fun.

HOOP: Speaking of fashion, you’ve posted photos of yourself modeling sunglasses and grooming products. You were featured in an issue of GQ. How would you describe your style?

CHANDLER: Sophisticated grunge. For me, it’s just artistic expression.

HOOP: They say a picture is worth a thousand1 words. What do the photos you’ve posted on Instagram say about @tysonchandler?

CHANDLER: Random. I don’t post a lot of family things, or photos that say “look at me!” For me, it’s probably too thought out.

HOOP: We loved the photo you posted of yourself as a rookie with Scottie Pippen.

CHANDLER: He was a big influence in my life, on the court and off. He taught me so much in the year2 I was able to play with him.

HOOP: That was a happy birthday post, right?

CHANDLER: His 50th birthday. He invited me to his party, but it was three days before training camp. I really wanted to go, but I had to ask myself, “Would he go to Florida three days before training camp?”

HOOP: Talk about the transition you’ve made from the young kid in that photo to elder statesman.

CHANDLER: Just a lot of learning and listening. The quicker that you understand what the vets are trying to preach to you, the better you are.

HOOP: Do you feel like the old vet3 on the team?

CHANDLER: I do, the way they look at me and look to me to lead in certain situations. I still feel like one of the young guys, but I’ve got to be careful, because it’s such a young group. I’ve got to make sure they are locked in.

030

HOOP: How has your style changed over the years? What would you wear to the arena as a rookie?

CHANDLER: Very baggy [laughs]. Baggy jeans, throwback jerseys, chains, hats, beanies. I’m way more tailored now.

HOOP: Did your wife help you out there, or did you pick up fashion tips from some of your teammates?

CHANDLER: She introduced it to me and then I just kind of ran with it.

HOOP: You post a lot of photos from movie theaters.

CHANDLER: Movies were something I always loved growing up. I didn’t get a chance to experience them much when I was young because that was a luxury [then].

HOOP: You took Suns employees and their families to see Goosebumps after you arrived in Phoenix.

CHANDLER: Coming into a new city, I felt like it was a great way to introduce myself and my family.

HOOP: Your all-time favorite movies?

CHANDLER: Gladiator, Matrix, Scarface, Friday, Life and Notebook— the only love story in there.

BY JERAMIE McPEEK #4

HOOP: Tell us about throwing out the first pitch at the Arizona Diamondbacks game.

CHANDLER: Coming to Arizona and being able to do that, was a huge honor for me. I haven’t quite gotten the strike that I’ve wanted in all the pitches that I’ve thrown out.

HOOP: Did you get it over the plate?

CHANDLER: I got it over the plate, but it was wide right.

HOOP: Did Randy Johnson5 give you any tips, as a 6-10 pitcher?

CHANDLER: I wish. I didn’t even get a warm-up. I literally went from interviews to “You’ve got to get out there.”

HOOP: You posted a picture recently with WWE superstar Mark Henry. Would you make a better pitcher or wrestler?

CHANDLER: Pitcher. If you’ve seen Mark Henry or any of those other guys, there’s no way [laughs].

HOOP: If you did step into the squared circle, what would your finishing move be?

CHANDLER: Probably a forearm or an elbow.

HOOP: You post a lot of travel photos. What are some of your favorite spots you’ve been able to visit overseas?

CHANDLER: I love the south of France. I love Europe, London, Paris... But my favorite all-time is probably Africa, going on a safari in the Serengeti and seeing the beauty of the land. It’s fun to explore and see different cultures. You realize how different the world is when you get out of your own box.

HOOP: You went to Africa with UNICEF, right?

CHANDLER: Yeah, I went with UNICEF6 into Tanzania and did some groundwork. It’s amazing. We get caught up in our own problems and issues, while people are literally struggling day-to-day to live. It’s very eye-opening.

HOOP: You mentioned that you don’t post many pictures of your family, but you do from time to time. What does family mean to you?

CHANDLER: Family is life. I live to raise my children and to give my wife a proper life, and be the leader of my household. You’re leaving a legacy.

BONUS POINTS 1. This interview is worth a thousand words, too. It’s true. Count ‘em.

2. Chandler entered the NBA as an 18-year-old, drafted straight out of Dominguez High School, and joined Pippen and the Bulls in 2001-02.

3. Signing with Phoenix as a free agent during the offseason, Chandler is now the oldest member of the Suns’ roster at 33.

4. Chandler and the Suns are wearing their new black PHX uniforms 13 times this season, in honor of Steve Nash.

5. A member of the Diamondbacks’ front office, the Big Unit has been a frequent visitor at Suns games over the years.

6. Chandler was recently named a UNICEF Kid Power Champion, teaching kids about getting active and giving back.

032

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THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KAWHI

What connects the Spurs’ past greatness with their bright future will be their understated best player.

N

o matter their ages, 39-year-old Tim Duncan will always be the heart and soul of these San Antonio Spurs, with 38-yearold Manu Ginobili fighting on as the team’s indomitable spirit, just as 33-year-old Tony Parker remains the catalyst who gets the whole machine going.

As for 24-year-old phenom Kawhi Leonard, he's usually played a different role with these Spurs.

Leonard was always the bridge connecting championship eras past with title-town contenders of both the present and future.

Leonard, the strong-silent type (emphasis on silent), always had an old-school game and demeanor straight out of Gregg Popovich’s no-nonsense playbook, while also wielding a well-rounded game defying comparison to any other all-around superstar.

Defend the perimeter flawlessly, whether harassing point guards, wings or power forwards.

Rebound with his claw-like grip.

Shoot threes from outside. Score twos from inside. Run the break.

Finish at the rim. Compete at the highest levels. Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen is probably the only player—past or present— who even closely resembled Leonard’s unique style.

And very few of Leonard’s peers have done everything better than the Spurs’ 6-7 small forward, best evidenced by his +7.57 Real PlusMinus score which ranked fifth in the NBA in 2014-15.

But it's Leonard’s ability to give the Spurs what they needed when they needed it that made him the 034

perfect conduit from the leaders of San Antonio’s four previous championship squads to the most recent 2014 title team.

If Pop needed to slow down LeBron James or Kevin Durant at any time during any of the 2012 through 2015 playoffs, the Spurs’ head coach knew he always had that Kawhi ace in his pocket.

If the Spurs’ Big Three needed to take a breather, and thus needed to find someone else to create shots—or offense for the team— Leonard’s isolation-ball number could be called to save the day.

Leonard’s understated reliability may be best illustrated by the type of exclusive hardware that is on his resumé: 2014 NBA Championship ring; 2014 NBA Finals MVP; 2014-15 NBA Defensive Player of the Year; 2014-

15 All-Defense First Team and 2013-14 All-Defense Second Team.

Those are the type of honors that scream out, “Unsung Superstar.”

In a way, Leonard is the perfect complement to new Spurs free-agent acquisition LaMarcus Aldridge.

Aldridge, who has played in the last four All-Star Games, comes to San Antonio as this summer’s splashiest free-agent signing, arriving at his Texas homecoming as one of the game’s rarest 20/10 men (the power forward was one of three NBA players to do so in 2014-15, averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Portland Trail Blazers last season; Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins were the others).

The wine-and-dine, free-agent-

courting ceremony that Aldridge went through was in stark contrast to the lowkey negotiations Leonard went through with the San Antonio organization.

Both Leonard and Aldridge earned maximum contracts from the Spurs for their respective NBA experience levels.

But Aldridge had the world courting his every wish, while Leonard was forced to delay his signing all season long, so that San Antonio management would have enough cap room to attempt to sign both forwards.

Leonard’s patience— even if it was against his

wishes to get a deal done last fall—ultimately led to the Spurs landing the 30-year-old Aldridge, a move that helps the bookend forwards form a bond that will only grow together as the two grow their games.

For as the tales of Duncan are eternally linked to David Robinson—and as Ginobili and Parker are tagged to Duncan—both Leonard and Aldridge now form a bond as Spurs that will not only play out through the 2010s, but perhaps also enter a 2020 vision.

Of course, by then, Aldridge will be 35, Leonard 29, and

the Spurs may be a championship or two richer, with or without the help of Duncan, Ginobili and/ or Parker, not to mention Danny Green, Patty Mills, Boris Diaw or any of the other half-dozen Spurs who may stick around from this year’s 2015-16 team.

And as the Spurs roll along, it will be Leonard’s understated superstardom as the low-profile glue guy that will keep Pop’s program together, while Aldridge likely will provide the high-profile necessities that go along with championship building as well.

“The team probably will look considerably different than it looked last year because we have so many free agents and we want to retool a little bit,” Popovich told ESPN.com. “We put the team together with that in mind, that this year we’d have all the free agents so we can decide what we want to do moving forward as far as the makeup of the team.”

Don’t anticipate these two MVP candidates having relationship problems with each other, mainly because Leonard is so low-profile and stoic, he makes Tim Duncan seem constantly giddy in comparison.

You also already know Leonard and Aldridge will not have problems meshing as long as sacrificial legends Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are on the roster—the millions in paycuts this trio has taken over the years embodies what individual sacrifice is all about and is a big reason why the Spurs have been able to win games on a 50-win pace for 18 seasons

straight now … and counting.

“It’s never been about one guy here,” Aldridge told the San Antonio Express-News. “It’s always been about the team. So it’s not about me.”

As Leonard told Spurs.com at media day, “LaMarcus is just a guy who wants to win, works hard and understands the game.”

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but as Aldridge and Leonard suit up alongside Duncan, perhaps the best big man of the modern era, one could also make the argument that this Spurs dynamic duo could indeed become the best set of NBA forwards to join forces since former Boston Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, Pacers Jermaine O’Neal and Metta World Peace, SuperSonics Shawn Kemp and Detlef Schrempf, or perhaps best yet, since ex-Celtics Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.

In other words, we may be set to witness something historic with this pairing of forwards Leonard and Aldridge.

The former Trail Blazer may get most the fanfare this season, but Spurs insiders already realize that none of this magic happens in the future without the contributions of their silent assassin, not to mention, all the Spurs who blazed trails before Leonard and still play alongside the League’s newest dynamic duo.

BY DARRYL HOWERTON #21

035 D. CLARKE EVANS/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY MICHAEL BRADLEY #53

THE ONE-MAN GANG As the game's best player, LeBron James knows he can do it all himself, but understands he needs his teammates to win it all.

W

hen he put up those 40 points in Game 3 and practically beat the Warriors all by himself, it looked like LeBron James was actually going to do it. Had he somehow found a way to win two more in the 2015 Finals, it would have gone down as the greatest individual series performance in NBA history. Imagine, one man against five—and the one, well, won. It would be Wilt’s 100 on the NBA’s grandest stage.

Yes, there were 11 other players dressed in wine-and-gold during the Finals, and they all made contributions. Tristan Thompson hit the boards with a vengeance. Timofey Mozgov actually put up 28 in Game 4. Matthew Dellavedova introduced himself to the basketball world with his 20-point Game 3. J.R. Smith was J.R. Smithing, which means he had some can’t-miss streaks to go along with some can’t-make stretches. But had Cleveland won the world title, it would have been all about James, who scored a record 123 points in the first three games, when the Cavs took a 2-1 lead, and fought valiantly the rest of the way against a defense aligned purely to stop him.

Every foray to the basket required his blasting through enough detours to enrage the average commuter. Each post-up brought a double (and sometimes triple) team. If James had spent the two weeks after the Finals in an ice bath, nobody would have been surprised. As much as his body ached, his mind and soul were even more wounded.

“Every year you lose in the Finals, it gets worse and worse to get over,” James said at Cleveland’s 2015 media day.

036

The loss to Golden State was Finals disappointment No. 4 for James, who must now contend not only with the sting of finishing second but also with those who question his legacy.

Michael Jordan never lost, many say. MJ never deferred.

Jordan also never played on the NBA’s biggest stage without his best teammates, either.

Last year, Kevin Love missed all but the first four games of the postseason because of a shoulder injury. Kyrie Irving played in Game 1 and then was sidelined for the rest of the Finals with a fractured kneecap. This is not a shot at Thompson, Mozgov, Smith and Iman Shumpert. They played big roles in the Cavs’ success. But Irving and Love were huge—and James knows that. They were two of the biggest reasons James took his talents back to Northeast Ohio. Perhaps more than any other star in the game, he recognizes the need to be surrounded by great players. He understood it in Miami, and he certainly knows it in Cleveland, particularly after last June.

That’s why he worked hard during the summer to convince Love to re-sign with the Cavs. He knows he and Irving can’t do it alone.

“Yes, we have talent, and yes we did something pretty good last year,” said James. “But that doesn’t mean anything this year. So we’ve got to work just as hard. We’ve got to prepare just as smart and we’ve got to go out and be a team that’s together at all times.

“You extract your individual ego for the team ego, for the better of the ultimate goal and that’s to get better every single day and each month you continue to grow and hopefully you put yourself in a position in June to compete for a championship.”

James’ process of extraction is huge for the Cavaliers, because it has allowed the team to assemble a cast around him, which if healthy, could very well produce a title. James has insisted on that, just as he was happy to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami, and as he was frustrated in Cleveland during his first stint there when the Cavs couldn’t surround him with sufficient talent to win it all. In that regard, he is somewhat rare, because he understands that teams with more options and better players often take the prize.

Andre Iguodala may have been named Finals MVP last year, but there was no one who doubted James was the best player on the court and clearly the most

valuable performer (there was plenty of chatter of whether LeBron warranted the MVP hardware in spite of losing). But Iguodala had Steph Curry and Klay Thompson—not to mention Draymond Green—beside him, while Love and Irving were not in uniform.

James says that his big numbers didn’t matter to him against Golden State, because he was “inefficient.” Of course he was. He had to take a pile of shots to create offense for the hamstrung team, so his shooting percentage suffered. This year, he should be able to go back to his regular, more effective self, thanks to a fully stocked roster that includes new old faces Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson.

James spent the offseason trying to improve many facets of his game, and he expects the ability to rest more and rely on his teammates will allow him to be more productive in the postseason. It’s important to note that even if James’ proficiency was a little off in the Finals, his ability to carry Cleveland to two wins was amazing. As one might expect, half of a series win is not enough for the man who keeps trying to get better.

“To see the pieces we added and the pieces that are coming back this year, I can get back to my normal self,” he said.

As if the “abnormal” James was a problem.

037 JEFF ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES

THE INCUMBENT There’s few better than Chris Paul, but is it time for change?

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hris Paul’s first season as a Los Angeles Clipper had the feel of a presidential campaign.

Perhaps it was because Paul’s first year in L.A. followed the highly political lockout that dragged throughout the summer and fall preceding the 2011-12 NBA season.

Perhaps it was because Paul himself was a vice president for the NBA Players Association in those meetings, and in 2013 would be voted president by his peers.

Or perhaps, best yet, it was because America itself was in the midst of a presidentialelection season, with incumbent President Barack Obama hitting the campaign trail, lobbying for another four years.

Similarly, everyone saw hope where previously none existed, especially for this Clippers franchise that averaged 29 wins over the five seasons prior to Paul's arrival in Southern California.

It was because these Clips were different—from Blake Griffin, the exciting dunk king whose body more closely resembled that of a giant NFL tight end, to DeAndre Jordan, a high-flying center who had more athleticism in his pinky than most NBA centers had in their entire body, to Paul himself, acquired in a post-lockout, preseason trade that signaled to the world that these Clippers had indeed arrived.

Paul named the movement Lob City.

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BY DARRYL HOWERTON #21

He threw alley-oops to Griffin and Jordan and the evergrowing crowds responded, with fans clamoring for more of these Clippers as the team’s TV ratings rose in cities throughout the USA. “All three of us are going to be here for a very long time,” Jordan told the Los Angeles Times. “This is our team.

This is our unit.”

The Clippers won 60 percent of their games and made the 2012 NBA Playoffs and even won a round in the postseason.

The following season, the Clippers won a franchise-record 56 games, which lessened the pain when the Clips were bounced in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs.

The team notched 57 wins a year later and reached the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs.

The Clippers won 56 games the following campaign and reached the second round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

Which brings us to present day, four years later after Paul’s first term in office.

Now there are two ways you can look at this picture.

The politician sees the evidence and points out how Paul has taken this once downtrodden franchise and led the team to its finest seasons ever.

However, the critic can take the same information and point out how there has been a lack of growth throughout the past four seasons, and ask the question, “When will there be real change?”

Unfortunately, for President Paul, it is his approval ratings that are taking the biggest shots these days.

For he is the seven-time All-NBA talent who cannot take his teams past the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

Tracy McGrady, with an extra round of success.

He is now on the other side of 30 years old, and is now seeing younger point guards take their teams to greater heights, as 2015 NBA MVP Stephen Curry did even with less experience than his Clipper counterpart.

This is the criticism Paul takes on the daily.

No matter how clutch he was in ousting the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2015 Playoffs …

No matter how valiant he was in that series, playing through a painful hamstring strain that would have hamstrung lesser men …

No matter that, Paul now must face the senseless boo-birds who dragged down his approval ratings, merely because his all-time best Clippers team happened to lose out in the postseason to an all-time best Warriors team one year or alltime best Spurs team another.

It is a crazy rationale when you think about it.

Mainly because we may be living in basketball’s greatest era ever—where Gen-X legends like Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki do battle with Millennium men like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant, not to mention the next decade’s dominators, like Anthony Davis.

Still, men like Paul will get the Jerry West championship razzing until they too are able to get that title-less monkey off their back.

That is how the Clippers enter this 2015-16 season.

They can win 56-57 games again, and that will not matter to most people.

They can win round one of the 2016 NBA Playoffs, and there will be no reason to celebrate.

For the critics who control this point guard’s approval ratings, they want only one thing for the 2015-16 Clippers who return Paul, Griffin, Jordan, J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers, and welcome new additions like Paul Pierce, Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson and Pablo Prigioni.

They want growth, which could be provided by the added ammunition among the reserves.

“Now you have one through five coming off the bench that could possibly go anywhere and start,” Griffin told the Los Angeles Times.

Another Western Conference Finals appearance may appease some. A Finals showing may please others.

But if Paul wants to see himself anointed as the Next Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas or Bob Cousy-type point guard, there is only one thing he and his teammates can do.

For re-election, the Clippers must win the 2016 NBA Championship.

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EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES

JORDAN.COM

HURTS SO GOOD Filled with injuries, the Dallas Mavericks are out to prove there’s still plenty of life on their roster.

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ick Carlisle’s degree is in psychology, which serves him well as an NBA head coach. But considering how many new players the Dallas Mavericks head coach has integrated into his roster the past five seasons, Carlisle also knows something about chemistry.

In previous offseasons, Dallas added the likes of Tyson Chandler, a member of the Mavs’ 2011 NBA Championship team, and Monta Ellis. This fall, Carlisle has new faces like Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams.

Like his coaching colleagues, he’d love to have more continuity season-to-season, but Carlisle loves the responsibility of finding roles for new faces. "I like the challenge of taking a bunch of new guys and melding them together. I'm always going to look for a positive on things like that,” Carlisle said on media day.

Even though the players he’s been working in have been different each season, the underlying mentality to ensure the roster comes together doesn’t change.

“Well, I like every group that comes in here,” says Carlisle. “As a head coach, you always have to look at the potential positives and tap into the best of the abilities of the guys that you have. It's going to be really important with the kind of connection we can establish as a group. It's not easy with a bunch of guys that are new to each other.”

Besides the new faces, one constant, 2007 NBA MVP, 2011 Finals MVP and franchise leader in almost every category, Dirk Nowitzki returns for an 18th season. The Big German has seen countless teammates come and go under Carlisle, but Nowitzki maintains the utmost faith in Carlisle.

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BY STEVE HUNT #29

“This franchise always prides itself on winning and making the playoffs, and that’s got to be the goal,” says Nowitzki.

“No matter who goes out there, we’re going to play the right way. Coach Carlisle is going to make us a unit on both ends of the floor.”

Now 37, Nowitzki averaged 29.6 minutes per game last season, a career-low, a number Carlisle would like to further decrease this season. “It’d be good to get him down to 26,” Carlisle said. “It’s tricky because if you play him too few minutes he’ll never get into the flow of the game and he’s very much a rhythm-and-flow player.”

No matter how much of a workload Carlisle feels Nowitzki can handle, Dirk will roll with it. “I don’t really have a number in my head. That’s up to the coaches. I’m going to get ready however it’s going to play out,” he says.

“Last year I felt really good in the month of November when I started off. I was feeling good and then I kind of fell in a hole from December until March. I’m hoping to avoid that hole this year.”

Of course, the biggest question surrounding these new additions is how healthy will Matthews, JaVale McGee and Williams be? Well, Matthews, who had surgery last season to repair a torn left Achilles while with Portland, surprised even the most optimistic reports by being part of the starting lineup on opening night. McGee, who has played just 28 games over the past two seasons due to leg issues, is a big unknown, but is still expected to make a return in the early part of the season.

However, the outlook is more favorable on Williams, who

missed time with Brooklyn last season with calf and rib issues, but will now be playing close to his hometown of The Colony, a big plus for the veteran.

“It was a draw for him. He was very interested in coming home. He and his wife are both from here. He told me they’ve known each other since they were 14, which is pretty cool,” says Carlisle of Williams.

“So being back home is a positive, and again, there’s a comfort level there.”

And Carlisle has no concerns about D-Will’s health going forward. "I watched a lot of film from his playoffs last year and later in the season. It really appeared to me that his health was good,” says Carlisle. “I was astounded with the number of points that he scored late in the year that were drives to the basket.”

As for returning star Chandler Parsons, sidelined during the playoffs with a knee issue that required surgery, Carlisle retains hope that he will be able to be the type of impact player they envisioned when they signed him in 2014.

Once Parsons returns, he, along with the rest of the roster, will help make the Mavs a winning group. While devoid of any player likely to garner much MVP consideration, the roster is full of potential and versatility.

“I think we’re going to have the ability to play small and big,” says Carlisle. “At some point, Parsons could even play some point guard. He was the kind of guy last year where, if we had ever lost one of our point guards and needed to bump somebody to that position, he would have been the guy.

But we’ve got to get him healthy first.”

Parsons and everyone else.

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GLENN JAMES/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

GROWTH SPURT If the Raptors are to reach their potential, they’ll need their blossoming big man Jonas Valanciunas to grab it. hen Toronto Raptors big man Jonas Valanciunas inked a four-year extension worth a reported $64 million this summer, there was more relief than excitement. The 23-year-old Lithuanian wasn’t interested in exploring free agency and being courted by other teams.

“I just wanted to sign with the Raptors,” says Valanciunas. “That’s all.”

Valanciunas has been steadily improving since arriving in Toronto in 2012, one year after the organization drafted him fifth overall. Making his pro debut in Lithuania at age 16, he was training with his national team in preparation for the EuroBasket tournament (where Lithuania won a silver medal after falling to Spain) when he had to fly to Toronto to sign his extension in August.

While Valanciunas was glad to have the contract signed so he could focus on getting back to work, the Raptors benefited by locking up a talented young big man before the League’s salary cap is expected rise over the next two seasons. Diligent scouting and draft preparation can ensure that a team selects players with maximum potential, but finding the player with a work ethic to match is more difficult. The Raptors found both in Valanciunas and are dedicated to ensuring he gets the coaching needed to reach his ceiling.

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In addition to playing with the Lithuanian national team, Valanciunas has spent the offseason working with Raptors assistant coach Nick Nurse and former NBA player Jack Sikma (a 6-11 sweet-shooting big man who was a precursor to today’s stretch 4 and 5s), who spent time working with the Raptors' big man in Las Vegas during the NBA's Summer League.

Nurse flew out to Lithuania with Valanciunas for an extended stay, and the two spent hours in the gym, working on his face-up game as well as “[shooting] a billion free throws” every day.

Valanciunas averaged just 5.1 fourth-quarter minutes per game last season, but is poised to take on a much bigger late-game role with the exit of Amir Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough. This summer’s extension was a sign of the team’s confidence in the player he will become.

“The minutes and the experience are always the best teacher,” says Nurse. “Just thinking the game, being put in situations to make decisions—is he going to score?, is he going to pass it out the post?, is he getting double-teamed so he has to pass it? I think those are things he’s gotten better at, his thinking the game.”

After a first-round sweep

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by the Washington Wizards, Toronto spent the offseason retooling to become stronger defensively by bringing in DeMarre Carroll, Bismack Biyombo, Cory Joseph and Luis Scola. In addition to Johnson and Hanbrough departing, 2015 Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, locker room vet Chuck Hayes and reserve point guard Greivis Vasquez are also gone.

As the team attempts to reestablish the defensive identity that slipped away last season, Valanciunas’ presence on the boards becomes crucial.

“I think he’s a real hungry defensive rebounder,” says Nurse. “He’s big, the biggest dude on the floor. As long as he has a big-time desire and a hunger to go after it, he’s going to get his share and that’s huge for us. He’s got to do the lion’s share of the rebounding work.”

Through long days and nights in the gym, Nurse has gotten to know Valanciunas well and describes the work trip to Lithuania as “a great time.” Away from the court, Valanciunas took Nurse fishing—his favorite hobby away from the floor.

“He’s the best,” says Nurse.

“He’s extremely hard working.

He wants to work long. He really wants to be out there. His desire to improve couldn’t be much better, really. He listens.

He wants to get better. He’s durable. He’s always out there

BY HOLLY MACKENZIE #32

there every day practice and games. He’s always up for extra work and he’s enjoyable to be around.”

Some were surprised at Valanciunas’ decision to get an extension signed quickly, but Nurse wasn’t on that list.

“He honestly truly loves Toronto and loves his situation [here]. It’s nice to see a guy that doesn’t always assume the grass is greener somewhere else. He’s comfortable in Toronto. He obviously loves the fans and the organization and I think it was simple for him. It was simple. He just wants to get better and help his team win.”

If there was any doubt about the bond the two created during their workout sessions this summer, compare Nurse’s take on the signing to Valanciunas’ explanation: “It was a great opportunity for me to stay in a good city,” says Valanciunas.

“I love Toronto. I love to play here. It’s my second home.

They’ve taken me in [like] I’m from here.”

With the offseason in the rearview, there’s an opportunity to start fresh and wash away the wounds of last season’s bitter end. Taking comfort in familiarity, he’s focused on continuing to build with the Raptors.

“We just need to take it to the court and do our job,” he says.

“Now, I want to win.”

047 NED DISHMAN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

HEEL TURN Joakim Noah plays with heart

on the court, and lives life with an even bigger one.

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ating back to his days at the University of Florida, Joakim Noah’s basketball career has straddled a very fine line.

If he’s on your team, then you love his long hair, boundless energy, and his leave-it-all-on-the-floor style of play. But if Joakim doesn’t wear your favorite squad’s uniform, then you probably hate his guts.

That’s a dichotomy that a lot of professional athletes go through, but Joakim Noah is one who has fully embraced the role of villain on the court.

Whether he’s trash talking LeBron James, being booed in opposing arenas, or turning an entire city against himself, the former defensive player of the year seems to relish every moment of being hated.

But that’s to be expected from a guy who was pretty much overlooked as a basketball player growing up.

Ask him and he’ll vividly recount the stories of when he spent three summers during high school selling hot dogs, hamburgers, and mopping up sweat off the court from guys like Tracy McGrady, Sebastian Telfair and the aforementioned James, just to be a part of the action at the adidas ABCD All-American camp in New Jersey.

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BY BRYAN CRAWFORD #26

So it’s funny that the motto associated with a player he’s had a longstanding professional rivalry with, perfectly sums up his basketball career: Earned, not given.

And it’s that enormous chip that Noah plays with on his shoulder that has garnered him respect from teammates, coaches and his fellow NBA brethren. How can you not respect a guy who goes out every night, gives you everything he has and leaves it all on the floor?

It’s impossible.

But Noah’s impact off the court is just as big as what he contributes on the floor for the Chicago Bulls. In fact, it could even be considered much more important.

His Noah’s Arc Foundation has been extremely active in helping bring awareness to the problem of gun violence, gangs and drugs that affect children all over the city. The native New Yorker has embraced Chicago as if it were his hometown and he feels both an obligation and responsibility to not only give back to the community, but to also be seen in it.

Walk into the Major Adams Community Center, which sits just a few blocks from the United Center, and you’ll find Noah’s mother, Cecilia Rodhe, and his sister, Yelena, teaching art classes upstairs. Go downstairs, and it’s not uncommon to see Joakim hanging out in the gym on the basketball court with the kids.

From his awareness raising “Rock Your Drop” campaign to being an active participant in events on the city’s South and West sides, Joakim Noah’s tireless work in the community earned him the prestigious J. Walker Kennedy Award for Citizenship last February.

“For a player like Joakim to show up in areas of Chicago where there’s a lot of drugs, crime and poverty—and not be scared—makes me proud,” says teammate and native Chicagoan Derrick Rose. “Jo

is always telling kids to look at the big picture and make the right decisions. That’s inspiring for me.

“When I was younger, I didn’t see any NBA players in my neighborhood, and no one came back to talk to us or tell us anything positive. I was groomed by what I saw around me. To hear him talk about what he wanted to do years ago and to see how far he’s come with it and the way his family has gotten involved, I have to take my hat off to him.”

In September, Joakim Noah— as he has for the last several years—joined filmmaker Spike Lee and Derrick Rose in helping Father Michael Pfleger kick off the Peace Tournament, an annual basketball event held at St. Sabina. Located in the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood, the church sits in one of the city’s most violent, povertystricken and crime-ridden areas.

The very next day, one of the players, Deionte Harris, was shot and killed, just a week after his best friend suffered the same fate. It’s an unfortunate story, yet all too familiar for people who live in the city. And it certainly hit Noah hard.

“When I heard about it, I felt awful; just terrible. What’s going on in Chicago, with all the violence, it’s something that’s out of control. And to tell you the truth, we’re losing this battle,” Noah says when asked about Deionte Harris. “I don’t try to sugarcoat anything and I try my best to use my platform to bring awareness to what’s going on in the city. I know it’s going to take a lot more than a public service announcement or a basketball tournament, but we’ve got to find ways to come up with solutions to end the violence.”

Noah is a man with both a passion and a purpose. Even if you’re one of those who boo him on the court, you need to cheer Noah when he walks off it.

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NATHANIEL S. BUTLER; ERIC FRANCIS/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BLEEDING ORANGE

One of the most exciting players to watch, Eric Bledsoe would trade breathtaking highlights for wins.

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hen we asked Eric Bledsoe to choose between a poster dunk, a big block or clutch shot, he didn’t hesitate on his pick (block). When we asked why his response was simple: “It’s because it’s a better team play [and] it energizes everyone, gets the crowd into it and lifts everybody up.”

These are the words of a veteran player who could be one of the most exciting players in a league full of them.

There are plenty of YouTube highlights that could prove this point. He dazzles by getting into the paint and finishing among the trees, making a tough defensive play, threading a near impossible pass or by even finishing with an emphatic dunk.

But that doesn’t begin to tell the whole story of Mr. Bledsoe.

Coming off his fifth season, and the first of his current five-year contract, he had the best campaign of his career, averaging 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals. Despite his efforts, the Suns would finish the season 39-43, just missing the playoffs, and it did not sit well with him. This time around he’s looking to take the reins and lead the team to where he feels they should be.

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“The first year (2013-14) was fun but unfortunately we fell short,” says Bledsoe. “I think we took a couple of steps back following up on that season.

[This year] I want to win more games, establish ourselves as one of the best teams in the League and really focus on getting to a championship.”

For Bledsoe, this season began when the last one ended.

A person of few words, he has opted to let his offseason action do the talking. He spent his summer in Phoenix working out to help improve his already impressive skill set and he’s acutely aware that this by itself speaks volumes to anyone paying attention.

“Anything that would improve my game as far as helping the team, that’s what I’m trying to improve on,” states Bledsoe, who feels he may have come up short at times as a team

leader last season. “I’ve been here most of the summer, I’m sure people have heard about it.

Guys see that and listen to that.

[I’m just] trying to be a better leader for the team and trying to lead by example.”

A veteran now at the relatively young age of 25, Bledsoe has become more mature, and a renewed team-first approach has now been more of his focus. He’s shifted to a more prominent leadership role on a Suns team on the verge of a breakthrough season in the always tough Western Conference.

Bledsoe’s aware that the team has the talent to play with the best, but he is equally aware that it means nothing if they’ve lost the mental battle within.

He’s always been confident in his abilities and it’s that belief that he is looking to instill in the team early on this season.

“It’s on us,” he boldly says.

“We’ve got to believe that we’re one of the best teams.

We believe that and come out every night and show it, that we’re here [to win], it’s going to be different.”

The Suns roster this season will be a lot different than last year. With Isaiah Thomas now in Boston and both Dragic brothers elsewhere, it means that the onus will be on Bledsoe. Of course, he does have help in the form of fellow combo guard Brandon Knight, but Bledsoe is more the facilitator who can snag a rebound, push the ball and create havoc for the opposing defense. This means the ball will be in his hands more than it already was, on top of him being the defensive stopper on the opposing team's own lead guard. That can be a lot of pressure for a player no matter how long he's played or

how skilled he is, but Bledsoe is more than up to the challenge.

This year he’s out to show that in leading his team he is among the elite guards in the NBA. “I’m confident in myself that I can prove that I can be one of the best point guards in the League,” says Bledsoe.

“It doesn’t really matter what people think. At the end of the day I’m just going out there leading my team, that’s what I’m trying to do. This year I’m looking to prove that [I’m] among the best.”

So we asked the guy nicknamed Baby LeBron what his thoughts are being one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA. His answer was short, direct, confident and matter of fact.

“I think they’re right.”

Well, that settles that. That declaration exudes confidence, and by his own admission may sound cocky, but can we really argue with that claim? Sometimes people are just right.

BY RAY BALA #55

051 BARRY GOSSAGE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BOY TO MAN Nerlens Noel’s ceiling is just like his hair: It’s high and it keeps growing.

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or every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So when a certain superstar left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat, strategic moves needed to be made in order to return the franchise back to prominence. The 2013 NBA Draft had the potential to be just what the Cavs needed. If things went accordingly, they could draft a young post player, with a strong defensive presence, superb passing ability, and huge upside.

Nerlens Noel was that player. The Kyrie Irving-to-Noel alley-oop combo was proverbially set in stone for years to come until Noel suffered a season-ending knee injury during his freshman campaign at Kentucky. Despite winning several collegiate awards including SEC Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American team, and firstteam Associated Press honors, his draft stock plummeted.

Noel began his college career with the promise of becoming the unanimous first pick overall. However, because of a torn ACL, there was doubt throughout the League, and the New Orleans Pelicans selected him with the sixth pick. Less than a month later, his rights were traded to Philadelphia in exchange for NBA All-Star Jrue Holiday and the draft rights to Pierre Jackson.

BY ANTHONY GILBERT #1

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Standing at a commanding 6-11, Noel is a 21-yearold veteran with a unique perspective on the game. ”Having to sit out my first year was tough. I was in a basketball environment, and I really wanted to play. I used that time to focus on and develop the weaknesses in my game, work on my shot and get better… that's the silver lining in this situation.” Patience made a huge difference for Noel as well as the upstart Philadelphia 76ers over the past two seasons.

The Sixers' post draft day high risk turned out to be a high reward as he averaged 9.9 points, while pulling down 8.1 rebounds with 1.8-steals, 1.7-assists, and 1.9 blocks per game last year. His numbers were solid enough to earn him some serious contention for Rookie of the Year honors, as he finished third.

What doesn't destroy will typically make a person stronger and as Noel plays through his sophomore season on the court, he has a lot of responsibility to direct Philadelphia back into contention. When he reflects on his early entry from college to the pros, Noel explains, "It's a lot coming from college, getting hurt, sitting out, and then jumping into an 82-game season. It wasn't easy, but I've made the transition. I believe in what I’ve been working on. It was a great summer, and I think I’m shooting more effectively. My form has taken another step forward, with cleaning everything up from the fundamentals. It’s all coming about.”

There is great deal of weight on his broad shoulders, but he won't do it alone. The Sixers have a lot of depth in the frontcourt and some rising talent on the wing and in the

backcourt. The addition of rookie center Jahlil Okafor provides scoring, size, and stability, as well as returning Noel to play his natural position of power forward, relieving him of the overmatched behemoths he no longer has to bang against.

"I'll always stay true to the things that I do immediately well. I've obviously expanded my game, and Jahlil is going to be a big presence on the block. I think I'll naturally be able to slip into the 4 position and be able to knock down that 15-footer with consistency and use all my abilities on the defensive end to be able to guard [their] 4 man," explains Noel. "Other teams shoot the ball from three, and me being able to close out on them and still be able to stick around the basket and block shots will be a big thing."

Defense is a key component

Philadelphia will need to maintain a competitive edge.

Okafor echoed that sentiment: "The way he plays defense, that's going to help me out a lot.

I can learn a lot from him. Then on the offensive end, I demand a lot of attention. I think that will help him out a lot."

With the Noel and Okafor frontcourt, the Sixers look to return to a style of play that suited championship teams like the Spurs, Rockets, and Lakers.

The combination provides a wealth of options for head coach Brett Brown, and Noel will play a starring role within the system. As he excels, his teammates will also prosper due to his quality as a shotblocker, passer, but more importantly, as a person the young Sixers roster will follow.

"Coming into this year and having all these young guys, I have to be more of a leader, and I still have work to do. It's all a work in progress. I have to be patient with everything and just keep working.”

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MITCHELL LEFF; DAVID LIAM KYLE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

FROM DRAY TO PREY He’s spent his entire career clawing and chasing for everything, but now Draymond Green has to watch his back.

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lthough Draymond Green is not “the guy” for the Golden State Warriors (that would be that smaller guy who’s regularly floating deep jumpers over Green), he hardly ever plays second fiddle to anyone on the court. Playing a sport that features some of the most gifted athletes on the planet, the Saginaw, Mich., native has never been the most athletic guy, the fastest guy or the biggest guy, but he’s almost always the guy with the most heart—and the most mouth.

For the millions who have watched in awe at the Warriors transformation from doormat to dominance, Draymond’s undeniable presence has been a mainstay. His trash talk is nonstop (interim head coach Luke Walton says he can’t even repeat the top 10 wildest things he’s heard Green say in a game), what is wild about Draymond is that despite his mentally and physically rugged on-court demeanor, he is all about having fun.

This was never as apparent as during his Championship parade interview and speech that interpolated the hook from E-40’s hit song “Choices” and remixed it into a post-NBA Finals diss of

BY BRANDEN PETERS #63 054

the Cleveland Cavaliers. That interview was the precursor to a Championship speech that featured Green joyously spraying the crowd gathered around Oakland’s Lake Merritt with champagne.

When describing that day, Draymond says: “The way the whole Town (The Town is one of many of Oakland’s nicknames) and the Dub Nation came out to support us was incredible. I had never seen anything like that in my life.”

Green was not alone in that feeling. Most of the estimated million people in attendance had never experienced a celebration of that magnitude either. At least not for the Golden State Warriors.

The influence of Draymond’s mother Mary Babers-Green has been well documented, but Green has also had an impactful relationship with Pistons legend and former team president Joe Dumars that he says changed his life.

“Every time I speak with him, every time I’m around him, he just gives me that sense—to keep pushing, keep working and continue to get better and most of all, enjoy it,” says Green.

“He’s been a big help to me in my life. [I don’t know] where I’d be in my life without Joe D. He showed me that it was more to life than Saginaw. He really showed me the way and showed me it was possible.

Joe D. is from a small town in Louisiana, just like I’m from a

small town in Michigan. And he made it out and thrived to where he is today and he showed me that was possible.”

The Warriors’ stretch 4 has utilized Dumars' life lessons throughout his championship run and his free agency period but more so to navigate his newfound fame and everything that comes with it, especially considering it could be gone tomorrow.

“He just always tells me to focus and enjoy it because you never know when it’s gonna happen again,” says Green. “I’m just so thankful for him. It ain’t even about a championship run. It ain’t about a contract talk. It’s about life. I don’t know if any of this would be possible without him.”

The second round pick (34 times an NBA team whiffed on drafting Green in 2012) with the undersized body for the power forward position and not enough athletic ability for the small forward spot has gone from slept-on bench player to one of the most popular players

on the hottest team in the NBA, spawning a dozen copycats around the League. All that success has netted him a hefty $82 million contract in tow—of which he says he hasn’t spent much at all. Most guys who suddenly make more money than they had ever imagined would typically go out and blow that newfound cheese on things that rapidly depreciate in value, but Draymond is cut from a different cloth altogether.

The way that Green annoys any player he guards with pesky defense—and a running commentary of it—is bound to bring detractors. Whether out of respect or frustration, everyone from LeBron James to rookie Julius Randle have taken shots.

The jabs coming Draymond’s way are par for the course, considering the success of the team and his over-the top in-game demeanor. Winning a championship automatically

turns any team into the hunted.

It is the manner in which the Warriors play the game that expands the target on their collective backs. Their tenacious defense and freeflowing offense, coupled with a confident attitude and youthful swagger, has catapulted them to a reason to pony up for NBA League Pass. This effectively makes the Warriors have to strike the delicate balance of being both David and Goliath simultaneously.

After a whirlwind ride that brought a championship, a new contract and nearly a Defensive Player of the Year award, Green’s hunger hasn’t waned. The team has gone from the unlikely underdog to an elite force, but Draymond still wants more.

“There is no chip coming off of my shoulder because at the end of the day you’re still going to continue to be doubted. People are gonna go at your head even more now so you gotta stay on your toes, continue to work and just grind. It’s gonna be even tougher this year but I think we’ll be able to get it done [again].”

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EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES; LAYNE MURDOCH/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

ONE WITH THE FORCE Brook Lopez’s atypical-for-an-NBA-player’s interests are balanced by his conventional big-man game.

BY SETH BERKMAN #91

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rook Lopez had every right to forsake the Nets.

Over seven seasons, Lopez, their first round pick in 2008, has been put through the emotional wringer numerous times. The subject of constant trade rumors, criticisms of a perceived lack of rebounding skill in a robust 7-foot frame, and questions of immaturity dogged Lopez from New Jersey (East Rutherford and Newark) to Brooklyn.

He watched the team hand the torch to big buck free agent signings and former All-Stars acquired in megadeals. He was asked to learn different roles under seven head coaches.

But Lopez withstood all of the drama and now stands alone, firmly entrenched as the franchise’s cornerstone, as it tries to reboot its Brooklyn ascent.

“There's a lot of young guys on this team, and it's weird at 27 being one of the vets, the older guys on the team,” says Lopez to reporters in September. “But they look to us for leadership, and so we have to be ready to do that.

“I told [the coaches,] all the guys: ‘I'm ready for this opportunity. I want to be out there. I want to be the guy to lead the team.’ ” The Nets no longer revolve around Deron Williams. Joe Johnson, at 34, is still a key piece, but is not a centerpiece. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have departed as well, so Lopez is right—that veteran leadership now falls on his shoulders.

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Not much is expected of the Nets this year, after their first three seasons in Brooklyn led to playoff appearances, but ultimately failed expectations.

Perhaps it is best Lopez is now the leader—he is the type of cool cat that won’t get fazed by the hoopla, even in the world’s biggest city.

Lopez has endeared himself to Nets fans not only for his commitment to a beleaguered franchise, but for the quirks and kinks of a big kid at heart.

From Broadway shows to Disneyland trips and Comic Con appearances, Lopez is an atypical star.

Yes, you read that last word right. Star. Quickly, try and name a more powerful offensive force at center in the East? Struggling? Well Lopez’s numbers more than back up his freshly signed $63 million contract.

He averages a tick under 18 points per game for his career, a number that is sure to rise this season as he becomes the focal point on offense. Lopez is also solid from the stripe and there have been murmurs of him expanding his repertoire to beyond the three-point line this season.

Even if he transforms into Dirk-Lite, Lopez’s bread and butter is in the paint. From silky hook shots to thunderous dunks, his arsenal makes him one of the most lethal post players in the game. There are few players his size that aren’t lumbering, but Lopez’s lightness on his feet is second to none at any position.

“I wish I had footwork like that,” says Nets rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. “To be 7-foot and have footwork like that, it's pretty incredible."

The playoffs are not out of question in an Eastern Conference that is light toward the middle of the pack, but the Nets need Lopez to have a career year for any hopes of their fourth straight postseason appearance.

One positive sign toward that goal is the simple fact that he spent this offseason healthy.

"I actually got to walk around

and do stuff in the summer instead of laying in bed and rehabbing," says Lopez.

Plus, there’s extra motivation to outperform their division rivals, especially in New York, where twin brother, Robin, signed with the Knicks in the offseason. Their war of words has already provided enough fodder to keep the boroughs bubbling, but it appears Brook has the advantage on the court and the way with words.

On his brother signing with the Knicks: “As a non-Knicks supporter I helped recruit him there. I think he's going to be a detriment to them, absolutely.”

If Robin asked to live with Brook: “I’m going to kind of go the Harry Potter route, like the Dursleys kept Harry Potter under the staircase in the cupboard.”

On their 1-on-1 games growing up: “I never lost the ones we actually finished, because a lot of the times it ended in us fighting or someone running inside to get mom and start whining.”

Spry, sly and supported by the Nets brass, Lopez has been trained for this moment. He’s graduated from Padawan and is Brooklyn’s new knight, possibly one day becoming a master.

Fittingly, on December 14, the Nets are giving away Lopez bobbleheads. On the figures, the center is dressed in full Jedi garb, wielding a light saber, ready to attack.

The force is with him.

057 GARY DINEEN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; CHRIS COVATTA; MIKE STOBE/GETTY IMAGES

BY MICHAEL BRADLEY #53

TRAILHEAD Damian Lillard is committed to bringing the Trail Blazers back to glory, even if it means veering off the path.

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efore Damian Lillard signed the five-year, $120 million extension that would make him the centerpiece of Portland’s reboot, GM Neil Olshey had just one question for him: “Are you in?”

Was he in with the idea of being the main Blazer? In with assuming the leadership role, now that veterans LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum and Robin Lopez were gone? In with the concept of stepping away from the top of the standings in order to make a stronger championship bid in the future?

“I trusted [the process],” Lillard says. “I paid close attention to the moves that were made, and each time the team brought a guy in, I thought about how he would fit in. We have a lot of young players, and some of them haven’t had opportunities yet.

“We are very close in age (Lillard is 25). We can grow together.”

If Olshey doubted Lillard’s commitment, the point guard eliminated those reservations during the summer, when he set up and hosted a mini-camp in San Diego. “It’s the first time in franchise history that happened,” Olshey says. Another first came in early September, when the entire team was in Portland, working out together, well before the start of training camp.

“Damian is the best example of what we’re trying to do,” Olshey says. “We are a players’ first organization.

There’s nothing the players ask for that we don’t give them from a performance standpoint. All we ask in return is that they put the organization and their teammates first in their decisions.

“Damian has done that.”

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Lillard enters the final year of his rookie contract as the Blazers’ undisputed leader.

The two-time All-Star is one of the League’s rising stars at the position Olshey refers to as “the most critical” in the League. His role on the court— big minutes, top scorer, main assist man, defensive agitator— won’t change much, although without Aldridge and especially Matthews, Lillard should see his points per game increase.

What’s different is his status within the locker room. When he joined the Blazers in 2012, Lillard understood that he had an opportunity to learn about the NBA and how to be a team leader. It’s one thing to be the main man in a mid-major college, as he was at Weber State, and quite another to have a room full of veterans listen to what you have to say.

“It takes time to earn respect in this League,” Lillard says.

“You have to learn people’s tendencies. The last few years, we haven’t had one leader overall. We’ve had a bunch of guys in different roles. I learned

a lot from each of them. This year, because I have been an All-Star twice, I can show the other guys how to approach different situations, because I’ve experienced a lot in just three years. I’ve been prepared for this. In the past, I did have to sit back and let others lead.”

Portland is attempting a difficult rebuild, choosing to work the middle, rather than sinking to the bottom, as other teams have done. With the blessing of owner Paul Allen, Olshey has avoided signing veterans to potentially toxic contracts and is betting that coach Terry Stotts and his staff can develop young contributors like guard C.J. McCollum (24 years old), center Meyers Leonard (23) and forwards Al-Farouq Aminu (25) and Noah Vonleh (20). None of them have a contract that extends more than a couple of seasons, so they won’t clog the Portland cap

in the long term. If the Blazers choose to extend them, they will do so because the players have performed well enough to warrant such a commitment.

If a trade comes along that allows for the acquisition of a veteran who fits the franchise culture and can help the team win, the Blazers have the flexibility to do that. Portland can’t count on big free agents coming to town. It must develop its talent and be agile enough to build the roster through wise trades and the growth of young players.

“We’re betting on ourselves,” Olshey says. “From the front office standpoint, it’s about whether we evaluated talent well and drafted right. For the coaches, it’s based on their body of work. Every player on our roster is better than when he got here.

“We want everybody on our team to be on the same career arc as Damian Lillard.”

That path is headed straight up. Lillard has already joined the League’s best point guards.

In a couple of years, he could ascend to the top spot at the position. Since Portland has him for six years (one more on his rookie contract and then the next five), Olshey can tell any free agent he recruits the next two summers that signing the maximum-allowed four-year deal will keep him with the team’s franchise player for the life of the contract. Lillard is happy to be that main attraction and wants to be the main reason Portland moves back into contention.

“I’m excited to be part of a great organization,” Lillard says. “There are other places to go where I could win and have different perks, but not everybody has a great organization and great people around them. That’s why I’m willing to work with what we have. We have good guys to grow with.”

And a leader who is ready to step to the front and take everyone with him.

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HANNAH FOSILIEN; DOUG PENSINGER/GETTY IMAGES

IT’S AL GOOD The Atlanta Hawks lack a big-time superstar? Al Horford has always filled that role.

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s the Atlanta Hawks were making their historic run to 60 wins and first Eastern Conference Finals appearance last season, the biggest knock on them was that when things got late, they didn’t have a true go-to to take that final shot.

If only they had someone who could score better than, say, Dwyane Wade, make more two-pointers than LeBron James, shoot for a higher percentage than Anthony Davis or Tim Duncan and shoot higher from two than Stephen Curry.

Actually they did. They still do. It’s center Al Horford.

“Al’s just such a unique center in that he can shoot the ball so well. He’s calm under pressure,” says Hawks two-guard Kyle Korver. “He’s a knock-down shooter as a center. That’s a big deal.

And he’s getting better. He’s shooting threes now. He’s able to put the ball on the floor better, make more plays.”

Last season, Horford was 17th in the NBA with 519 field goals made, tied with Washington’s John Wall and ahead of Wade; was ninth in two-pointers with 508, four more than James; ranked sixth with a .538 field goal percentage, ahead of Davis, Duncan and Blake Griffin; and finished eighth in two-point field goal percentage at .547, ahead of Davis, James and Curry.

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WE TALK MORE THAN A GOOD GAME.

TM & © 2015 Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. © 2015 NBA Entertainment. Photo by Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

NBATV.COM @NBATV

BY JON COOPER #10

Horford—who begins his ninth season in the NBA, all with the Hawks, who drafted him third overall in 2007—is the guy the team wants with the ball in his hands.

“His ability to make shots and score is something that concerns anybody,” says Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. “You’re aware of him. He and Jeff Teague in a middle pick-androll, as simple as it is, it’s just such a hard thing to guard. He can make a 15-to-17 foot shot or he can roll to the basket and catch a lob and dunk it.

“I don’t think he’s a secret, but if he is, I’m OK with it,” says Budenholzer with a laugh. “I don’t know if Al is.”

Horford doesn’t really care. He considers himself just a piece to the Atlanta offensive puzzle.

“On offense we’re sharing the ball, we’re moving it,” he says.

“I think that was our recipe for success. We did those things and we were able to accomplish a lot of good things.”

Horford accomplished a lot of good things even when the last play wasn’t specifically

drawn up for him.

In Game 5 of last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, Horford answered after Washington’s big-play guy, Paul Pierce, nailed a go-ahead three with 8.3 seconds left that appeared to be the dagger to give the Wizards a 3-2 series lead heading home.

But on the ensuing possession, Horford swooped in, grabbed a missed Dennis Schröder layup—two Wizards defenders got tangled up with power forward Paul Millsap— and put in the game-winner with 1.9 seconds left. The bigtime play capped off a big-time 23-point, 11-rebound, five-block night that got the Hawks their biggest victory of the season.

“His IQ, the way he can rebound, the way he can shoot, the way he can block shots and the way he can pass the basketball has helped our team out a lot,” says Millsap. “That’s what makes our team so deadly.

We have guys at any given time can take over a game. Al has been that guy who’s led us down the stretch, knocking down shots for us.”

The later it gets and the closer the game, the better the 34-year-old native of Puerto Plata, Dominican

Republic, performs.

For his career, Horford is a .573 shooter (293 of 511) in the final five minutes of games and overtime. That shooting has skyrocketed with experience, as over the last five seasons no one in the entire NBA has shot better during clutch time (minimum 20 FGAs) than Horford’s 60.6 percent (20 of 33).

“He has the ability to impact a game on both ends of the court,” says Budenholzer. “He just has that ability to, at the end of games when you need to make a play, on either end of the court, to step his game up to that level.”

“Al and his ability as a center to shoot the way he does just creates problems for teams,” adds Korver. “There are only a few centers who can shoot the ball like he can. It just causes mismatch problems because he’s unique. You have to be able to make plays and Al has shown over and over again that he’s more than willing and capable of making plays at the end of games.”

Horford put in extra time working on his game during the offseason, making the tough call of turning down

an invitation to play with the Dominican National Team in the FIBA Americas Qualifying Tournament.

“It was definitely hard not to play for the National Team but it was the first time in a long time that I got to work on my game and be healthy,” he said. “The priority for me is the Atlanta Hawks, so I just had to make sure that I was ready for the season.”

Horford is not only ready for the season, he’s ready for the postseason. The memories of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals still sting, overshadowing the 60 wins.

“We didn’t want to end it that way but it just let me know that all of us needed to look individually in the mirror and take the challenge and be better, improve and make sure that we work as a team,” he said. “I felt like we gave it all we had. We just got beat by a better team. So our goal this year is to be better as a team.

“It’s a new year so we have a lot to prove,” he added. “I don’t think we’re getting too caught up in thinking how many games we’re going to win because we didn’t do that last year. I feel like our guys took the time this summer and got better. It’s mostly the same core but we brought in some guys to help us so we’re in a better place this year.”

062 LAYNE MURDOCH JR. (3)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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HUNGER GAMERS

The Magic backcourt of Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton are ready to eat.

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ou better be tough if you want to play in Scott Skiles’ backcourt.

Prior to his arrival in Orlando, Skiles was a hard-nosed eight-year NBA veteran and equally tough 13-year coach, who wouldn't settle for anything less.

Skiles won’t be settling with Orlando’s backcourt. Not with third-year two guard Victor Oladipo, 23, and second-year point man Elfrid Payton, 21.

The 6-4, 210-pound Oladipo, runner-up for 2014 Rookie of the Year, came on strong last season after missing the first nine games with a facial fracture, the result of an inadvertent elbow to the face in practice.

He missed only one other game upon his return, finished eighth in the League in minutes, led the Magic in scoring a team-high 31 times and became the sixth player since 1985-86 to start his career recording backto-back seasons of 1,100-plus points, 110-plus steals and 70-plus threepoint field goals.

“I just kept telling myself that I was going to get back and be better than ever,” says Oladipo. “It was one of the toughest times in my life, but at the end of the day injuries are a part of the game and it’s about how you bounce back. I’m looking forward to coming out this year and being stronger than ever.”

Payton, a confident 6-4, 185-pound point guard who played collegiately at Louisiana-Lafayette and became the third Ragin’ Cajun ever to be selected in the first round, has no worries about his toughness.

“I like to think of myself as tough already,” he said. “I’m never starstruck. I never was. Even as a kid. So it wasn’t hard for me.”

Instead, Payton made things hard on the opposition. Not easy in the Southeast Division, which features talented points like Washington’s John

064

Wall, Atlanta’s Jeff Teague and Charlotte’s Kemba Walker on a nightly basis.

He made history last year on opening night by being the first Magic rookie ever to start a season-opener at the point.

He earned Rookie of the Month honors for January and made franchise history by being the first player to record back-toback triple-doubles (March 18 and 20)—the seventh rookie in NBA history to do so and the first since Boston’s Antoine

Walker in 1997. Payton dished out 7.1 assists per game (eighth in the League) in 63 starts, led the team in assists (a team-high 64 times), led or tied the team in scoring four times and in rebounding six times.

Nice numbers, but Payton and Oladipo want to make greater improvement in the number of wins—the Magic saw modest gains over the past two seasons, 20 wins to 23 to 25 last year.

“Coming in as a rookie that is something that is kind of

BY JON COOPER #10

tough,” says Payton. “Last year I just wanted to kind of lead by example, show people that I’m about the right stuff, that I want to win, I’m unselfish, things like that. This year they know all those things so I can step into that role and be a little more vocal. I want to be better at being a leader of men.”

For the Magic, being better starts on the defensive end. Last season the Magic were 23rd in points allowed (101.4 ppg) and 27th in field goal percentage

allowed (.463). It all starts with Payton and Oladipo, who have the potential to become the best defensive backcourt in the NBA. “That’s what Coach Skiles is all about, getting after people and locking people down,” says Oladipo, who was 19th in total steals and 16th in steals per game. “It’s going to be huge for us to pretty much set the tone in the backcourt. Basically what I harp on is getting the stop.

There’s nothing like shutting the opponent down.”

“I think we’re going to shock a lot of people. We’re going to get after it defensively,” says Payton, who was seventh in total steals and 13th in steals per game. “Defense is going to be something we lean on, make sure we’re pushing the pace. If we can get stops and force turnovers and get out on the break, I think we’ll put ourselves in a position to win more games.”

Offensively, Oladipo, who spent most of the summer

working on the mental side of his game, also worked tirelessly on shooting, after finishing in the top 20 in missed field goal attempts in 2014-15.

He’s also planning to take better care of the ball—he was 16th in turnovers committed.

Payton was 17th, with both committing more than 200.

Better chemistry between the two this season should clean that aspect up.

“I think [our chemistry] has improved,” says Oladipo. “As you continue to play with someone who complements you well, the chemistry and the relationship grows on and off the court.

That’s what happened and that’s what’s happening now.

I’m looking forward to playing alongside of him, going out there and winning games.”

Oladipo and Payton, who represented the Magic at AllStar 2015 in the Rookie Challenge, would like to do so again as representatives in the main event, but they have set their biggest goals for the games in April and beyond.

“I think it is realistic,” says Payton. “We have to be as prepared as we can. We have to come out and bring the same energy night in and night out and execute down the stretch.”

“I really feel like we have the opportunity to do great things,” agrees Oladipo. “I think it’s going to be on us whether we want to do it or not.”

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LAYNE MURDOCH; BILL BAPTIST/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY MICHAEL BRADLEY #53

FUTURE PRESENT TENSE

Even though Kevin Durant is returning from an injuryfilled year, everyone continues to look ahead to his next season.

T

he return of a standout player from injury is usually reason for celebration for an NBA franchise and its fans. This is a league of stars, and the need for consistent, big-time production that can only be provided by one of the best remains a lifeline. In the case of Kevin Durant, things are a little different, because long-term uncertainty accompanies his reappearance on the Thunder scene.

A foot fracture limited Durant to 27 games last year. Now healthy and ready to reassert himself as one of the NBA’s elite, the forward finds himself in a new climate in Oklahoma City, where first-year coach Billy Donovan tries to lift the team into the Western Conference title picture, and reigning scoring champ Russell Westbrook attempts to solidify his growing status.

It’s also the last year of Durant’s contract. Rumors have already started flying about where he might be playing next year—and OKC is not necessarily the preferred location for him among the speculative crowd. It’s a highly unusual situation and one with the potential to attract attention away from the Thunder’s attempt to get back into the postseason after missing out on the playoffs in 2014-15. While Golden State was capturing the title, Durant was healing from bone graft surgery and aching to be part of the action.

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“I hated seeing someone else win," Durant said at the Thunder’s Media Day. “There were great basketball games being played, and I've got to respect it. I hated seeing those guys win.”

The troubles Durant endured last year may have caused someone to forget all that he accomplished the previous five seasons, when he led the NBA in scoring four times and earned the 2014 MVP award.

Inserting the six-time All-Star into the lineup again gives the Thunder the League’s most dynamic scoring tandem. With Durant sidelined last year, Westbrook had his most prolific performance, putting up 28.1 points a night while flirting with a triple-double. Some think the Thunder’s future belongs more to him than to Durant, thanks to the uncertainty surrounding Durant’s contract and some lingering questions about his foot.

Even Durant admitted it as much, calling his All-Star teammate “our best player” during a media scrum after an early-season game.

Who sits on the Thunder’s throne aside, the duo have always generated think pieces on whether or not they can co-exist despite eight seasons of success playing alongside each other. One thing is for sure with the star tandem: They are committed to bringing a championship to Oklahoma City, an elusive task that they’ve come close to achieving (one Finals and two Conference Finals appearances).

Westbrook was clear that he would have traded last season’s scoring title for a playoff appearance, but there can be no denying that he enjoyed his time as the Thunder’s main man. It will be quite interesting to see if he and Durant can find a harmonious middle ground that allows each to shine and the team to thrive.

“It’s just to come back and find a way to help us win a championship,” Westbrook said.

“At this point, individually, that’s my main goal. That goes for the team as well, just to come out and help the team win as many games as possible.”

Durant fractured his foot before the 2014-15 season and after sitting out the first 17 games, played intermittently until the All-Star break. After undergoing a minor procedure designed to provide some shortterm relief, Durant shut down for the remainder of the season and chose to have a bone graft at the end of March. The surgery is successful in “99.9 percent of the cases,” according to Thunder GM Sam Presti, so health (at least in regard to Durant’s foot) should not be an issue.

“I enjoy playing the game of basketball and I enjoy these wonderful fans here,” says Durant. “I just want to give them the best version of me that I can.”

Thunder fans can’t help but wonder if that “best version” will be in town for the next several years. There have been rumors surrounding his future for a while, even though he has never done anything but profess

love for OKC, and as long as Durant does not have a longterm deal with the Thunder, people are going to whisper about his whereabouts for 2016-17 and beyond.

Presti and the team are extremely interested in keeping him for the long term, and thanks to NBA rules, will be able to offer him more money and time than anyone else can.

But it’s a complicated situation, and how Durant and Westbrook blend together this year under Donovan—a first-time NBA head coach—will influence Durant’s decision.

“Knowing that the future is coming, we are incredibly excited about [signing Durant], because it is an opportunity for us to keep him in Oklahoma City, a Hall of Fame player, legacy player,” says Presti. “I should say legacy person, in Oklahoma.

Those are conversations for another day. [Durant] knows how we feel about him. The best way to serve the Thunder [is to] put him in a position to be successful. Those things are one in the same, and that is what we focus on.”

You bet the Thunder prefers that Durant stick around. There’s no way Donovan wants him out of town, and Westbrook enjoyed Oklahoma City’s success when he and Durant were riding at the head of the herd. As the season moves along, NBA fans will be looking for signs that everything is working out well in Oklahoma City.

And trying to predict the future.

067 LAYNE MURDOCH JR./NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY MICHAEL BRADLEY #53

STATURE OF NO LIMITATIONS

Isaiah Thomas has never let his size dictate the big things he can accomplish.

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erhaps it comes from being one of the shorter players in the NBA. If you are 5-9 in a league where 6-7 guards are commonplace and even the bigger people want to pretend they belong in the backcourt, you get used to standing up as tall as you can. No challenge is unmet. No question unanswered.

When the Celtics dropped a 111-101 decision in Brooklyn, less than 48 hours after blitzing the Nets, 120-95, at home, Isaiah Thomas didn’t hide from the postgame inquisitors. He knew what happened, particularly that 17-point halftime lead the hosts built, and he didn’t mind saying it.

“They played harder than us,” Thomas said. “They definitely deserved to win. We can’t have those type of things happen anymore.

“It’s the NBA. Any team can beat any team on any given night. You have to be locked in and ready for everything. And we were not ready for them, for whatever reason, in the first half.”

Since joining the Celtics late last season, Thomas has established himself a big producer and a versatile performer. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is his relentless approach to the game. It’s popular to consider shorter people who refuse to be cowed by others or to hide from difficult situations to be descendants of Napoleon or to believe they are trying constantly to prove their worth. Thomas may not have any French roots,

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but he understands that life as a small man in the bigtime NBA requires a nightly approach that features equal parts courage, defiance and an I’ll-show-you attitude.

After 48 minutes of showing he belongs, interviewers’ questions are nothing. Okay, we lost. We didn’t play well.

What else you got?

Since entering the League in 2011 as a second-round draft choice, Thomas has fought nightly to demonstrate that he is a more than just a curiosity.

And as he bolted to the top of the Celtics’ scoring and assist leaders list this season, there were still those who considered him a third guard (a usual occurrence for sub-6-footers throughout NBA history), rather than a legitimate starter—even though he moved into the first five when Marcus Smart sustained a leg injury.

“I still feel underrated,” Thomas told Basketball Insiders before the season began. “I’ve always felt that way, but I’m going to earn my respect no matter what. I work extremely hard, and I don’t want to be given anything. I want to earn it and get that respect from people.

“When you work hard on your craft—when you work as hard as the stars do—that’s how you earn people’s respect.

Winning obviously takes care of everything, too, and I think I did

gain more respect from being on a playoff team [last season].

I just want to build on that and show the world that I’m one of the best players in the NBA.” That distinction may be a few years away, but it’s impossible to deny that over the past three seasons, Thomas has been a stalwart, first with the Kings, who drafted him, and later with Phoenix and the Celtics.

The situation with the Suns was awkward, since the team decided to pile up the backcourt help—adding Thomas via trade and combining him with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. It didn’t work, and only Bledsoe remains in Arizona. Boston traded for Thomas last February and has given him a regular spot in the rotation, but it’s possible that when Smart returns, Thomas may be back on the bench for the opening tip.

Perhaps the Celtics want a bigger player at the point.

Maybe Smart’s high-draft status demands a spot on the starting unit. Whatever the case, Thomas isn’t about to stop fighting for playing time and for respect around the League. He may not enjoy coming off the bench, but he does like playing for a winner, and the young Celtics (at 25, Thomas is one of the

“old” heads on the roster) are moving forward in the East.

“I would love to be a starter, but it’s not the end of the world,” he told New England Sports Network. “As long as I’m out there playing and getting the minutes I deserve, I’m all for it. I’m all for the team and whatever it takes to win, and that’s an honest answer.”

Of course it is. Thomas speaks with the same attitude he brings to the court. When someone plays with the determination Thomas does, there is no reason not to tell the truth. Thomas’ hard work and toughness have made him a big scorer and generous assist man. But sometimes, he needs to rely on some trickery to make up for his relative lack of size. In the win over Brooklyn, he faced a jump ball against 6-7 Nets rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. The mismatch was clear. Instead of jumping, Thomas waited for Hollis-Jefferson to tap the ball and chased it down. It was inspired, creative, and unfortunately, illegal. Instead of letting the ball hit the ground, Thomas caught it out of the air, which is not allowed. Despite the rules violation, Thomas had found a way, just as he has throughout his career in the League.

And will continue to do— in a big way.

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BRIAN BABINEAU (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY MELODY HOFFMAN #34

STARTING AT 1 The Detroit Pistons are beginning their return to championship glory with Reggie Jackson.

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he Pistons are reconstructing the formula that won them three NBA championships. The constant in those winning combinations has been defense and a scoring point guard that is a fearless competitor on the court. With Andre Drummond anchoring the middle of the Motor City defense, the Pistons are set on defense. The other part of that championship equation will fall to Reggie Jackson.

“I look forward to bearing that weight on my shoulders and trying to turn this thing around,” says Jackson, who was acquired from Oklahoma City last February after Pistons guard Brandon Jennings was sidelined with a ruptured left Achilles tendon. “This is the position I’ve always asked for. With the past six seasons not making it [to the playoffs] and how the recession hit portions of the city hard, I know it’s more than basketball, it’s about helping to revive a whole city.”

The 25-year-old Jackson is more than capable of bringing that postseason passion back to Motown. He put up All-Star numbers in the 27 games he played with Detroit at the end of last season–17.6 points, 9.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

Two of those games were triple-doubles, and he joined Isiah Thomas and Kevin Porter as the only Pistons to average more than 9 assists in a season.

Point guard and NBA Hall of Famer Thomas helped lead the way to back-toback 1989 and 1990 championships (the second one netting him Finals MVP), where he averaged 18.3 points, 8.9 assists and 1.7 steals during the two title runs. Chauncey Billups pointed the Pistons to the 2004 NBA Championship.

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That season Billups averaged 16.9 points, 5.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds before copping Finals MVP. All fairly comparable to the numbers Jackson put up in his starting role with the Pistons last year.

“This franchise had some great point guards. The point guard really was the commanding leader and why they’ve won championships,” says Jackson, playing in his fifth NBA season. “I know how great Isiah was…and what Chauncey did was amazing.

Luckily I’m fortunate to have quite a few staff members around me that got to see Isiah grow throughout his career as well as see Chauncey play … and they just tell me to continue to find ways to be myself because they believe I’ll be good enough to propel this team and hopefully get to a point to be on top again.”

Jackson is eager to be the triggerman in this new chapter for the Pistons. Drummond looked every bit as ready to be the main beneficiary of Jackson's passes, starting off the first six games of the season with an eye-popping 20-points and 20-rebounds average.

Beyond Drummond, Jackson’s dynamic speed and shooting ability make him a good fit for a team that is surrounded by three-point threats.

Since Stan Van Gundy took over as president and coach for the Pistons in May 2014, he has transformed the roster (Drummond and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are the only remaining starters since Van Gundy took the helm) and has made the moves to build around Jackson’s penetrating

and floor-vision strengths. It’s just up to Jackson to create the plays and provide the leadership for the team.

“The biggest aspect of it is just being accountable and show leadership through my actions. I think the best thing is to lead by example,” says Jackson. “That’s been the easiest thing for me.

I’m used to being one of the hardest workers, just try to gain the trust of my teammates and go from there.”

“I think every front line player is able to maximize their ability when paired with a creative guard and vice versa,” Pistons general manager Jeff Bower explains about choosing their new floor general. “We wanted to put more shooters on the floor to open up the floor and open up the lane for Reggie to be able to create and penetrate as well as give Andre opportunities to play at the rim. The biggest thing we were looking for was talent, character and compatibility and Reggie fit all of those qualities.

“Plus Reggie is at an age that fits our roster—the other young players we have—they have an opportunity to grow together moving forward. We have eight players that are 25 and under… we think it’s important for them to improve as a group.”

Jackson’s desire to make a difference and understanding of his key role in helping the organization grow is what earned him his place in the franchise’s future. The Boston College alum knew he had to work toward gaining the trust of his teammates and form the chemistry needed to gel the fresh team. Fortunately for the new kid, Drummond made Jackson feel at

home very quickly.

“He treated me like we knew each other for years,” says Jackson. “He’s always inviting me to events, always having me at his household. I think we know each other pretty well but still have a ways to go. We have to figure out what each other’s motivating factor is so we can push each other…we do that, the team will follow.”

Drummond and Jackson’s immediate chemistry was seen on court with Jackson throwing more oops to the center than Jennings had dished to Drummond all year. Entering his fourth NBA season and coming off of two straight seasons of averaging a double-double, Drummond says Jackson’s leadership made an impact right away. “Reggie did a good job adapting and listening to people’s instructions. He’s coachable and he’s a vocal leader too. He calls out plays, calls out defenses…he has allaround good communication.”

Jackson admits it was a challenge adjusting from being Russell Westbrook’s backup in Oklahoma to this new starting role, but this is what Jackson has dreamed about. He has the Piston’s full support as they in turn look to develop him into a top-10 player that will lead them to another title.

Jackson says his gratitude is what led him to wear the respected #1 jersey.

“When I chose a jersey here I didn’t want any discrepancy.

The No. 1 guard, No. 1 [place to] be; it symbolizes so much more,” says Jackson. “This is my one chance that I always asked for and the one team that will always be with me.”

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ALLEN EINSTEIN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY STEVEN LEBRON #88

SEVEN FEET HIGH AND RISING

As good as Anthony Davis already is, he’s still on the ascent.

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wenty years ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Kevin Garnett out of Farragut Academy with the fifth overall pick. Garnett became the first high schooler drafted in the first round since Darryl Dawkins in 1975. Although there were questions about a teenager’s ability to make the jump from preps to the pros, Garnett soon erased those doubts by becoming one of the best power forwards to ever play the game. On offense, he was a threat both from the perimeter and in the low post, creating space for his teammates, and carrying several Wolves teams to the postseason in the competitive Western Conference, getting crowned an MVP in his ninth year.

Garnett was also capable of guarding multiple positions on the defensive end, using both his athleticism and length to make himself a presence on defense at all times. His style of play paved the way for the modern day big man that has become commonplace in today’s NBA: Someone who can play like a traditional frontcourt player, but with a wide array of skills that goes beyond just dominating in the paint with his size.

Which brings us to Anthony Davis, who averaged 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and a league-leading 2.9 blocks per game last season, leading the New Orleans Pelicans to a playoff berth in the West. It was a performance reminiscent of what Garnett did with an underwhelming supporting cast in Minnesota during his prime. Except, Davis turned 22 in March, and with a year of postseason experience under his belt, a

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new head coach, and an overall game that remains far from a finished product, it’s scary to think about the leaps Davis still will make over the next few years. Teammate Jrue Holiday believes Davis has no ceiling.

An NBA scout even went as far as declaring Davis a player who will revolutionize the game, simply because we have never seen anything like him.

Pretty heady praise considering Garnett changed the game just a little over a decade ago.

Already an MVP candidate, Davis entered the League as a consensus No. 1 pick in 2012.

While at Kentucky, Davis was a dominant player on the boards and on the defensive end, but his offensive arsenal remained a question mark.

Those concerns have given way to the excitement of seeing the next big man to re-define our League. Davis has already developed a reliable midrange

jumper in addition to his burgeoning low post game, and has made noise this offseason about adding a three-pointer to his arsenal.

New head coach Alvin Gentry made Davis shoot and make 150 corner threes from each side of the court at every practice this summer. The Pelicans are returning essentially the same team that made the playoffs last year. They’re also counting on the Davis-Gentry partnership to propel them to contender status in the West. Gentry led a Phoenix Suns team everyone counted out in 2009-10 to the Western Conference Finals, in his first season as head coach there. He is known for being a coach with a creative mind on the offensive end, and if his offseason instructions to Davis are any indication, an expanded role for Davis feels inevitable.

Gentry, who was an assistant coach on the Golden State Warriors last season, was so excited about his partnership

with Davis he gave him a shout-out while celebrating the championship after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6.

And who can blame him?

Davis is the once-in-ageneration franchise player who seems primed to eventually wrestle the best player in the League moniker away from LeBron James. Although former head coach Monty Williams had a tremendous relationship with his franchise player, Davis recognizes how Gentry can help push him to the next level.

“I just feel comfortable here,” Davis said during the summer.

“I like the team. I like the direction we’re heading in. I like the guys who are playing by my side. I have a lot of trust in this organization.

“I definitely love his playing style. My teammates, they have a lot of confidence in coach Gentry. I think that’s why everybody’s back. In order for us

to be that contender we want to be, we have to have a lot of chemistry, which we have from the past few years. So it’s good that everybody’s going to come back and we’re going to be able to have that chemistry ready for coach’s system.”

There’s plenty of responsibility on Davis’s shoulders as he enters his fourth season in the NBA. Like all great players, he’ll be defined by his team’s success.

The taste of the postseason was great last year, but Davis wants more. Beyond leading his team to contention, he’s also carrying the torch of players like Dawkins and Garnett before him, and continues redefining what a big man is capable of in our League. It feels certain in 20 years we’ll look back on Anthony Davis and write the same superlatives we reserve for the all-time greats.

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DAVID SHERMAN; JORDAN JOHNSON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY JIM EICHENHOFER #12

STAYING SANE Years removed from the frenzy of Linsanity, Jeremy Lin just wants to get back to the normalcy of being an everyday NBA player.

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uring the height of his captivating “Linsanity” 2011-12 season in New York, Jeremy Lin found himself stewing a bit, the day after committing eight turnovers in a game. Whatever brief doubts Lin began having, though, were erased by a simple phone call. Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni, who’d unleashed the 6-3 Lin on the world, wasn’t about to pull back the reins after one night of mistakes.

“He gave me the ultimate green light, that’s the biggest thing,” remembers Lin, whose coming-out party felt like more than the

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14.6 points and 6.2 assists he averaged that season. “I had eight turnovers, but I still had maybe 20 [points] and 10 [assists]. D’Antoni called and was like, ‘I know you’re probably thinking about those eight turnovers, but I don’t care about them. Go get another eight turnovers. As long as you’re being aggressive.’

“After he said that, I was like, alright, I’m going to put my head down and be aggressive and try to make plays happen.”

It’s been three years since Lin left that burning spotlight of the Big Apple and D’Antoni’s approving ways as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2012. It feels like the Harvard product has been searching for a similar vote of confidence ever since. He may have found it when he signed with Charlotte; one of Lin’s prerequisites for a new home was a head coach who understood how to best capitalize on his unique skill set.

“I wanted to find a place where first and foremost, the coach wanted me there, and then he understood what my strengths were,” Lin says, alluding to Hornets third-year coach Steve Clifford. “I just felt like that was the case with Coach Cliff. He wanted me from the beginning of free agency, did his homework and understood my game.”

After signing a lucrative contract with Houston, Lin started all 82 games for the Rockets in 2012-13, but his role has fluctuated greatly over the past two seasons. In his one season with the Lakers last year, he began the regular season as a starter, but was moved to the bench after 20 games and L.A. faltering at 5-15. It never got much better for a 21win Lakers club.

Lin’s new team is a lot like its free-agent signee: looking

to reclaim previous success after a year probably best left in the past. Charlotte was one of the NBA’s biggest surprises in 2013-14 when it qualified for the playoffs, but took a step backward in Year 1 of the “Buzz City” era, going just 33-49. The Hornets fell several victories shy of qualifying for the postseason, in an Eastern Conference where getting into the eight-team field seemed very doable.

“I’m very excited for this season and so are the [returning Hornets players], because they felt like they had a down year last season,” Lin says. “Some of the new guys coming in here felt like we could bring something to the table, and there are guys who maybe didn’t have great situations in the past. If you look at our additions, they feel like they might have a chip on their shoulder.”

Unfortunately, the shoulder most Hornets fans were talking about in preseason was that of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, whose torn labrum in his right shoulder was expected to sideline him for six months. As a result, Lin may be needed to play more minutes at shooting guard, combining with Kemba Walker in a small but scoring-minded backcourt.

“A lot of [where I play] depends on lineups,” Lin says.

“With MKG out, I’m going to

be off the ball a little bit more.

Coming in, they told me I was going to be a combo guard, that I’d play 1 and 2. I’m comfortable doing both, including playing off the ball, which I did in Houston with James [Harden] and in L.A. last year.”

Regardless of where Lin’s name gets penciled in to the Hornets’ lineup, one of his primary goals this season is to regain the mindset that enabled him to establish himself as a bona fide NBA player. Sure, we may never see anything approaching “Linsanity” again, but the Palo Alto, Calif., native is excited to get back to playing with more freedom and confidence.

“My focus is making sure I play that way all the time,” Lin says. “I’m an attacking, downhill player. I want to stay on the attack at all times. Having great spacing, a style that fits and a coach that believes in me are areas that can help facilitate more playing the way I’m supposed to play. But at the end of the day, it’s on my shoulders to do that. There are certain factors that can help and aid you, but I kind of told myself, ‘Look, I’ve got to get back to who I am as a player.’ ”

076 STREETER LECKA/GETTY IMAGES; SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

HER FUTURE BEGINS ON TWO WHEELS.

Photo by Jake Lyell

Hirabai began walking to school when she was a little girl. It was an exhausting, dangerous two-mile journey from her home in rural India. At 14, she started attending a high school even farther away, unsure of how she would complete her education. But now, with the gift of a Dream Bike from ChildFund, she’s riding — safely and quickly — toward her dream of one day attending university. In 11 countries, ChildFund is making it possible for girls to continue their education by giving them muchneeded bicycles and safe passage to a better future.

Learn more about ChildFund International and our Dream Bike Program at ChildFund.org

NORTHERN LIGHT The Minnesota Timberwolves are following the bright guiding star that is Andrew Wiggins.

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n the NBA we are always looking for the next best talent, but what if you have it? If you have the chance to acquire it, do you jump at it? More importantly, what do you do with it if you have the best there is right now on your team?

Welcome to the story of Andrew Wiggins.

It started when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Wiggins with the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Wiggins, much like another No. 1 pick from 2003, was a heralded talent from the age of 15 and was looking every bit as advertised in Summer League. Despite his quiet and low-key personality, the talent and athleticism spoke loudly. It seemed like the Cavs happened on the next big talent after all.

But then a funny thing happened: That No. 1 pick in 2003 decided to return home in July.

With the unexpected return of LeBron James, Cleveland went from Year 4 of the post-LeBron-taking-his-talents-to-South-Beach rebuild to immediate win-now contender. So on the eve of the 2014-15 season, the Cavaliers did the rare move of trading away the No. 1 selection before he’d play an official game for the team, sending Wiggins and Anthony Bennett (the No. 1 pick in 2013) to the Wolves for All-Star Kevin Love. Just like that Wiggins went from contending team to pretending team. The Wolves were 4042 the previous season with the Kevins, Love and Martin, as the centerpieces of the team. The team would hobble to a Leagueworst 16-66 after the trade.

BY RAY BALA #55

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The one bright spot in 2014-15 for the team was the emergence of Wiggins.

After a slow start getting acclimated in his first few NBA games, Wiggins would deliver as promised, averaging 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1 steal in 36.2 minutes per game on his way to the NBA Rookie of the Year. Along the way, he showed enough promise to elevate him into discussion of the NBA’s future stars. As the season wore on, he transformed into the twoway player that scouts and GMs dream about, but rarely comes to fruition.

Wiggins will be the first to let you know that he wasn’t ready when he got to the League. He was 19 years old coming into a league filled with grown men.

He may have been green about the game at this level and he gives full credit to his late coach, Flip Saunders for his transition.

“I came over here not really ready to be the player [Flip] wanted me to be,” said Wiggins during Wolves preseason training camp. “He forced me to be that player. He put me in positions to succeed, in positions that I was best at.

That Rookie of the Year is thanks to him. I owe it all to him.”

That transition meant a lot of maturing in a hurry

and Wiggins was up to the challenge. After December 21, he failed to score in double figures only twice. It’s as if the new year brought in a new player. He would play big against the best teams, even scoring a career-high 33 points on Jan. 31 against the team whose cap he wore on draft night. There were still some growing pains certainly. The Timberwolves lost more games than Wiggins probably ever did before he came to Minnesota, but he was staking his claim as one of the best young talents on the League.

As it stands, it’s a deal that works out for both parties.

The Cavs got an established star in Love who

complements James’ game.

And in Wiggins, the Wolves got a cornerstone that they can build around for years to come.

Had Cleveland kept Wiggins, he wouldn’t have developed as quickly with less playing time, the added pressure of trying to win immediately and not having the opportunities to play and learn through the inevitable mistakes.

Flash forward to this season and we have Wiggins’ sophomore year. The hair is longer, the body a little bigger, the scoring averages are up, and though his demeanor is still the same, there's something different about him.

“He’s growing up,” said teammate Ricky Rubio recently after a tough win over Atlanta in November. “He doesn’t want to lose. I think he learned his lesson last year, only winning 16 games. Even though he was Rookie of the Year, he wasn’t satisfied this year. He’s learning to get after guys and win it for us.”

The newfound confidence is showing. Wiggins is less tentative on offense, employing some new moves, being more aggressive getting to the lane and the free-throw line, and looking to shoulder opportunities during crunch time of games. This is a development that should worry everyone in the League. What it means is that Wiggins is morphing into a player that should shortly claim his place among the elite in the NBA. Will Wiggins be the same player that LBJ is? Of course not. There is only one LeBron and we may not see another like him for some time. Wiggins is becoming a different type of elite player. One thing is clear—Wiggins is on a short list of “princes” vying for the King’s crown.

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DAVID SHERMAN; JORDAN JOHNSON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY CHRISTOPHER CASON #24

FURIOUS GEORGE

Paul George is out to prove that even though he was gone, he never left.

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emember Paul George?

The smooth forward whose game bore similarities to Tracy McGrady? The player whose meteoric rise to two-time All-Star and one of the League’s best twoway players helped boost the Indiana Pacers to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals? The player that seemed poised to supersede Paul Pierce’s role in playing foil to LeBron James' hold over the East?

George missed all but six games last season, working his way back from a broken right leg. As he watched his team battle on without him, the League continued to move on. He saw two of his Team USA brethren, Stephen Curry and James Harden, along with Russell Westbrook take turns one-upping each other for MVP honors, and George fell out of the conscious of the short attention spanned basketball public he had taken by storm just two seasons prior.

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With all his efforts of last season forcibly focused on rehab, he enters this season healthy and with his confidence as high as the expectations on himself and HIS team. This campaign promises to serve as George’s reintroduction, as he plans on providing nightly reminders for those whose

memory might need some refreshing.

“It’s definite motivation,” George says of wanting to reclaim his status amongst the game’s elite. “I’m the type of guy that looks at the best guys in this League and that’s who I compete with to be in that category. No discredit to the guys that are up and coming, but I look at myself as being one of the best in this League and I’m ready to go out and prove that.”

If anyone expected him to

quietly ease himself back into the swing of things, George quieted that notion before the start of the season by re-proclaiming his individual goal of winning MVP, as well as reclaiming the recognition of being one of the League’s best defenders. He also cited the success the Atlanta Hawks enjoyed last season as to why he feels the Pacers could be at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, as Indiana's new uptempo offense will be noticeably different than in previous seasons with David West and Roy Hibbert no longer occupying the inside.

In implementing a new offensive identity that complements the strengths of eight new players, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel believes the team can now better match up with quicker lineups, as well as still be able to hold its own against the few teams that

feature paint-clogging bigs. It’s with this new roster flexibility and all the ways George will be utilized—including at the 4, where he showed initial concern over the wear his body would sustain guarding bigger bodies—that gives Vogel the belief that the two-time All-Star is in for a special season.

“All we’re asking him to do is go out and be MVP of the League,” jokes Vogel. “He’s been terrific so far. He has a good comfort level with what the balance is going to be and when we’re going to play small. We’re not going to go out there and ask him to play a Pau Gasol or Zach Randolph. I think once he kind of wrapped his mind around that, he got really excited about what his new opportunities are going to look like and I think he’s got a chance to have the best season of his career. He’s worked to have it.”

With all the new responsibilities placed upon and taken by George, one of his most important tasks is his role as leader. It began last season with George not being able to

take the floor, but working so hard to get back, to becoming more assertive vocally to call out guys when they weren’t playing their hardest, providing encouragement when things got rough and being the vet all the younger players could hang out with.

“You don’t see that with your star players, typically,” says Vogel.

George says the last step to being fully back is getting his foot speed back. He believes the year off helped slow the game for him now, as previously he could easily rely on instincts, athleticism and natural talents.

Now, he feels more cerebral in calculating his methods to attack. However, he does smugly suggest that he’s still the two-way player that fans came to love.

Not that the love completely waned last year, but it did tail off with George’s “competitors” grabbing the nightly highlights and headlines, while all he could do is work and envision himself being in the position he’s in right now.

“I’m ready to attack that next level in terms of trying to be one of the best in this League again,” says George.

As motivated as he is, it won’t take long for you to remember.

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BART YOUNG; NOAH GRAHAM /NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY BRYAN CRAWFORD #26

BOOGIE-ING TO HIS OWN BEAT DeMarcus Cousins is equal parts mesmerizing, frustrating, tantalizing and talented.

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eMarcus Cousins is one of the more unique players in the NBA. Not because he’s enigmatic, or at times surly and aloof. No, what makes the 25-year-old native of Mobile, Ala., a one of a kind player is that in four short years, he’s established himself as one of the most dominant—and depending on whom you ask, one of the best if not the best—centers in the League.

Now, you might say that’s not a difficult feat to accomplish because true, back-tothe-basket big men are pretty much extinct in the NBA. Today, most guys who man the middle thrive off pick-and-rolls, stay close to the basket for rebounds and putbacks, and some can even shoot the ball with pretty decent range.

What makes “Boogie” so special is that he can do all of these things and so much more. At 6-11, 270 pounds, the Sacramento Kings center possesses a better than average handle for a player his size and he’s a willing passer. He’s not shy about leading the break and dropping a dime on one of the guys filling the lane. DMC can shoot the ball from distance, even all the way out beyond the three-point line and knock down the occasional bomb. After the first seven games this season, Cousins was good 13 out of 29 times (44 percent). It’s not a stretch to say that he’s one of the more feared matchups across the League because there is literally nothing you can do with him.

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Cousins is pretty much a current generation Rasheed Wallace. “Roscoe” was a basketball savant who made everything he did look natural, like shooting three-point shots corner-to-corner, with his left hand. Cousins may not be able to do that, but he really is a phenom in every sense of the word.

So it almost seems unfair that a player with his talent and ability is playing for a team that doesn't get too much exposure since the Kings haven't seen the playoffs in nearly a decade.

But the hope is that Cousins will be the pillar the organization can build on, returning them to contention, ergo more NBA Fan Nights on NBA TV and Thursday games on TNT. He’s definitely carrying his weight and doing his part in a League that has made the center an afterthought instead of the focal point or a centerpiece.

“The [NBA] is going to such a three-point crazy league, and everybody’s taking 25 to 30-plus three-pointers a night.

I think the big man is kind of losing his impact,” explained Mike Malone, Cousins’ former head coach and current coach of the Denver Nuggets, to Sports Illustrated. “But, if you can get a good one—like I had a great one in DeMarcus Cousins—if you can have a player like that, you’d be foolish not to find way to use him on offense.

Having coached Cousins for a season and a half, Malone is fully aware of what kind of player he is: “I feel that he is definitely the most talented and skilled big man in the NBA, and you can definitely build a franchise around him.”

Some people may disagree with this notion due to alleged character issues surrounding

Cousins. His practice blowups are a thing of legend (just ask Miami Heat center and former teammate Hassan Whiteside) and his feud with current Kings head coach George Karl resulted in trade threats from the sideline boss and Twitter slander from the best player on the roster. But for those closest to him, to know Cousins isn’t only to love him, but to understand him as well.

“DeMarcus is a very caring person, but he treats people the way they present themselves,” explains Jaleel Cousins, DeMarcus’ younger brother who is a senior on the University of South Florida basketball team.

“If you’re nice to him, he’ll be nice to you. But if you’re a jerk, then that’s the attitude you’ll get from him.”

It’s this dichotomy that makes Cousins so misunderstood, but it doesn’t paint the full picture of who he is as a player or a person. In Sacramento, he recently offered to pay for the funeral of a high school football player who was shot and killed while riding in a car

on the way to a team meeting.

He’s also been spotted at local high school football and basketball games and taking time out to sign autographs.

Cousins also purchased a new scoreboard and bleacher seats for another area school and donated $1 million to charities in Sacramento.

As for Cousins the player?

Well, his numbers speak for themselves and it seems that he’s only going to get better from here. He’s already been recognized as an All-Star and was second team All-NBA in

2015. The only thing missing from his resumé at this stage of his career is an appearance on the League’s biggest stage.

“He’s maturing. He’s becoming a better leader,” Malone said of Cousins. “The one thing he hasn’t done yet—and it’s a legitimate concern for people who would argue my point— but he hasn’t led his team to the playoffs.”

The Western Conference is tough and winning the required 45 or more games to earn a postseason berth is even more difficult. And even if Cousins is unable to lead his Kings squad to the stage where great players make their names, he can go to sleep easy at night knowing that there isn’t a player in the NBA, at his position, who’s better than him. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about winning.

He’s so focused that we couldn’t even get in touch with him for this story. But we don’t hold it against him—that’s why you gotta love Boogie.

084 ROCKY WIDNER (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

JUST RIGHT Justise Winslow had luck on his side to be drafted onto a championshipready team, but getting there took hard work and skill.

I

t sounds like the perfect gig. Slide onto a roster that includes a pair of NBA stars with a legend in the front office and a coach that has two NBA Championship rings. Take your time. Learn the business. Things will be easy for a couple years.

If Justise Winslow expected anything like that when he was drafted 10th overall by Miami in June, he learned quickly that while riding with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh has its advantages, nobody in the organization expects him to take his time acclimating himself to NBA life.

From the moment he started training camp, Winslow was expected to play grown-up ball, his 19-year-old birth certificate be damned. It’s nice to have some big-timers from whom to learn from, but the Heat senses an opportunity in the Eastern Conference, and it wants to grab it now. In other words, rook, get ready for full-time action.

BY MICHAEL BRADLEY #53

086

“They want to speed up my game and fast track me to get me ready as soon as possible,” Winslow says. “I’m trying to pick things up as quickly as possible so that I can contribute.”

Winslow is appropriately grateful for his chance to be in the NBA, especially since by the middle of last season, few considered the Duke freshman a lottery pick. That designation was being saved for teammate Jahlil Okafor. And while Okafor did cash in as the third overall selection, Winslow’s strong finish (14.3 ppg, 9.3 rpp in NCAA tourney) boosted him to top-10 status.

As he boosted his stock by helping the Blue Devils to the national title, Winslow couldn’t have expected to find a perennial deep-intothe-playoffs team like Miami

ready to take him early in the draft. But Bosh’s medical woes prevented the Heat from reaching the postseason, and the team became an unlikely landing spot. Now that Bosh is healthy, and Wade seems to have more life in his legs than in recent years, Miami appears to be not only a playoff team, but also capable of making a deep run. Compared to most 10th picks, many who join teams with few expectations coupled with even fewer minutes, Winslow is pretty lucky.

“I’m very fortunate to have been chosen by them,” Winslow says. “They have a winning culture. That’s the way it was for me in high school [when Winslow won three state titles and lost in the championship game the other season] and at Duke. To go to an organization that embodies the same characteristics and wants to win right now is great.”

It starts in the president’s office, where Pat Riley has established an ethos that expects success. Last year wasn’t exactly what Miami fans had become accustomed

to, although a step back was anticipated after LeBron James’ decision to return to Cleveland, but there can be no questioning the Heat’s commitment to achieving big things. For someone like Winslow, who has experienced great success at the high school, collegiate and international levels (three gold medals in age-group play), that’s a huge factor. While Riley isn’t providing the daily message to the team—that’s head coach Erik Spoelstra’s job— his influence is substantial.

“The biggest thing about coach Riley is that he impacts the whole organization,” Winslow says. “His presence is acknowledged all the time, and he is always teaching people.

Sometimes, he’ll pull you aside and tell you something. Mostly, he has established this as a winning organization, and his impact is very powerful.”

Winslow spent the summer working on his individual skills and arrived at camp in good

shape. His biggest challenge was to translate his work into a five-on-five setting and to learn how to mesh with his teammates. Where should he give Wade the ball on the break? How should he feed Bosh in the post?

It will be interesting to see how Winslow adapts to a spot on the perimeter. During the 2015 NCAA tourney, he played the four spot for the Blue Devils, thanks to Okafor’s back-to-thebasket game and Duke’s relative lack of complementary interior production. He must now work outside-in, creating for himself and teammates as a wing and learning to defend quicker opponents. Winslow still has a lot ahead of him, but he has received early encouragement from his new teammates. After the Heat’s first preseason game, Wade was quite complimentary.

“He belongs,” Wade said. “He’ll continue to get comfortable with what his role is gonna be. He can play in this league. He has the body for it, he has the talent, and he has a team around him so that he doesn’t have to do too much. This is the perfect situation for him.”

That seems to be the consensus. Winslow has talent and a winning pedigree. By joining the Heat, he has the ability to learn from winners and avoid floundering with a rebuilding franchise. Some guys just have all the luck.

“I want to do whatever I can to help us win,” Winslow says.

Then again, there are those for whom luck isn’t an accident at all.

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JASON MILLER/GETTY IMAGES; JONATHAN BACHMAN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

NO GO If the Utah Jazz are to cross the velvet ropes of the playoffs, they’ll have to rely on their bouncer.

T

here’s only one thing on Rudy Gobert’s mind heading into his third NBA season. Rather than rattling off a long list of wants or separating personal and team aspirations, the 23-year-old Utah Jazz center has a single entry on his to-do list.

“I want to get to the playoffs,” says Gobert. “That’s really the big goal I set for myself and the team this season. If I play how I want to play I think we’re going to make it. That’s the main goal.”

Gobert’s goal is a realistic one. Although the fanfare is only now starting to arrive, the Jazz went 19-10 after last season’s trade deadline with Gobert manning the paint in place of Enes Kanter, who was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder. There’s no guarantee that Utah would have made the postseason if Gobert had started from the beginning of the year, but it was the best defensive team in the NBA over that stretch.

Gobert averaged 8.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 26 minutes per game while shooting 60 percent from the floor. With a wingspan that seems to go on forever—recorded at 7-8.5, if you’re into

exact measurements—and athleticism that serves to make his 7-2 frame even more impenetrable, he stretches out into a wall in front of the hoop.

He was the League’s best rim protector last year, proven by the nightly blocks and some highlight dunk rejections. Even if not gauging by superlatives, Gobert’s rim guarding was impressive, harassing opponents into making just 40.6 percent of their attempts around the basket when he was on the floor. He says his defense is aided by watching film and becoming familiar with the tendencies of 088

his opponents. Watching him continuously be in the right place at the right time shows the gift of natural instincts for the game in addition to his otherworldly physical talents and fiery competitive drive.

“When you want to win you don't want anyone to score on you and you want to do the best to protect your team,” says Gobert. “I want to win so much.”

On social media, Gobert is personable and outspoken. In conversation he is forthcoming and matter of fact. When he says he believes the Jazz will make the playoffs, it isn’t posturing, but a carefully thought-out assessment of where his team should be if they continue to develop.

“We've got pretty much the same team, same guys, and we knew what we had to do to get better last season,” he says. “We want to be one of the best teams in the League soon enough.”

Although Utah will be without promising Australian point guard Dante Exum after he tore his ACL while representing his national team over the summer, the core is intact.

“I think when you play with someone you know how to trust him,” says Gobert. “You know his weaknesses, you know him.

That’s why the best teams are the teams like the Spurs who have been playing together forever and they know each other really well.”

Gobert knows that the scouting report on him is his work around the basket, but he’ll do whatever he can to help put his team in a position to win. Watching him play is a whirlwind. He plays with intensity and exuberance and he is everywhere at once, but somehow always where he’s needed most.

“When you get a big dunk or big block that’s the most emotional thing,” he says.

“Personally, [I’m known for] blocked shots and dunks, but I like to do many things. I like to pass the ball. I like to defend.”

Despite the strong finish last year, the Jazz had been flying under the radar and are just beginning to get their due. The team is scheduled to appear on national television six times this season (last season: 1) and Gobert hopes basketball fans of all degrees will do themselves a favor and see what’s

brewing in Utah.

“A lot of people don't really know about us, but they should,” he says. “If you really like basketball, you should follow the young talented teams and I think we’re one of the best young teams. Keep watching me. [Keep watching] the team.”

The low-key profile isn’t getting to Gobert too much, though.

“It’s OK,” he says. “Soon enough we’re going to be [known], very soon we’re going to be in the playoffs and people are going to get to know us.”

Just as well as shooters around the NBA already do.

BY HOLLY MACKENZIE #32 089 NATHANIEL S. BUTLER/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY HOLLY MACKENZIE #32

DIAY OF RECKONING

It’s only a matter of time before Emmanuel Mudiay is one of the League’s brightest point guards.

E

mmanuel Mudiay is ready. Just 19 years old, the dynamic rookie point guard has been starting for the Denver Nuggets this year after being limited to just 12 games for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China last season. He’s been eager for his first game and the many more that will follow, especially with the role he’s being given.

“I can’t wait to play everybody,” says Mudiay.

His adaptability will help him. In the span of the past calendar year, his basketball life has been a bit of a whirlwind. Mudiay went from being expected to play for Larry Brown at SMU to deciding to forgo college and play overseas in China. In China, he was limited to just 12 games because of a severe ankle sprain. He then declared for the 2015 NBA Draft and proceeded to light up predraft workouts. After being selected seventh overall by the Nuggets, he impressed during Las Vegas Summer League and inherited a starting position after Ty Lawson was sent to Houston. In a flash, Mudiay became a rookie with plenty of responsibility and a big-time opportunity. It’s all he’s ever wanted.

090

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Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), Mudiay was still a baby when he and his two older brothers lost their father. He was 4 when they were separated from their mother for two years as she moved to Texas, applied for political asylum and waited for her boys to be able to join her. Growing up in football country of Arlington, Texas, Mudiay instead fell in love with basketball. On the AAU circuit, he played for Mo Williams Elite. Today, Mudiay names the Cleveland Cavaliers guard as one of the closest confidants he has in the League.

While the small sample size of 12 games in China didn’t do much to raise his draft stock, Mudiay impressed scouts and agents by sticking it out overseas rather than returning home when things got tough.

In those 12 appearances, he averaged 18 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 steals and 1.6

steals per game. Beyond the numbers, it has been his poise that makes him stand out.

"He's an alpha male,” says Willliams. “He has a presence.

He has a best-player-on-thefloor presence."

“He's a great kid,” he continues. “To be successful in this League and obviously to be a star in this League, you got to have those qualities.”

Williams believes the experience in China will help Mudiay in his new role with the Nuggets.

"It's a path that he's taken to get to where he is and obviously it's unconventional,” says Williams. “Brandon Jennings is one to come to mind [also], but one guy that was prepared to do those things is Mudiay. He was a man among boys in high school so going to be a professional instead of a collegiate amateur athlete, I think he was well suited for it."

Denver’s decision to part ways with Lawson and hand Mudiay the reins shows the faith the organization has in him. With veteran Jameer Nelson to learn from, Mudiay hopes to have a smooth adjustment to the NBA and to help Denver jumpstart a rebuild under new head coach Mike Malone.

Describing himself as a “laidback guy until you really get to know me," Mudiay is a lot of things on the court, but laidback isn’t one of them. After watching Mudiay for the first time, Larry Brown told ESPN, “I started giggling,” beaming over the potential of the floor general.

In Las Vegas during the NBA’s annual Summer League tournament, Lakers fans packed the stands at capacity to watch second overall pick D’Angelo Russell. By week’s end, it was Mudiay who had become the darling of the event, impressing

fans and NBA personnel alike with his smooth game, length, and ridiculous speed.

Mudiay is electric to watch and extremely confident calling the shots. He says getting to be a starting point guard at the beginning of his NBA career is “a blessing,” before immediately following with the words that will sustain him throughout the season. “I have to have an evenkeel mentality,” he said. “Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.”

When the lows and tough times do arrive, Williams will only be a quick text or phone call away.

“Obviously I know it was tough [to lose Lawson] being that Ty is such a good player, but teams see greatness in [Mudiay] and I can see why,” says Williams. “He has that potential to be a star in this League.”

092 BART YOUNG; NOAH GRAHAM /NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BE LIKE (THE OTHER) MIKE

Mike Conley will never be a global icon, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less influential to those around him.

H

ow much faith does Memphis head coach Dave Joerger place in Mike Conley? Well, during the 2014 NBA Playoffs, while speaking with reporters, Joerger paid the ultimate compliment by saying that Conley “is the kind of guy you’d want your daughter to marry.” Talk about a coach trusting his point guard.

While the perennially-contending Grizzlies are known for their bruising Grit & Grind style of play—epitomized by the tagteam frontcourt duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, as well as vocal “Grindfather” Tony “First-Team All-Defense” Allen—it’s their unassuming 6-1, 180-pound floor general who brings it all together. En route to earning League-wide respect, not to mention that of the entire greater Memphis area, Conley has been the consummate pro, both on and off the floor. Conley’s development over a nine-year pro career, one that has seen him wear the same uniform of the team that drafted him fourth overall in 2007, has mirrored that of the Grizzlies compiling three straight 50-win seasons, easily the best stretch in franchise history.

“I don’t think there is actually anything he does wrong as a person,” says Pelicans forward Quincy Pondexter, a four-year teammate of the 2014 NBA Sportsmanship award winner. “He’s the most underrated player in the League on the court and one of the best people you’ll ever meet in life off the court. Everyone [in Memphis] wants to be like Mike, but it’s not Michael Jordan—it’s Mike Conley. He’s really, really selfless. He sacrifices his body and sacrifices everything for the betterment of the team.”

There’s perhaps no better example of that than the 2015 playoffs, when the Ohio State product sustained facial fractures in an accidental collision with Portland’s C.J. McCollum, yet 094

was back on the floor 10 days later. In one of the gutsiest performances you’ll ever see in sports—or “grittiest” might be more apt—Conley led Memphis to a Game 2 victory at eventual champion Golden State. He scored a game-high 22 points, despite playing with a mask and still dealing with swelling in his face. In honor of Conley’s heroic night, when Memphis returned home for Game 3, the Grizzlies’ marketing department handed out masks to fans at FedEx Forum.

“It just showed how much heart he plays with,” Pondexter says. “I don’t think the fans and everyone knows how much pain that some of the players go through sometimes. For him to go out there and just fight like a warrior was truly amazing. Everyone admires his dedication to the game.”

While respect for some of Conley's intangible traits came quickly, it took a bit longer for the world to realize just how valuable the southpaw is to the Grizzlies on the court. In recent years, Conley has commonly been one of the first names that players around the NBA mention for “most unheralded” status or “best player to never have played an All-Star Game.”

Whether it’s partly due to his quiet demeanor or professional manner, only recently has the 28-year-old been included in the conversation as a highlevel point guard.

“Of course it matters personally,” Conley responds, when asked if it’s important that he be considered among the NBA’s premier players at his position. “As a player and competitor, I want to be the best. So I work hard just to

BY JIM EICHENHOFER #12

one day be mentioned. It’s unbelievable how deep the position is. Every night you’re going against a guy capable of scoring a lot, making plays or playing defense. It’s going to continue to trend that way.

But it’s fun to be a part of the position in this era, where there are so many great ones.

Hopefully by the time I’m done playing, I will have done the work to be considered among those elite performers.”

In the meantime, the Indianapolis native will continue to help lead the Grizzlies to wins and serve as one of the most cherished members of the Memphis community. Conley says his conscientious approach to life came partly from his family background; father Mike Conley Sr. was a 1992 Olympic champion who captured gold in the triple jump in Barcelona.

“It’s from my parents,” Mike Jr. says. “My mother and father were very big on raising us to do more for others than you do for yourself. That’s something that stuck with me. I think one of the more important things for a professional athlete is we can really make a difference, just by walking into a room and giving somebody a handshake or saying hello, taking time out of our day. That’s the most important thing to me, almost bigger than the game, because you can really affect the world and help make it a better place.”

However, Conley does have one bit of bad news for Joerger, who happens to be the father of two young daughters.

“I’m married,” says a laughing Conley, who wed his college sweetheart in 2014. “So I can’t marry his daughter.”

095 NOAH GRAHAM; JOE MURPHY/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

THE VICTORY LAP

The greatest player of the last two decades is making his encore tour this season.

K

obe Bryant can control just about anything.

Except age.

In his 20th season and at the age of 37, the future Hall of Famer isn’t what he once was with the Los Angeles Lakers.

But to be fair, what stars looked the same at the finish line? Not very many.

Remember Bob Cousy? Shaquille O’Neal? The late Moses Malone? Even Michael Jordan. That difference between the final season the NBA's greatest player had in Washington and his rookie year in Chicago, was as stark a contrast as the Wizards jersey was from the iconic red Bulls jersey he made famous.

Father Time slows down everyone. It’s a simple fact.

Going into the season, Bryant refused to say 2015-16 will be his last.

“We haven't set anything in stone and I've talked about it before,” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports, “But could this be the last [season]? Absolutely. It's tough to decide. It's really tough to make those types of decisions. Players I have spoken to say, ‘Kobe you will know.’ I'm making this very simple. Either I like playing

the game and going through this process or I don't. I try to strip it down to the simplest form. Either I like playing some more or I don't. But I think that decision needs to be made after the season. It's hard to make a decision like that before the season.”

It took 12 games into the season to make his decision that season 20, all spent in purple and gold, would be Kobe's final one.

As he announced in a poem in The Players' Tribune, Bryant wrote: This season is all I have left to give.

My heart can take the pounding My mind can handle the grind But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

The signs were there. Bryant struggled with his shot like never before, shooting a tick over 30 percent during the first month. But for a guy who's missed the most shots in NBA history (likely to be over 14,000 upon his retirement), that wasn't the determining factor.

As Bryant said in his first press conference after announcing his retirement, “I had to accept the fact I don't want to do this any more.”

And what might be the final sign: “And I'm okay with that,” he says. Acceptance.

Physically, it's been a grind on a guy famous for a work ethic that never registers empty.

Each of the last three seasons have been cut short by injury, each one requiring a lengthier and more gueling rehab to

return from. To go from a player renowned for beating the Sun's rise for morning workouts to playing limited minutes and sitting out the back game of back-to-backs would not sit well with Bryant.

The time was right. The likes of rookie D’Angelo Russell and young players such as Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle are the pieces for the next decade at Staples Center.

Kobe—as he refers to himself, a triple-OG—has seen the NBA seasons change. Championship teammates like Shaquille O’Neal, Derek Fisher and Robert Horry have long retired. He's seen previous torch-bearers fade into the sunset—Michael Jordan (twice), Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen.

Contemporaries like Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady have come and gone. Bryant has seen the current standards of the League—LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony—enter the NBA while the next generation (Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kyrie Irving) must make him feel grandfatherly.

Even with the finish line in sight, Bryant's competitive fire rages like a forest fire.

“I think what all our young guys are trying to do is prove to Kobe that they’re capable of having the torch passed to them,” said Lakers coach Byron Scott. “I don’t think it’s necessarily one guy. When he

096 NATHANIEL S. BUTLER/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

passes it, it will probably be to about two or three guys, and [he’ll] say, ‘You guys will have to share this torch for a little while.’”

Bryant entered the season with more than 32,000 points scored, 17 All-Star Games, an MVP, four All-Star MVPs, two Finals MVPs and 15 All-NBA and 12 All-Defensive team selections. But most importantly, five championship rings.

The Jordan greatness mark of six remains safe as the 2015-16 Lakers are nowhere near the Finals, but he did overtake his idol in the career scoring ledger (Bryant will finish third all time).

“Kobe has earned the right to go out his way and on his timeline,” says Grant Hill. “He’s done so much for the Lakers organization and for the game of basketball in general.”

The statement performances in crunch time, the 81-point games, the determined grit to championships is all in the past, but there is still plenty about Kobe Bryant to appreciate.

As Bryant contemplated his future, he turned to one of his confidants, someone with a little knowledge of walking away from game.

“I told [Michael Jordan], ’This is it.’ [He told me], ’Just enjoy it.’”

We certainly did and will.

BY ANDY JASNER #27

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BY STEVEN LEBRON #88

THE BEAL DEAL Bradley Beal might have spoken a bit too soon about greatness, but he’s slowly building a solid case.

A

t media day last season, Bradley Beal declared himself and John Wall as the best backcourt in the League. “Just in terms of what we’re capable of doing, the confidence that we have in that,” Beal said, before adding, “at the same time we got to prove it.”

While Wall had already established himself as one of the top point guards in the League, Beal had to wait to prove he was a man of his words. Prior to the start of the 201415 season, he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist, which required surgery, forcing him to miss the first nine games of the season. In February, Beal was sidelined once again, this time with a stress reaction to his right tibula. In 63 regular season appearances, Beal averaged 16.4 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from three. His bold proclamation was premature at best.

One of the backcourts in the East who rivaled Beal and Wall last season was Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors, which made last season's first-round playoff matchup between these two teams that more intriguing.

The postseason is where Beal made a leap from his regular season play. The Wizards dominated the Raptors in a first round sweep, led by Wall and Beal, who were clearly the

098

better backcourt in the series. In last year’s playoffs, Beal upped his averages to 23.4 points per game and 5.9 free throw attempts per game. The usually reserved shooting guard also showed off a competitive streak, waving goodbye to Lowry after he fouled out in the fourth quarter of Game 1.

Led by Wall and Beal, the Wizards have advanced past the second round of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, a noteworthy feat for a franchise that’s made the postseason seven times since 1988. Wall is 25, Beal just turned 22 in June, so Washington has potential building blocks to become a perennial contender in the East.

While they have constructed a roster that can compete now, the team also has an eye to the future, specifically next summer, when they’re expected to make a run at convincing free agent

Kevin Durant to return home.

There will be no hometown discount to acquire Durant, who—like all basketball superstars—will want to make the decision that will allow him to play on a contender for the longest time. In this regard, Beal’s growth this season will not only chart the course for the team in the present, but perhaps assist in helping it recruit one of the best players in the game. In training camp, Beal has spoken about better shot selection (“less long twos”) and becoming a more efficient offensive player overall.

“Nothing in my game is perfect,” Beal told Bleacher Report this summer. “I’ve been working on putting the ball on the floor more, as always.

Working on catching-andshooting. Working on my quickness, because I want to be a defensive stopper for our team as much as I can.”

Beal, just like the franchise

he plays for, is learning that going from good to great is the most difficult part. The Wizards have made the jump into the playoff picture, but where this all goes might just depend on where Beal is headed. There are intentions to make a run at Durant when he hits free agency next summer, but a part of that will depend on how the Wizards feel about Wall and Beal as their backcourt moving forward.

Any free agent looking to join a contender will have no concerns about teaming up with a more established player in Wall, but the Wizards can pitch a more appealing case at prospective players if they can sell Wall and Beal as the best—or one of the

best—backcourts in the League.

While fellow 2012 draft mates Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard have already established themselves as superstars in this League, and received max extensions that justify the importance of these players to their respective franchises, Beal awaits his first contract extension. In three seasons so far, Beal has shown that he’s not afraid of the stage (he showed that on Nov. 4 against the Spurs with a game-icing three in the closing seconds), and when he is healthy, one of the best scoring guards.

Everyone is just waiting for him put it all together, because if he does, some of us will gladly place Wall and Beal as the best backcourt in the League.

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NED DISHMAN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

HARD ACT TO FOLLOW After a near-MVP season, James Harden is looking to leap a step forward by stepping back.

J

ames Harden is well aware that over the past few seasons he has become more than one of the NBA’s top players. Thanks to his trademark beard and fun-loving demeanor, Harden is now a bona fide brand among Association fans. “Yeah, it’s pretty dope to me,” Harden says of his brand. “It’s growing every single year. It’s a credit to what we built here in Houston.”

But the always-humble Houston guard—runnerup to 2015 NBA MVP Stephen Curry after ranking second in the League with a 27.2 efficiency rating and being a big reason why the Rockets went 5626, won the Southwest Division and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors—knows he can always do better.

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BY STEVE HUNT #29

attacking mindset on offense, creating opportunities for the other four guys on the team.

Instead of having to set up his shots with a series of dribble moves, Harden can now rely on Lawson for efficient catch-andshoots or cuts to the basket.

“He’s going to help our team out so much. He’s going to take the pressure off me to have to handle the ball so much,” says Harden. “I can run the lane as a natural two guard, just get out in transition and do a lot of things off the ball.”

Other than the Lawson addition, the same group from last season returns intact, a big plus for Harden. “This is the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve had the same team for two years,” says Harden. “We’ve been making drastic changes [every year before this.]”

Of course, keeping everyone healthy—especially two vital defensive players, guard Patrick Beverley and big man Dwight Howard, who missed a combined 67 games last season—is key to any championship aspirations the Rockets hold.

Harden relishes such a possibility, taking pride in what the Rockets did last season, usually without one of their bigger contributors sidelined, but he’s also salivating about finally seeing everyone healthy at the same time. “We never really had an opportunity to get a chemistry, get a rhythm going. I think we were one of the teams didn’t really get on an eight, 10-game winning streak,” he says. “We had so many times during the season where guys would drop out a couple games, so we never really got any rhythm.”

The Rockets, of course, also

MVP-caliber season or not, his focus this offseason was no different than in any other because being the consummate pro that he is, James realizes his mission to be the best never ends. “I can always grow as a basketball player, a leader, making sure my conditioning is always there, just wanting to be the best,” says Harden. “That comes with hard work, making sure I’m focused, making sure my body’s at 100 percent and making sure I’m durable.”

Among the specific ways he feels he can improve is by reducing his turnovers and creating more high-quality opportunities for his teammates.

The Rockets felt a great way to help Harden accomplish these goals was to add a veteran point guard in Ty Lawson, which they did this summer. Lawson’s addition means Harden won’t have to bring the ball up the floor as much, freeing him up to do other things in the offense.

Lawson's presence should also help keep Harden fresh for the 82-game grind. Besides being the primary ballhandler, Lawson will be pushing up the Rockets tempo with his

hope to see most of his roster stay out of the training room for extended periods of the season, but the team must improve if they are to take that next step to become a perennial championship contender.

The biggest area of concern will be on defense. As much of a nightmare matchup the Harden/ Lawson backcourt can be to opponents, it is a double-edged sword. Neither player is known for his defense. Even though Howard remains as bouncer in the paint, he's been saddled with injuries and isn't quite the same class of shotblocker he was during his peak Defensive Player of the Year and AllDefensive Teams seasons in the past. Rebounding also remains a concern, especially since the Rockets thrive in transition. The last area is to get more efficient on its halfcourt offense.

Naturally, a lot of it will fall on Harden. He's always wanted the opportunity and felt like he deserved the MVP last year. It'll be on him this season to make good on those claims.

101 BILL BAPTIST/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

SOPHOMORE REVELATION Largely forgotten after his rookie year ended in injury, Jabari Parker is using his second-year run as a reminder he never left.

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very rookie gets bumps and bruises. A player’s “Welcome to the NBA” moment often occurs while getting knocked down. Milwaukee Bucks forward—and No. 2 pick of the 2014 NBA Draft—Jabari Parker didn’t just have a challenging rookie campaign, he tore his ACL less than two months into it during a game against the Phoenix Suns. Despite the season-ending injury, Parker brushes off any talk of being robbed of a proper rookie experience and is relentlessly positive when speaking about it.

“I achieved what I wanted to and that’s the main thing,” says Parker. “One of the best pieces of advice I got [while injured] was to be a student of the game and always be willing to learn, regardless of your situation, [and] humble yourself.”

Parker’s main goal for 2014-2015 was to help the Bucks make the playoffs.

Despite his own shortened season, Milwaukee did do that, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference. Over the summer, the team added big men Greg Monroe and Chris Copeland to the roster, as well as veteran point guard Greivis Vasquez and rookie Rashad Vaughn. A newly extended John Henson and an ever-improving Giannis Antetokounmpo means more roster continuity. Getting back Parker is like essentially like the team getting a No. 2 pick all over again.

After spending the majority of his rookie year rehabbing, Parker is excited to get things underway and help his teammates continue building on the success they had under head coach Jason Kidd.

“I feel good,” says Parker. “I just want to play my role, contribute, and

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BY HOLLY MACKENZIE #32

hopefully we win. It’s definitely a family unit [in Milwaukee].

Everyone is on the same page and that’s what made us really good last year.”

In addition to the strong chemistry and lockerroom camaraderie, Parker credits Kidd with much of Milwaukee’s growth.

“He’s able to go on the court to help us and he’s really hands on,” says Parker. “I like him because he’s always a step ahead of most coaches because of that playing experience. It helps us through the game, because he’s not looking at the average play, he’s looking at the next one.”

Parker averaged 12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in the 25 games he appeared in last season. He shot 49 percent from the floor, averaged 29.5 minutes per game and was the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in November before getting injured. Although the Bucks surprised many with their postseason appearance, the organization is eager to bring Parker, the player who has been tabbed to become the face of the franchise, back into the fold.

Keeping the core intact should make it easier for the team to pick up where they left off.

“I think pretty much everyone knows where we stand just because we have an identity from last year,” says Parker. “It places us in a position where we can aim higher.”

Parker calls himself patient, a trait that helped keep his spirits level as he was relegated to the sidelines. When he wasn't rehabbing, he filled his time with photography. During Las Vegas Summer League, he sat along the baseline with the other cameramen and captured his Bucks teammates in action.

Parker took photography lessons growing up and has attended various Milwaukee sporting events over the past year, with some of his shots appearing on the Bucks’ website. Getting to be creative helped fill the void of not being able to compete.

Adding to the support that Parker received from his teammates and the Bucks organization, he has stayed in close contact with the assistant coaches at Duke and says they text “all of the time.” Parker feels strongly about trusting that he is exactly where he’s supposed to be and speaks it often. He says the patience he had through the rehabilitation

process only reaffirmed that belief and his focus today is fully on getting the season started and returning to the floor.

Although his first season was cut short in on-court action, Parker has already made a lasting impression on Bucks fans with his off-court appearances and vocal support for his teammates along the sideline.

Talking about the upcoming season, he couldn’t help but shout out the Milwaukee faithful for the love they showed as he worked his way back. “We have some of the best fans,” he says. “I love Milwaukee and I’m grateful to be here.”

Parker didn’t name specific goals for himself this year, but was confident in the team’s future, as well as how he wants to conduct himself for the duration of his career as a professional athlete.

“I want to work hard,” he said. “[To] try to do everything the best way possible and be as ethical as possible.”

With his talent, potential, and dedication to being the best player and person he can be, it's easy to see why the NBA’s a better place when he’s suiting up. Here's to a healthy sophomore season.

103 GARY DINEEN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

THE MELO BEFORE THE STORM Carmelo Anthony is still one of the best talents in the game. His chance of winning a championship as his team’s centerpiece, however, is quickly closing on him.

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hen Carmelo Anthony signed his five-year, near-max deal with New York Knicks general manager Phil Jackson in July 2014, the two congratulated each other publicly on the high-profile partnership they had formed.

Anthony, then age 30, signed for a lot of money—a five-year deal worth $124 million, to be exact—while Jackson got the All-Star small forward to trim off $5 million over the length of the contract to give the Knicks salary-cap flexibility in the years to come.

Jackson also gave Anthony a rare no-trade clause, which prevents the GM from trading his star player without Melo’s consent.

New York's signing of one of its own free agent was chalked up as a win-win by both camps at the time.

However, one year later, it would only be natural if doubt entered the picture—in either Jackson's or

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BY DARRYL HOWERTON #21 Anthony’s camps— about the Knicks’ viability as playoff contenders in the near future, considering the circumstances.

It makes one wonder: What are Phil and Melo thinking now?

After all, Year 1—the 2014-15 campaign—could be chalked up as a tank season.

Jackson had no cap room in his first season as GM, and consequently, was not able to supply his star Melo or his rookie head coach Derek Fisher with a legitimate NBA lineup.

Seemingly with a marching order to lose games, the Knicks’ rebuilding strategy often involved trading away or buying out starters’ contracts so that they could play for other contending teams (Amar'e Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Pablo Prigioni) while the Knicks crash-fell down the standings.

In their stead, Jackson would have Fisher suit up a bunch of mercenaries, en route to a 17-65 record, with former short-time Knicks Shane Larkin, Jason Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. leading the 2014-15 New York team in minutes played.

An injured Melo, who missed half of the 2014-15 season, would watch on as third-stringers wore the once-proud Knicks uniform as they were introduced as starters on a nightly basis at Madison Square Garden.

That was then, and this is now, and now is starting to look a lot like then again.

For not much has changed this 2015-16 season.

Melo is healthy, so there is that.

The Knicks are proud of their 20-year-old rookie Kristaps Porzingis, the lottery prize won from New York’s dismal showing a year ago.

He will have his struggles

going through the rigors of an NBA season on his lean 7-1, 220-pound frame—especially this rookie season—but he does have talent, especially as a long-range shooter.

The potential for Porzingis to be the revisionist No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft is there, but it’ll take time to get there.

Together, this age-disparate duo will be flanked most of the time by a good defensive center, Robin Lopez, eternal undeveloped prospect Derrick Williams, a veteran-albeitinconsistent wing, Arron Afflalo, a promising sophomore point guard, Langston Galloway, and a vacuous bench.

“One of the reasons why we really thought Robin would be the best fit for us as a center was that it would allow us to be more flexible as a team and Carmelo can play more of a 4,” Jackson told ESPN.com.

Anyone who projects this Knicks team to win many more than 20 games this 2015-16 season, however, needs to take another look at this roster.

Which bodes the questions: How long is Melo going to put up with the mediocrity?

When does he privately demand a trade?

And since we’re on topic: Was this Phil’s plan all along? Did he sign Melo only to later use his contract as a trade asset?

It is the only plan that makes sense, since otherwise, this organization has shown no signs it has even started a rebuilding process during the past two seasons, unless you are counting on a 31-yearold All-Star-in-decline and a yet-to-develop 20-year-old

as two big catalysts for a franchise turnaround.

As of this start of the season, the relationship seemed solid, especially given Melo’s comment to a crowd of New York reporters, subsequently tweeted out by ESPN New York’s Ian Begley, saying, “You guys might not write about it, but I think Phil still believes in me.”

In the meantime, the 6-8, 240-pound Anthony will be the only constant in yet another maddening season at Madison Square Garden.

The future Hall of Famer probably will put up his customary 25-point, 7-rebound, 3-assist stat line.

His Knicks will lose, probably 80 percent of the time again.

Not because they are tanking— New York doesn’t have a 2016 first-round pick—but mainly because it does not have enough first-string or second-string talent to get Ws. And he will be a professional and say all the right things about the Knicks rebuilding and being patient and blah blah blah.

He will be championed for his loyalty to the team, to the city of New York and to the game of basketball for being such a professional.

The fans and the League office will probably see to it that he makes his ninth straight NBA All-Star Game.

Through it all, do not be surprised if Melo and Phil still maintain good relations, for Anthony does really respect Jackson, no matter how tough the grind may be.

“For him to start this process with me being the centerpiece, I respect that and I don’t want to let him down,” Anthony told Begley.

But do not be surprised if one day—through the suggestion of either Jackson, Anthony or the forward's agent—the GM and the player take a meeting together to discuss alternate possibilities regarding the future of one Carmelo Kyam Anthony.

After all, it’s only human nature, right?

Melo has already given the Knicks the best years of his NBA life.

There is obviously no need for him now, nor in the near future.

So why not explore if there is a contender out there willing to trade young talent and future draft picks to Jackson and the Knicks for a $22.8 million player this season?

It only makes sense.

When—and if—that day finally comes, it will be the first thing that has made sense in Jackson’s two years of trying to rebuild this once-beloved franchise.

Until then, we are all mired in a state of indecisiveness that ultimately leads to nowhere.

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NATHANIEL S. BUTLER/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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HOOP HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Aspire Eyewear

It’s a fact of life: If you depend on glasses to see, they’ll inevitably get dropped, sat on, hit with a ball, knocked off or lost. Aspire’s line of glasses (made with proprietary material to be lightweight, pliable and durable) will help with the first four things (engineers are still working on remedying misplaced glasses) as they can be bent, twisted and left out in the heat.

$290

Nike Kobe X EXT High

The Swoosh took Kobe’s 10th signature intended for rough-and-tumble play and refined it with a heavy dose of luxe, namely a Kobe sheath pattern embossed on white supple leather set off with the perfect cherry to any sneaker, a gum sole.

$275

Wilson X Connected Basketball

Basketballs with brains have been around for a minute now, but what makes the X Connected Basketball stand out is that it’s focus on the basic tenet of basketball: getting the ball into the net. With the aid of the Wilson app (iOS and Android), the ball will chart your makes and misses and offer up competitive games to challenge yourself or others through social media. While fun and easy to use, there are some caveats for optimal accuracy: You need a rim with a net, shots need to be outside of seven feet and the ball has to hit the ground between shots to recalibrate itself. The ball itself doesn’t require recharging, which is a gift and a curse. On one hand, it’s one less device to manage (Wilson says the battery is good for up to 100,000 shots), but on the other, once the battery goes, you’re just left with a “dumb” ball.

$199.99 106

LEGO Star Wars Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle

The latest threat to the force in a galaxy far, far away is the mysterious masked Kylo Ren. Like any good villain, the dude has a pretty dope ride to get him from place to place to hatch his evil plots. Even in LEGO brick form, Kylo’s Shuttle is equal parts sinister and badass with its extending wings that pivot out to terrorize the Stars Wars universe. The mini figure of Kylo (even with his wicked tri-bladed lightsaber), however, is not as terrifying (it’s impossible to make any LEGO minifig look evil).

$119.99

Satechi 7-Port USB Charging Station Dock

Do a quick mental count of the devices in your life. For many, there’s a phone, a tablet, a power bank, smart watch, fitness device and a set of Bluetooth headphones. That might be on the high end, but it’s clear we’ve never been so dependant on devices that require a constant need of USB power to keep them going. This dock handles up to seven devices at once (four ports provide 1 amp of power for most devices, with three ports providing 2.4 amps for more power hungry devices), keeping your gadgets organized and centralized.

$59.99

Acer Aspire Z3-710 Samsung Level U Wireless Headphones

The Level U headphones are part of the burgeoning line of neckband Bluetooth earphones designed for the earbud-loving crowd who wants to cut the cord. Although not marketed as sport-style earphones, the Level U design has a lot of features that make it a good fit for the active set. The microUSB charging port has a siliconesealed cover, the neckband is mostly flexible rubber, the control buttons are molded into the tip and it includes rubber eartips that ensure a secure fit even while running. We tried them at the gym and even through a rainy run and they held up fine. Judged against other earbuds, the sound quality was good, battery life passes our standard of peripherals going a week between charges (Samsung reports about 11 hours of use per charge) and Bluetooth pairing is quick and painless every time.

$69.99

The centerpiece to any all-in-one Windows 10 PC is the screen, and the 23.8-inch Full-HD IPS display on the Aspire Z3-710 is dazzling to look at. Of course a lot of time will be spent at close quarters viewing the monitor, so Acer incorporated flicker-free technology and reduced blue light emissions for less eyestrain. The 10-point touchscreen monitor is pretty snappy for navigating through Windows 10, but a mouse and keyboard is still preferred. The bundled wireless keyboard and mouse are serviceable, but we’d recommend upgrading both. The Z3 packs enough horsepower for most users with its fourth-gen Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It also includes a DVD burner, 802.11ac WiFi, SD card reader, five USB ports (three USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0) and the company’s TrueHarmony sound system—the latter making the Z3 a decent entertainment device in a pinch.

$899 107

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Bevel Shave Kit

It’s time to up your daily shave game and stop being a slave to those double-, triple- and quadruple-bladed cartridges that bleed your face and wallet. Bevel uses double-sided safety razors for an OG shave. Yes, there’s a slight learning curve (basics include not pressing down, making sure to lather up and use short strokes) and no, it isn’t any more likely to a nick. The result is a closer and in the long run, cheaper shave than replacement cartridges or disposable razors since replacement safety razors cost about 10 cents each in bulk. The kit comes with a razor, brush, priming oil, shave cream, restoring balm and 20 replacement blades (about a month’s worth).

HTC One A9

HTC’s latest flagship smartphone moves a step up by actually backpedaling. HTC managed to make this handset lighter (5.04 ounces) from its sister, the M9, removed some of the bloat in its HTC Sense software to give Android fans one of the purest forms of its latest operating system (Marshmallow), all the while coming in at a $399 price. Since 2013, HTC has gone the aluminum uni-body route and the A9 keeps the company’s ethos on beautiful design. Yes, it might resemble the phone from Cupertino, but the comparisons are only skin deep. From a sensory point of view, the A9’s 5-inch AMOLED 1080p screen is pleasing to the eye, the amplified 24-bit HD audio is barely noticeable to most ears, but discernable to an audiophile (but we do miss the Boomsound stereo speakers in HTC handsets in the past) and the phone has a pleasing ergonomic grip when held.

The 13 MP camera (which supports RAW) does a fair job at capturing photos, and with the Hyperlapse feature (cinematic moving time-lapse videos) an easy way to create shareable moments. One of the A9’s more underrated features is the microSD slot. In a time when most phone makers are trying to upsell you cloud services to expand your phone’s memory, the A9 lets you up the phone’s 16GB storage up to 2TB via expandable memory.

$399 (no contract) 108

$89.95

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Four generations after Samsung pioneered the phablet that was initially met with ridicule, the company has proven its lasting power with the Galaxy Note 5. Perfect for the power user who needs just a little more “phone” without the bulk of a tablet, the Note 5 continues its place as a mini multitasking device on its 5.7-inch quad-HD Super AMOLED display. The versatile S Pen (which stows inside the device) continues to make note-taking and drawing like pen and paper and clicking/dragging/navigating more precise. The 16MP/5MP rear/front cameras churns out sharp images, but the larger form factor makes picture-taking slightly trickier compared to the Note 5’s smaller siblings. The wireless charging capabilities are the cherry on top.

$699

PLEASE TOUCH Experience the world’s most amazing animals in one app. WWF TOGETHER — the free app from World Wildlife Fund. Download it today. worldwildlife.org/together

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II

SKLZ Dribble Stick

Never stop working on your game. With the Dribble Stick, you don’t need anyone to help you train. The four adjustable rods on the Dribble Stick can be moved up and down to be that tireless and durable training companion to help you work on your ballhandling, plyometric training or agility drills. As a companion to the training device, SKLZ also offers up complementary training videos to help you get the most out of your game.

$99.99 110

When we first heard the venerable Chuck Taylor All Star was getting a modern makeover, we fully expected to hate it. You don’t mess with a classic. Just ask Coca Cola how well New Coke was received. Even when it arrived in office, we looked at it like it had murdered our beloved Chuck. On the outside, it looked refined—monochromatic eyelets, the All Star patch was embroidered, the canvas felt a little more durable—but welcomed. The turnaround to full open-armed acceptance was when the foot was introduced into the shoe. It was a perfect marriage of timeless original with modern comfort. The Nike Lunarlon insole turned the hard-edged and even harder-soled Chuck Taylor into Charles Taylor with its pillowy soft ride. Now, we still love the OGs (and Converse will still be making them), but for those about comfort, it’s not even a comparison: Charles wins.

$75

We vouch for the Galaxy Tab S as THE tablet to get.

The one thing a tablet has to absolutely get right is the screen and the Tab S2’s Super AMOLED display (2048x1536 pixels) is as vibrant as real life. Videos and photos pop off the screen, making the S2 a natural travel companion and portable entertainment device. The thin profile (0.56 inches), light weight (0.58 pounds on the 8-inch model) and good hand touch (the back is a textured plastic that feels likes a bit like leather) make it a great slate for long sessions.

The microSD slot also gives the Tab S2 a nice added bonus of expandable storage. Truth be told, we didn’t go too into the camera (8MP in front/2.1 MP in the front) since we’re not really the tablet-cammers, and the fingerprint scanner is great for those who need it.

The screen just won us over from first look.

$399 (8-inch)

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August Smart Lock

What makes the August Smart Lock stand out from other similar connected locks, is the installation.

Working with your existing deadbolt, the Smart Lock replaces the interior side of the lock, turning it into a lock that can be locked/unlocked via Bluetooth on an app on your phone for all the members of the household. The app also allows you to create virtual keys for guests and other people who need temporary access, and gives you a log of who comes and goes into your house.

Canada Goose Macmillan Parka

For the urbanist, the camo of the Macmillan will have them standing out from the crowd.

But even in plain black, this winter parka has enough to make it stand out from the ordinary.

The fitted shape pulls the 625 fill-power white duck down close to keep you warm on the coldest of most winters (down to -5 degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact). Other details like the three-way adjustable tunnel hood, fleece-lined hand warmer pockets and rib cuffs combine to further trap heat, make for a chic way to brave Old Man Winter.

$745

$199

Roku 4

If you’re a cable-cutter and switched your allegiances to “Team Stream,” you know we co-sign on the Roku as your gateway to content. The fourth iteration of the Roku box includes support for 4K content for those with a 4K display.

Of course the selection of 4K content is still limited, but is gradually making its way across providers. The other big upgrades are a more peppy quadcore processor and the ability to voice-search for content, which is convenient, but even better is Roku’s lack of allegiance to any particular content provider (unlike Apple TV’s iTunes store or Amazon’s coffers with its Fire TV), giving you the option to find the free or cheapest option of what you want to watch.

The same simple-to-navigate remote returns, with handy ear buds for private TV binges and built-in gamepad for casual TV gaming. The additions to the remote are four dedicated buttons to Amazon, Netflix, Sling and Rdio. The other notable upgrade is the button on top of the unit that helps you locate the remote when you invariably wedge it between the sofa cushions.

$129 112

Microsoft Xbox One Elite Edition

When the Xbox loyalist in your life only wants the best: You get him (or yourself) the Elite Edition of the console.

Under the hood, the Elite Edition is outfitted with a 1TB solid state hard drive for zippy game loads. But the crown jewel for most gamers will be getting their hands on the bundled Xbox Elite Wireless Controller for pro-level precision and swappable components (analog sticks, D-pads, buttons, paddles), hair-trigger locks and an app that allows for further customization.

$499

New Balance Running Woods 530

The inspiration behind this pair of 530s might look like Christmas trees, holly and mistletoe, with its green, red and maroon hues, but it’s really about West Coast surfing crossbred with hiking in textured layers of leather and suede.

$109.99

Anova Precision Cooker

Nike Vision KD Eyewear

See the world through the eyes of Kevin Durant with his line of glasses, each one hooking up with a colorway of his KD8.

NK 35D: $204 NK 36D: $196 NK 37D: $196

Anova has brought sous vide to the masses. For the non-Foodies, sous vide is basically a fancy—otherwise known as French—term for “under vacuum” and is a method of slow-cooking (usually meat) in a water bath at precise temperatures, resulting in tender and juicy perfection that melts in your mouth. It does this by cooking the meat slowly in low heat (think barbecue, but in water) without direct or high heat. Anova makes it dead simple: Vac-pack (ziploc bags also work) your protein with some marinade or seasoning, insert the Precision Cooker into a pot big enough to house the food and device, set the temperature and time with the iOS or Android app, then walk away until it’s done. We can attest: Sous vide steaks (we threw it on the grill for a minute for crowd-pleasing grill marks and some of that tasty maillard reaction) come out perfectly pink from edge to edge. We loved the cleanup of it, which was none. Just pull out the Precision Cooker and wipe down.

$179 113

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Roots of Fight Ali Bee Melton Jacket This wool-blended melton jacket will have you both floatin’ and stingin’. The collegiate-styled bomber has a tough exterior with embroidered bee and “Muhammad Ali” on the chest with the champ’s name across the back. The inside is lined in smooth satin with a photo collage of Ali’s career with his famous, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” catchphrase printed over it.

$249.99

Jordan Westbrook 0

If you slept on the Westbrook 0 earlier in the year, let this be your eye-opening intro to Russell Westbrook’s signature lifestyle shoe. Sitting atop a white vulcanized sole, Westbrook 0 remixes DNA from the legendary Air Jordan 11 with its embossed “lace straps” on the black pebble leather upper, all wrapped in a black rubberized overlay. The pops of detail include a gold dubray (“Why and Not?”), triangular eyelets, a grey wool tongue and an infrared lining.

$140 114

MVP Shoe Game

Each of these signature sneakers is worn by a former MVP. From right to left, we have a four-time winner LeBron James who dons the LeBron 12, the reigning MVP Stephen Curry’s Curry Two, 2011 MVP Derrick Rose’s D Rose 6, 2014’s most valuable Kevin Durant and his KD8, and although Chris Paul (pictured is his CP3.IX) technically came in runner-up to Kobe for 2008 MVP, we like to think Paul deserved it as much for propping up the New Orleans Hornets to 56 wins and a Semifinals finish in the playoffs that season. You can find detailed reviews of each shoe on hoopmag.com.

Jordan CP3.IX: $130 Nike KD8: $175 adidas D Rose 6: $140 Under Armour Curry Two: $129.99 Nike LeBron 12: $200

adidas Cream Christmas Day Swingman Jersey

This year’s yuletide duds are the best yet. Since 2012, the Christmas Day games have seen commemorative jerseys on court and the 2015 games will see an eggnog-hued cream with each team’s primary color. The lettering will be a holiday-inspired script font, set off by a “wax stamp” (reminiscent of old holiday cards) of the NBA logo on the back.

$109.99 115

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WHERE TO BUY: Acer Aspire Z3-710: acer.com; adidas Christmas Day Swingman Jersey: nbastore.com; adidas D Rose 6: adidas.com; Anova Precision Cooker: anovaculinary.com; Aspire Special, Connected, Famous: aspireeyewear. com; Bevel Shave Kit: getbevel.com; Canada Goose Macmillan Parka: canadagoose.com; Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II: converse.com; HTC One A9: htc.com; Jordan Air Jordan 1 High OG, Westbrook 0, Fly, AJ Compression Shield, Air Jordan Stay Warm Fitted Shield, AJ, Flight Printed: jordan.com; LEGO Star Wars Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle: shop.lego.com; Microsoft Xbox One Elite Edition: microsoft.com; New Balance Running Woods 530: newbalance.com; Nike KD8, LeBron 12, Kobe X EXT High: nike.com; Nike Vision KD8 Eyewear: nikevision.com; Roku 4: roku.com; Roots of Fight Ali Bee Melton Jacket: rootsoffight.com; Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, Galaxy Note 5, Level U Wireless Headphones: samsung.com; Satechi 7-Port USB Charging Dock: satechi.net; SKLZ Dribble Stick: sklz. com; Stance Socks: stance.com; Wilson X Connected Basketball: wilson.com

Jordan Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG

One of the litmus tests of a true classic is blacking it out entirely and seeing whether or not it can stand on its own. The AJ1 passes with flying colors, er, darkness. The all-black everything (save for the white sole it sits on) treatment allows you to appreciate the iconic design and lets the supple leather speak for itself.

Jordan Winter Training Gear

Outdoor training gets extended through the winter months with the help of Jordan’s lineup of workout gear. The Stay Warm Fitted Shield hoodie features water resistant overlays while maintaining breathable mesh panels and Dri-FIT fabric to wick out heat and moisture. The AJ Compression Shield tights are the essential supportive base layer for your legs. The calves have Shield tech for splash protection, reflective elements for safety at night and Dri-FIT fabric vents out heat and sweat. Simply dubbed with his Airness’ initials, the AJ ensures performance (Dri-FIT fabric and mesh shoulder panels) with style (forever-in-vogue Elephant print). Disguise your game with the Flight Printed short that has a hidden Jordan shield pattern within the camo.

Air Jordan Stay Warm Fitted Shield: $130 AJ Compression Shield: $90 Jordan Flight Printed: $60 AJ: $65 116

$160

Stance Socks

You’ve probably noticed the striking hosiery on the feet of players during NBA games this season. The new sock partner of the NBA, Stance hasn’t been shy about its designs that hook perfectly with uniforms and sneakers. Our favorite: The Christmas-themed ones that are a nod to those only-get-worn-duringthe-holidays sweaters.

$20-28

Jordan Fly

Be a two-way player with the reversible Fly vest. One side is all-business black while the flipside is the signature Jordan Elephant print. Either way you wear it, you still get the warmth of the high-loft insulation and slash pockets.

$135

S T Y L E A N D S O P H I S T I C AT I O N IN THE HEART OF TIMES SQUARE

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STEP BACK

December 25, 2012,

Oklahoma City Thunder

vs. Miami Heat,

The NBA scheduled its first Christmas Day game in 1947, the League’s second year. It was a matchup between the New York Knicks and Providence Steamrollers at Madison Square Garden, with the home team prevailing 89-75.

Since the 1947 game, the NBA has scheduled games on Christmas Day every year with the exception of 1998, when there was a lockout. It is the only U.S. sports league to play on Dec. 25.

American Airlines Arena

T here was no shortage of star power in the game: LeBron James and Kevin Durant were the top two vote-getters for the 2013 All-NBA First Team, with 595 and 555 total voting points, respectively. Russell Westbrook made the Second Team, and Dwyane Wade the Third Team.

L eBron James nearly finished with a tripledouble, going for 29 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds, as well as 2 steals and a block.

T he Knicks have played the most Christmas games, to which they have a 22-27 record in 49 appearances.

Christmas 2012 was the first year that the NBA introduced completely unique holiday uniforms. From 2007-2011, there was a simple snowflake patch around the NBA logo.

T he theme for the 2012 uniforms was “BIG Color,” which tied into the League’s “BIG” marketing campaign that season.

The adidas-designed uniforms were monochromatic with an outline of the team’s secondary color.

A lthough the Heat would go on to face (and beat) the Spurs in the 2013 Finals, Miami (66-16) and OKC (60-22) finished the regular season at the top of their conferences.

J ames was the 2012-2013 regular season MVP, averaging 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

urant would follow him D as the 2014 MVP.

L eBron finished the game with a 28.2 Player Efficiency Rating. He finished the season with the League’s highest PER (31.6).

A t 20,300, this was the highest attendance on record at AmericanAirlines Arena.

T he next time the two teams played would be on another holiday—on Valentine’s Day in 2013, the Heat beat the Thunder 110-100.

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ISSAC BALDIZON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY ADAM KAUFMAN #0

T he matchup of the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder was a rematch of the 2012 Finals, which the Heat won in five games. In this contest, the Heat would prevail again, winning 103-97.

ade, James, Durant and Westbrook were all named 2013 W All-Stars. Westbrook was a reserve for the West, and the other three were all starters.

evin Durant would drain this jump shot with 20 K seconds left in the game, bringing the Thunder to within one (98-97) and bringing his game total to 33 points. After Ray Allen hit two foul shots, both Durant and Westbrook missed three-point attempts to tie the game.

wyane Wade scored 21 in the D Christmas game and chipped in five rebounds and three assists. T he Heat held the Thunder to 42 percent shooting for the day. Westbrook in particular struggled from the field, going 5-19. ith this win, D-Wade went to 7-1 in W Christmas games and LeBron made it his sixth straight Yuletide victory.

hile Westbrook did not W shoot well, he still managed to rack up 21 points and 11 rebounds.

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CALL OUT

Eric Gordon and the New Orleans Pelicans helped families from HANO Äôs Estates Community with Thanksgiving by delivering a bountiful bag of food.

LAYNE MURDOCH JR./NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Boston’s Isaiah Thomas is known for being a tireless worker, a trait that served him well when he volunteered to help assemble food kits for the Thanksgiving Holiday for the Boys & Girls Club of Boston.

BRIAN BABINEAU/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Miami’s frontline of Hassan Whiteside and Udonis Haslem are usually pretty stingy when it comes to giving up anything on the court, but off it, the duo have no problems being generous at the Miami Heat’s 24th Annual Thanksgiving Celebration at the Miami Rescue Mission.

OSCAR BALDIZON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams plays the bus driver doling out daps during the Thunder’s Rolling Book Bus celebrating literacy.

LAYNE MURDOCH JR./NBAE/GETTY IMAGESV

Russell Westbrook showed the kids a good time when the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted 100 lucky youth from Novo Ministries for an evening of food and fun.

LAYNE MURDOCH/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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P O N Y. C O M

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“THAT WAS COLD-BLOODED”