High drama awaits as NBA camps open
By Glenn Rogers
San Antonio Express-News
09/30/2003
You're exactly right. It does seem like only yesterday the Spurs were floating down the San Antonio River and enjoying the boisterous cheering of their second NBA championship season.
Yet, here they are, along with their 28 counterparts throughout the league, easing back into training camp.
Veterans with four or more seasons of experience don't have to report until Friday, while their younger comrades begin drilling today.
The reigning champion Spurs and other teams with games scheduled overseas already have all their players in camps today.
The offseason was short and somewhat quiet, but there are plenty of tasty tidbits bobbing about in the league's latest stew.
There will be 10 new head coaches striding the sidelines, and the spotlight probably will burn brightest on Jeff Van Gundy in Houston, Larry Brown in Detroit (his sixth NBA stop), Mike Dunleavy in Clipperland and Tim Floyd in New Orleans.
A batch of foes have muscled up with new talent, more than enough to throw plenty of spice into the newest race for the ultimate thrill in the Finals.
The Spurs sounded fairly unanimous in pronouncing the Timberwolves as the most improved of their opponents.
The Lakers have pitched their tent in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
This turns out to be a fortuitous idea. The Lakers probably first were concerned about the extra press attention that would be paid to the arrival of Karl Malone and Gary Payton.
The Hawaii location will help shade the media searchlight destined to be cast on Kobe Bryant and the sexual assault charges filed against him.
Jerry Sloan walks onto the floor for his 15th season as Utah's head coach, but it will be the first time he looks out and fails to see John Stockton and Malone working their famed options off the pick and roll.
Stockton has retired and Malone is in Los Angeles seeking his first championship ring.
The Sacramento Kings will introduce center Brad Miller to veteran Vlade Divac and the latter will begin his schooling of his anticipated replacement.
The Kings will worry about Chris Webber's recovery from knee surgery — he isn't expected to resume contact until November.
The Wolves will await Kevin Garnett's response to the offer to extend his already mammoth contract and they will be howling about a bigger bite thanks to the additions of Sam Cassell, Michael Olowokandi and Latrell Sprewell.
The Houston Rockets will train in Galveston and Van Gundy gets to begin coaching another significant center, Yao Ming. This time he also has a crackerjack point guard, Steve Francis.
The New Jersey Nets trembled when the Spurs made a run at superstar Jason Kidd but now they can smile broadly while they watch Kidd work with new center Alonzo Mourning.
The Cleveland Cavaliers not only boast a new coach in Paul Silas, but they also can hear the cash register ring with payments for tickets from fans eager to see the league's latest wunderkind — LeBron James.
Up I-35, the Mavs added some scoring to their front line with Antawn Jamison and some rebounding with Danny Fortson. But, they still lack the powerful inside force so necessary to compete in the rugged West.
