As the countdown begins for the NBA 2015/16 season there were a few significant changes during the off season which will be in the spotlight without a doubt. Let us take a sneak peek into how these events may affect the color of this season!
7. Will Derrick Rose have an Injury free season?
Derrick Rose was the first Guard to be drafted First overall in the NBA since Allen Iverson in 1996, back in 2008 after a brief stint at the University of Memphis. He was drafted by his Home town team, the ‘Chicago Bulls’, the team which D.Rose had always dreamt of playing for, having idolized the Bulls’ legend Michael Jordan. He won the ‘Rookie of the year’ award that year, and then went on to become the Youngest ever NBA MVP 2 years later in 2011 at the age of 22. He also won the FIBA World cup with Team USA in 2010. The Chicago Bulls were very strong in the regular season and post-season. Everything was going smoothly for both Rose and the Bulls but then came the Injuries!
His long string of injuries started with a minor sprained wrist in the 2009/2010 season where he missed 4 games and the Bulls lost all 4 games during that time span. However, it was nothing major and Rose came back strong. In his 2010/2011 MVP season, where he averaged 25 points and 7.7 Assists, he missed only one game with a stiff neck. All the Sri Lankans who are Bulls fans will agree with me when I say that was the year Rose made us go “Wow”, “How does he do that”?, “Rose is the next Isaiah Thomas, maybe even better”. With Rose fit, the Chicago Bulls had a phenomenal year and made it to the Eastern Conference finals.
Then came the disastrous 2011/2012 season, a season that would change the future of Chicago’s favourite son, perhaps forever. First he sprained the big toe of his left foot which forced him to miss 5 games. Then in February 2011he missed 12 games owing to a groin injury. Then in the final minutes of Game 1 of their First-round series against the 76ers, Rose comes down awkwardly on his left knee and suffered a torn ACL, ending his season and putting him out indefinitely. All the Bulls and Rose fans in Sri Lanka and all over the World would probably have been as heartbroken as I was. This meant he only played 40 out of the 72 games of the lockout shortened season.
Although he became a non-contact full participant in practise by January in the 2012 season he didn’t play a single game that season stating that he still doesn’t feel 100% fit much to the disapproval of the Hometown fans. Then came the much awaited return in the 2013/2014 season, but this too was short-lived as he suffered a torn right meniscus when making a back door cut in Portland. He only played 10 games that season.
He sat out the 1st nine games of the last season (2014/2015) with ankle injuries, but then played 41 out of the next 44 games. The highlight of the 2014 year was D. Rose winning the FIBA World Cup again with Team USA.
Statistics have proven that the Chicago Bulls play their best basketball when Rose operates as their Floor general. D. Rose is a clutch player who has made quite a few game winners throughout his career. He will be returning to the 2015/2016 NBA season and when he does Sri Lankan Chicago Bulls fans and those from all over the World will be hoping and praying that the Chicago phenomenon has an Injury-free season.
8. Will Rajon Rondo behave himself at Sacramento?
Rajon Rondo in my opinion is the most unique Point-guard in the NBA at the moment, but he also has the very unique ability of falling into trouble more often than not. The former Boston Celtics star who has won one NBA championship back In 2008 along with his former All-Star teammates Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen fell out with the Celtics and got traded to the Dallas Mavericks team in the 2014/2015 NBA season.
However, things didn’t go exactly as planned for the 6’1” guard who was demanded a ‘Max contract’ from the Mavs. Although he was well known for not having the best of attitudes, it just went from bad to worse when he blew off a direct instruction from the Dallas coach Rick Carlisle during the 3rd Quarter of a game against the Toronto Raptors. As he was coming out of the court for a time out Carlisle gave him a good scolding to which Rondo retaliated. Now that’s a big No-No in Basketball. We all know that Basketball is one sport where we have to believe in and respect our coaches at all times and Rondo just didn’t stop there, he went out and made a public statement saying that he would only sign back if Rick Carlisle was gone from the Mavericks. Now that was not going to happen as Carlisle had been with the Dallas organization since 2008 and had taken them to 6 straight Playoff berths and also an NBA title in 2011.
As Rondo was a Free-Agent by the end of the season, he has gotten traded to the Sacramento Kings, an up and coming team with no shortage of stars for a 1 year with a $10 Million deal. They have the luxury of All-Star players DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay who are currently in great form. However Rondo will have a lot of competition with Darren Collison for minutes on the court. Rajon Rondo has many fans in Sri Lanka and they will agree with me when I say that if Rajon Rondo behaves himself and adjusts his attitude the “Sky is the Limit” for him and the Kings.
9.The Return of Paul George.
From humble beginnings, Paul George has quickly elevated himself into an All-Star, the type of one that could really decide the fate of games. Having being drafted a modest 10th Overall in the 2010 NBA draft, the 25-year old has won the ‘NBA Most improved Player Award’, and has been named to the All-NBA third team and All Defensive second team and was a very important part of the Indiana Pacer’s franchise which went up to the Eastern conference final in 2013/2014.
He suffered a very gruesome lower right leg injury when he tried to block a James Harden layup at a USA scrimmage match last season and had an awkward landing on the post. If you had seen the footage of it, you probably must have had your hand over your mouth in shock as it looked really bad. Some had already written the obituary for Paul George’s Career. Commenting on the injury Paul said and I quote “The second I saw my bone, I just…. I lost it”.
But Paul George is one tough guy as he has been working effortlessly in the gym ever since he had gotten clearance to be get back on his feet and his determination is such it appears that he will be a making a much sooner than expected return. There is a growing fan base for the Indiana Pacers in Sri Lanka and they would love to see their star come back stronger than ever and lead them to a possible NBA championship in 2016.
10. Golden State Warriors Encore?
The Golden State Warriors had as fabulous a season as one can ask last season, winning 67 out of their 82 regular season games, a new franchise best for number of wins as well as the best record in the NBA for the first time since 1976. They entered the Play offs head and shoulders above the rest.
Then they swept the New Orleans Hornets 4-0 in the 1st round of the play offs, finished off the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 and thrashed the Houston Rockets in the Eastern conference finals 4 games to 1. Although an injury-battered Cleveland Cavaliers did provide some stiff opposition in the first few games of the 7-Game NBA finals, they ran out of a gas as the Warriors were simply too good for them to handle. From the passing, to the lights out shooting, to the teamwork, to the unselfishness the Western conference team just worked magic on the court. But will repeating that stellar performance be all that straight forward in the 2015/2016 season?
But I’m afraid it’s not going to be all that easy. For starters the Golden State Warriors are competing in the Western conference which is way more competitive than the Eastern conference. A star studded team like the Oklahoma Thunder missing the playoffs last season bears testimony to that. The conference has the likes of a strengthened San Antonio Spurs, a resilient Denver Nuggets, a high-flying Los Angeles Clippers, an offensive machine in the Houston Rockets, an Oklahoma Thunder with both Westbrook and Durant back together, a New Orleans Hornets with a star rising faster than the speed of light in Anthony Davies and the list goes on and on.
Of course they will have a healthy Cleveland Cavaliers, a rejuvenated Miami Heat and a total team in Atlanta Hawks waiting for them in a probable NBA Finals if they do make it through the afore mentioned competition. Doesn’t sound all that straight forward now huh? The Golden State Warriors will really have to take it one game at a time and not get too ahead of themselves if they are to repeat 2015 in my opinion.
Join us again next week at ThePapare.com as we explore the World of Basketball, until then keep balling.
