One burning question for every NBA team
BOSTON: Who, if anybody, can possibly replace the defensive toughness and clutch 3-point shooting of James Posey?
2008-09 NBA previews
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FOXSports.com analysis
- Charley Rosen division previews:
East: Southeast | Atlantic | Central - Kahn: 10 storylines to follow
- Rosen: Who made the right moves?
- Kahn: Best and worst awards
- Galinsky: Preseason power rankings
- Kahn: My top 50 NBA players
- Hill: Disasters waiting to happen
- Rosen: Where each coach stands
West: Northwest | Pacific | Southwest
Marques Johnson video previews
- East: | | Southeast
- West: | |
CHARLOTTE: How many losses will occur before Larry Brown reverts to his "I-won, they-lost" mantra?
CHICAGO: Will they ever develop a post-up scorer who demands routine double-teaming, or will they continue to rely on a long-distance offense?
CLEVELAND: Can Mo Williams play well enough to keep LBJ in Cleveland?
DALLAS: Is the slow-motion version of J-Kidd good enough to give heart and direction to a roster filled with so many soft, silly and/or defenseless players?
DENVER: Given that the newly signed Ruben Patterson is the only player on the present roster capable of playing acceptable defense, can A.I., Melo, and J.R. Smith score enough points for the Nugs to average the 110-plus points per game they'll require to duplicate last year's total of 50 wins?
DETROIT: Can Michael Curry prompt Rasheed Wallace to play all-out all the time?
GOLDEN STATE: Which will come first? Dumping losers like Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson? Or the firing of Nellie and/or Chris Mullin?
HOUSTON: How long will the Rockets have to wait for Ron-Ron to do something stupid, T-Mac's various aches and pains to be fully healed, or Yao to suffer another leg injury?
INDIANA: When will they find another team dumb enough to finally take Jamaal Tinsley off their hands?
L.A. CLIPPERS: How long will it be before Mike Dunleavy's insufferable arrogance alienates this particular group of players?
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L.A. LAKERS: Is Andrew Bynum's surgically repaired knee really sound, and can he ever be the player he's supposed to be?
MEMPHIS: Will Marc Iavaroni be fired before or after the All-Star game?
MIAMI: Will the Heat be bad enough to keep Pat Riley from returning to the bench?
MILWAUKEE: Is this the season in which Andrew Bogut's game justifies his overweening self-confidence?
MINNESOTA: Will Kevin Love break Keith Van Horn's record for suffering the most blocked shots in a season?
NEW JERSEY: Can the sheepish Vince Carter possibly become the leader the Nets so desperately need?
NEW ORLEANS: How will Peja Stojakovic react when he inevitably yields his starting slot to James Posey?
NEW YORK: How long before the Knicks cut loose the deadwood — Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, Jerome James, and the aging Malik Rose — and allow Mike D'Antoni to fully implement his entertaining run-and-gun game plan?
OKLAHOMA CITY: After being temporarily aroused by the young, exciting Hornets, will the locals keep the faith when the Thunder turn out to be the worst team in the league?
ORLANDO: Will they get enough from their powerless power forwards and their flawed point guards to mount a substantial challenge to the Celtics?
PHILADELPHIA: Can Louis Williams give the Sixers the combination of discipline and energy off the bench that will be necessary to augment the relatively plodding offense of Elton Brand and Andre Miller?
PHOENIX: Can the floor-bound, lane-clogging Shaq and the high-flying Amare Stoudemire really work well together?
PORTLAND: Is it remotely possible for Greg Oden to be as good as the Blazers need him to be?
SACRAMENTO: Without Mike Bibby and Ron-Ron to slow him down, will Kevin Martin finally get the respect he deserves?
SAN ANTONIO: Will the Spurs' rapidly aging stars be forced to play too many minutes until Manu Ginobili returns to action?
TORONTO: Can Jermaine O'Neal stay healthy?
UTAH: How can the mostly lead-footed and relatively unathletic Jazz score enough easy baskets on the run to play .500 ball on the road?
WASHINGTON: Can Ernie Grunfeld find some way to nullify Agent Zero's contract?
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