NBA Notebook: What to watch for this season

Ime Udoka hoped to submit something close to an opening night preview in Miami for the Celtics' preseason finale. Far from it. 

Jaylen Brown and Al Horford tested positive for COVID-19 during the final week of the preseason. Udoka reportedly suspended Marcus Smart for missing Boston's team flight and Robert Williams III sat on Friday with right knee tendinopathy. Payton Pritchard broke his nose Wednesday.

For a team that suffered from disconnectedness, injuries and COVID a year ago, the final week presented a triple-threat of issues. Boston expects Smart, Brown, Pritchard and Williams will return for Wednesday's opener, beginning a stretch of seven out of 10 games away from Boston. Udoka held Williams out of Friday's preseason finale as a precaution, saying if the game fell in the regular or postseason he would've played, but he hadn't heard anything from the Celtics' training staff except that Williams grew sore in recent days. For a player building a track record of lower body ailments, tendinopathy raises red flags and may require management. The 70% career shooter finished 33.3% from the field, dunking only once in three preseason games.

Elsewhere, Brown and Horford remain in COVID protocol hoping to be available when the season starts. Both need to receive multiple negative tests, with Udoka outlining his own 10-day track from his positive test through his return on the first day of training camp, as an example. A 10-day plan could put Horford on track to return for Friday's home opener, though more likely for the road trip that follows. The Celtics are following league protocols, Udoka and Josh Richardson told Boston Sports Journal, strict about wearing masks and not gathering off the floor. Some players continue to wear masks in post-game interviews, others have not, while around the league fewer than 20 players are reportedly now unvaccinated. 

"It's not just us, it's everybody in this world that's dealing with these problems," Smart, who is vaccinated, told BSJ on Thursday. "You can't really control it. I mean, even people who are vaccinated are still dealing with COVID. It's just, if it's your time, it's your time. If you're going to get it, you're going to get it. You obviously want to do everything you can to prevent it, but like I said, even the people who are taking preventative measures, they're still getting it. So you just pray, hope for the best and do everything you can to control it." 

The Celtics and NBA enter their 75th anniversary under the continued cloud of the pandemic and protocols will challenge many teams. Two notable player controversies dominated the late offseason headlines, while numerous stars like Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray and Zion Williamson enter the season seriously injured. Still, the Celtics and league's festivities for the 75th-anniversary season, including a top-75 in NBA history list due out next week, appear ready-made for debate and centered on the product on the floor. Just look at the court the Celtics may play on for their home-opener, paying homage to Red Auerbach's cigar smoke.

Before that, Wednesday marks Kemba Walker's homecoming hosting the last team he played for, the Celtics. Walker discussed joining the Knicks after a month-long stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Zach Lowe's podcast. He denied pushing for the trade from Boston, saying he didn't know he would be traded in the deal that brought Horford back to the Celtics. Walker received knee treatment during his brief OKC stint, which he hopes to receive a jersey for. Lowe also pressed Walker on what went wrong in Boston. 

"I don't know," Walker said. "I am who I am. I feel like I am the absolute most positive person there can be. I come in with a great attitude all the time. I'm always smiling, I'm always uplifting and my time there was great. I had great teammates. I talk to those guys all the time, still to this day. To be honest, I didn't know I was going to be traded. I even seen stuff like, oh 'we had a mutual agreement on the trade.' I seen something where they said people from my camp, I don't know. I am who I am and that's where I wanted to be, because that's where I was. I never wanted to be a guy who got traded. That's just not even something I was even thinking about." 

Walker attributed his knee ailment that flared up in Boston to playing a ton of basketball from his time in Charlotte through joining the Celtics in 2019. The COVID break in 2020, starting, stopping and starting again in the Bubble didn't help. He feels great entering his first season under notoriously-taxing head coach Tom Thibodeau, who quipped Walker's "playing" on back-to-backs at his introduction. Walker said he participated fully in training camp, while averaging 10 points per game on 39.3% shooting. 

Walker and Derrick Rose transform a more defensive back court led by Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock before New York added Rose in a midseason trade into one that can score. The new point guard pair don't perfectly fit Thibodeau's defensive emphasis, but the Knicks needed some balance in an offensive league. They ranked 22nd with a 110 offensive rating next to their fourth-best 107 defensive rating. Walker posted 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists in Boston last year, shooting 42% from the field and 36% from three. That scoring would've ranked second behind Julius Randle with New York.

How the Knicks balance integrating that production to its defensive scheme, while maintaining health, could either bolster or sink a team that built a strong foundation last season, before struggling to keep up with Atlanta's scoring in round one of the playoffs. 

“Health, I think it’s a big question for every team, and it’s important (Walker) feels good,’’ Thibodeau said in September. “(Walker's) been in. He’s doing a lot of work. And you got to trust him. He understands what he has to do to be ready for a season.’’

Here are the biggest stories entering the NBA's opening week

Atlanta: John Collins hopes the Hawks can take advantage of Kyrie Irving's potential absence and reach the NBA Finals. Atlanta's banged-up cast mostly suited up for the preseason finale aside from Danilo Gallinari (shoulder) and Onyeka Okongwu (knee). Cam Reddish could be a swing player on a roster already loaded with shooting and scoring, as a long wing who knocked down 9-of-14 from three in four east finals appearances, rebounded and flashed some passing. Jalen Johnson could become an athletic steal from this summer's draft, though started slow in the preseason averaging 2.8 PPG in 14 minutes. De'Andre Hunter returns as a potential defensive anchor following his knee injury in the second round. This team could be a third-seed lock if they join the top-half of NBA defenses. 

As for the Trae Young rule? Josh Richardson explained the rule through the lens of James Harden. 

"His step-back is so lethal," Richardson said. "So you've got to close out incredibly hard, and he knows that you're going to be doing that. So he's good at kicking his leg or leaving his hand out. You've got to commend it, because they've figured out how to get fouled." 

Boston: It should be a fun top-75 celebration for the league's most historic franchise, along with the Lakers. 

Who makes your Celtics all-time team? In no order: Russell. Bird. Pierce. Garnett. Havlicek. McHale. Parish. Cousy. Heinsohn. Cowens. Jones. White. Johnson. Those stand as locks. For the final two? Danny? Ray? Tiny? You've watched these guys more than me. Chime in below. 

Brooklyn: You've heard by now what's going on with one former Celtic in a Nets uniform. What's under-discussed is what remains. Kevin Durant and James Harden both boasted unique MVP cases after finding comfort in roles last year. Jevon Carter and Patty Mills play strong minutes on both ends in Irving's absence after the team announced it won't play the guard part-time if he's ineligible to play in home games due to his unvaccinated status under a NYC statute. LaMarcus Aldridge returned. Paul Millsap joined on a veteran minimum. An old cast got a dose of youth infusion too, between rookie scoring sensation Cam Thomas -- a must-watch preseason highlight tape -- alongside strong DeAndre Jordan replacement candidate Day'Ron Sharpe. I like the Bucks regardless, but this team is deeper and more versatile than a year ago. Can they form a defensive identity? Blake Griffin and Nic Claxton would need to help at the five.

Charlotte: No. 1 question: can Gordon Hayward stay healthy? The Hornets were 4.2 points better per 100 possessions with Hayward on the floor, saving 2.2 points on defense believe it or not. Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball's on-off splits moved Charlotte less than one point per 100. Miles Bridges provides additional juice as a cutting menace. Rookie James Bouknight rounds out this offense that's a tantalizing offensive league pass product. Can Mason Plumlee, rookie Kai Jones and P.J. Washington hold down center defensively? That's as big of a question than Hayward's stability. 

Chicago: The preseason proved they could be hard to slow offensively. Zach LaVine felt invigorated by his gold medal on the way to a 31-point, 6-rebound, 6-assist preseason finale. The most-improved player award may come down to Michael Porter Jr. and LaVine this season. Nikola Vuvevic poses a big problem defensively in this world of mandatory NBA switching on defense. Letting him float on the perimeter and playing in shootouts all season sounds like a recipe for Chicago to land in the play-in game, albeit an improvement on last year, but below the hype. Fortunately, Patrick Williams' return and Alex Caruso give this team some defensive rotation options. Giving up Thad Young and multiple first-round picks for Demar DeRozan and Vucevic accelerated the timeline and gave this group enough firepower. They need to find a way to get some stops too. 

Cleveland: The Cavs tinkered with some 3-2 zone in the preseason to squeeze their massive Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen lineups onto the floor. I love Darius Garland as another most-improved candidate for his vision and slashing. Trading for Markkanen, while seemingly a desperate accelerator, could actually be a fitting timeline adjustment from an older, yet beloved Larry Nance Jr. Can this franchise stomach another losing season? Looming decisions about Collin Sexton's future and Kevin Love's presence would make it difficult, but Cleveland's still young and the east is tough. Isaac Okoro shut down Tatum toward the end of last season. He's a joy to watch and a former draft prospect I loved. There's something here, more than after LeBron even after left the first time and Kyrie took over. I don't see a play-in berth yet though.

Dallas: A puzzling group. Luka Doncic enters 2021-22 as a 22-year-old MVP favorite on a team trying to start Kristaps Porzingis and Dwight Powell alongside him. Many dream of a Dallas NBA Finals push. Let's relax. Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown could help some. Well-known running mates Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith allowed Doncic to lead some of the most statistically efficient offenses ever. They then couldn't top a tough LA squad in the playoffs. Where's the defensive growth? Can Jason Kidd facilitate it? The third-time head coach didn't score high marks in his first two stops, and waiving 2020 No. 31 pick Tyrell Terry Friday serves as a reminder of recent roster mismanagement. Poor Luka. 

Denver: Michael Porter Jr. scored a $172.5-million contract over five years, which could bump over $200-million with All-NBA Team selection and carries some all-star incentives. Perhaps the most efficient young scorer ever, he converted 44% of his first 529 career three-point attempts. He's produced some hefty, Tatum-esque stat lines, like 26 points and 12 rebounds against Portland in the playoffs. Defense likely prevents him climbing to All-NBA status. The Murray injury stinks, because it's easy to see this fully-loaded group being ready to win the championship around their dazzling passing leader and MVP Nikola Jokic. He's avoided the "winning" demands from the public at large. The mob hampering Giannis Antetokounmpo could be on to him next. Consider them No. 2 in the west. 

Detroit: How good can Cade Cunningham be? He'll need to carry a heavy load on offense and didn't play in the preseason (ankle). His three-ball floats through the net smoothly. He fluidly finds his spots on the floor and can become addicted to involving teammates when that's his role. Defensively, this group could hold its own if versatile big Isaiah Stewart grows on that end alongside three-and-D wing Saddiq Bey. Josh Jackson's comeback story is a good one after fizzling atop the Tatum draft in Phoenix. They'll be bad again this year, and I wonder if that'll lead them to do a Nance-style deal, sending out Jerami Grant for a future or core piece. Grant got the Olympic experience over the summer and scored 22.3 PPG last season. His addition breathed some life into a franchise whose fans needed to boo...Andre Drummond? 

Golden State: Some fun perspective from good friend Matt Moore revealed just how good Steph Curry was during a near-MVP campaign in 2021. 

Youth made predicting this group a chore after an otherwise disappointing season. The James Wiseman pick didn't seem to fit what the team did on offense, while Curry's fellow on-court personnel at time resulted in brick brothers lineups. Kelly Oubre is gone, Jordan Poole scorched to 21.8 PPG this preseason in his place and Andrew Wiggins quietly played well last year. Klay Thompson's health status looms in determining this group's contention ability, but bring him back into the fold at any significant percentage alongside Draymond Green still doing All-Defense things, and this group could find its way back to the top of the west. There are more ifs in the Bay Area than during the Durant era though. Otto Porter, Andre Iguodala and the young guys like Jonathan Kuminga won't cut it against LeBron and Davis if they're relied upon. 

Houston: Rockets teammates hailed Armoni Brooks as the best shooter on the team, another fixture that makes this a true fun team. Daniel Theis, Christian Wood and Eric Gordon provide enough veteran glue to make this group occasionally good. Otherwise, they'll ride Jalen Green slashes, Alperen Sengun post-ups and smash-mouth defense from Jae'Sean Tate and Usman Garuba. Seriously, League Pass this team often. The Celtics visit them in eight days. 

Indiana: Hard to read what Ben Simmons reports mean for this normally quiet franchise. It could be an attempt to move up the asset ladder, but if the team truly floats Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, how does that signal the Pacers' brass feels about its core? The Myles Turner trade rumors flipped into a new summer. Domantas Sabonis puts up staggering numbers and the wins didn't appear, ending Nate Bjorkgren's one-year coaching stint amid internal strife. Rick Carlisle should allow needed flexibility in play style. T.J. Warren's foot surgery recovery drags on. The east might be too packed for this group without perfect health. Rookies Chris Duarte (a Pritchard teammate at Oregon) and Isaiah Jackson infuse some real-deal young talent onto the roster.

Clippers: Extending Terance Mann for two-years, $22-million is a big win. He's another most-improved player candidate. Stay tuned for Kawhi Leonard knee updates in the spring. In the meantime, Paul George, Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson need massive years to stay afloat. Look for George to acquire some MVP votes as an underrated playmaker. Eric Bledsoe brings some defensive help and no shooting. Nic Batum became a rejuvenated wing presence in his first year with the team. Rookie Jason Preston got hurt (foot) badly and Brandon Boston Jr. isn't ready. This team appears play-in bound, with regression from historic three-point shooting in 2021 inevitable. I still wouldn't want to see them in round one. 

Lakers: Russell Westbrook and LeBron James have obvious fit issues to work through after a sloppy preseason, with defenders still stranding Westbrook on the perimeter. Two of the greatest regular season players ever will find a way to win a bunch of games, even without Wayne Ellington (hamstring), Malik Monk (groin), Kendrick Nunn (ankle), Talen Horten-Tucker (thumb) and Trevor Ariza (ankle) injured already. They'll handle it if Anthony Davis stays off the list. One calendar year after the 2020 title, LA looks drastically different aside from Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard. It's hard to read this older, scrapped-together roster come playoff time. Carmelo Anthony will factor in heavily, for better or worse. A fun addition in rookie Austin Reaves provides some young scoring punch, but this group needs to get back to its suffocating 2020 defense. 

Memphis: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Jaren Jackson Jr. and a new brick wall inside in Steven Adams. Have fun playing them. This group should quietly emerge as one of the best NBA teams period as they're finally inching toward growing up from the best young team in the league. Draft experts loved Xavier Tillman and Killian Tillie. Kyle Anderson stuck around as a strong wing playmaker. Ziaire Williams and Jarrett Culver arrived as more young wild cards. 

Miami: Watching them play Boston on Friday made it clear how painful they'll be to play. Jimmy Butler and Dennis Schroder got into it. Miami attacked passing lanes and broke out in transition like in 2020, while the Celtics cost themselves complaining to officials in the back court. P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris bring some additional attitude and Tyler Herro scored 112 points in five preseason games. Kyle Lowry raised their ceiling at point immensely, but he needs to stay healthy. Bam Adebayo always seems to make a soul-cutting play in crunch time. You know what to expect. Some surprises will be necessary to return to the Finals, much like the Warriors.

Milwaukee: Grayson Allen and Donte DiVincenzo could be underrated additions to a championship team. Tucker's loss is evident even if it was necessary, and Semi Ojeleye probably won't suffice in his place if you watched the Celtics in recent years. Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton played awesome in the playoffs spacing the floor, including a massive crunch time shot from the Massachusetts native. Keep an eye on Jordan Nwora, who tore up Summer League and preseason scoring on the wing. The core showed to be enough in the title run: Giannis, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. Remember all those games the 2009 Celtics tore off to follow their title next season? Get ready for that kind of epic opener from Milwaukee. The first banner in 50 years scored GM Jon Horst and Mike Budenholzer extensions. Run it back. They're my championship favorites. 

Minnesota: Gut feeling says this team could be competitive. Harder for my head to follow. Karl-Anthony Towns appears inspired after the hardest year of his life through the pandemic, losing his mom and other family members to COVID. Jaden McDaniels can play both ends on the wing. D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Towns scored a ton in the few games they combined to play in. Chris Finch brings some hope entering his first training camp as head coach. Patrick Beverley and Taurean Prince need to bring something to a team also searching for something from Josh Okogie and Jarred Vanderbilt. There's enough here to compete, but they're thin.

New Orleans: GM David Griffin corrected his prediction Zion would return by the regular season, amending it to during the season. His foot fracture looms over this season and franchise after already losing Lonzo Ball in free agency. One of the league's worst defenses went largely unaddressed. Devonte' Graham and rookie Trey Murphy can shoot lights-out. Jonas Valanciunas can score. So can Brandon Ingram. This team never lacked points. Rookie Herb Jones and Garrett Temple can't solve the defense alone. Zion couldn't either, even outside of the walking boot. 

OKC: Darius Bazley, rookie Josh Giddey and year two of Aleksej Pokuševski. If you accidentally glance at a 2021-22 Thunder game, you'll see something. Ideally it'll be Poku ranging from baseline to baseline for the epic finishes he flashed at points as a rookie. He and this team are years away from any tangible winning, only one calendar year removed from Chris Paul's great playoff push. You feel bad for Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Lu Dort, who showed they're ready during that run. 

Orlando: They extended Wendell Carter Jr. without seeing a ton from him so far, but it's fine for four years, $50-million. Mo Bamba showed flashes in preseason as a defender, shooter and roller. Jalen Suggs excitedly fell to No. 4 in the draft and Cole Anthony can already score a ton of points. R.J. Hampton still intrigues as a slashing guard and Franz Wagner picked at teams with his solid shooting and secondary passing. Orlando has a bunch of young players to build around after unloading all of its talent last year. They could be competitive whenever Michael Carter-Williams, Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac return. Head coach Jamahl Mosley drew praise from Doncic in Dallas. 

Philadelphia: Ben Simmons is back, showing up unannounced ringing the doorbell to cap this preseason saga. If he plays without incident, that's bad news for the east. He's among the best Tatum defenders, because he guards every position well. The Sixers' ceiling fell significantly without him or a trade return. Joel Embiid was the second-best player in basketball last year and Seth Curry shot as well as anyone in the playoffs. Tobias Harris always scores. Younger talent like Tyrese Maxey made progress over the summer. They clearly have issues to settle, but they got Ben in the door. Getting him on the court productively could be another challenge. 

Portland: Like New Orleans, they didn't do a ton to address their defensive personnel. Chauncey Billups has players seeing defense differently in camp. We'll see if that can suffice. Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. Those three names sound as scary offensively on paper as any other trio. Can Norman Powell, Nance and Cody Zeller round out a more defensive wing? They need to avoid the play-in game, but even then how does Lillard fell about this team's future? New York and Philadelphia keep a close eye on that. Curry just toyed with them in the preseason finale. 

Phoenix: Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton stand up against any big three in the league with Kyrie out. And they have a fourth in Mikal Bridges. Pay them all. Fooling around with Ayton's money after a Finals run remains baffling, though expected from Robert Sarver's franchise. Remember, they're not long since their own postseason drought. 

Sacramento: Kings would secure the longest playoff drought in league history with 16 years if they finish another season on the outside. I wasn't paying attention at 8-years-old in 2006. It's unfathomable De'Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes can't push for a 10-seed. Davion Mitchell is my rookie of the year favorite though, facing the tall task of instilling some defensive identity in the Kings. The talent is there, so eyes will dart toward head coach Luke Walton quickly upon losing. 

San Antonio: The sneaky Kyrie trade team reporters keep imagining. Once upon a time, San Antonio made a young Irving's list alongside Boston. What could've been then, may not be now. Teams don't appear confident enough in Irving's situation, alongside an apparent retirement threat if dealt, to get seriously pursue. Keldon Johnson faces a potential Team USA bump. Josh Primo is the most mysterious rookie to me. Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV, Thad Young and Doug McDermott are all good players. This team could be bad in a loaded west without DeRozan. 

Toronto: Scottie Barnes led the preseason passing attack as expected. OG Anunoby rained down preseason bombs from deep. Fred Van Vleet is still here and Pascal Siakam returns eventually too. Is it enough to sustain after losing an icon in Lowry? Don't think so. Especially without a solid interior presence. Nick Nurse can throw wrinkles with Chris Boucher inside and wing-heavy lineups that can shoot some. Still, seeing the likes of Sam Dekker and Justin Champagnie in preseason showed where they're at. Goran Dragic doesn't feel long for this team. Gary Trent Jr. and Precious Achiuwa could be a dynamic duo, eventually. A play-in berth would be stunning from this group, but I won't rule it out completely. 

Utah: They should be fantastic. Donovan Mitchell has had great seasons. This one could be monumental. The team needed some kind of shakeup to navigate the playoff issues they faced against the Clippers, getting spread wide with Rudy Gobert dancing on the perimeter. Matchups like the Lakers and Suns could bode better than the Clippers and Nuggets teams that tortured them each of the past two years. Mike Conley and Mitchell weren't healthy for the playoffs. Their young players like Elijah Hughes and Trent Forrest can legitimately impact this group. Don't overlook them because of the playoff disappointments. 

Washington: Bradley Beal got banged up ahead of the season opener with a knee contusion. I love how this group transformed following the Westbrook trade, bringing in wing scorers and defenders in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma. Daniel Gafford held down the interior last year after a midseason trade and Montrezl Harrell brings an interior scoring punch missing and a pick-and-roll running mate Beal missed in recent seasons. Spencer Dinwiddie and Aaron Holiday replace Westbrook comfortably at point, with more versatility. Like Chicago, they need to find ways to pile up stops, but this team looks better than last year's on paper with more stable veterans playing more minutes. Expect them back in the play-in tournament.