Not many seasons set up like this one, with almost everything at stake almost everywhere.
Of course, the Lakers are trying to defend their title in their inimitable style, with coach Phil Jackson, asked about repeating, noting merrily:
“We have a better chance than anybody.”
This season, that’s just where it starts.
The Celtics are making a Last Hurrah with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in contract years. The club’s ownership, which made little or no money the last two seasons, however glorious, isn’t running around trying to lock everyone up. That suggests it’s open to backing up the truck.
It’s the Cavaliers’ Last Stand before LeBron James is free. Only James knows what it will take to keep him, but they better not upset him by falling short of the Finals, or, perhaps, falling anywhere.
It also can be Dwyane Wade’s last season with the Heat, Chris Bosh’s with the Raptors, Amare Stoudemire’s with the Suns and Dirk Nowitzki’s with the Mavericks, not to mention Shaquille O’Neal’s with the Cavs, Joe Johnson’s with the Hawks and David Lee’s with the Knicks.
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Complicating all this, the economic crisis that came down last fall after NBA teams had sold their season tickets, will have greater impact this season.
With last season’s $58.7 million cap down to $57.7 million, the league has told teams to prepare for revenues to fall further, projecting the 2010-11 cap as low as $50.4 million.
So much for Plan A for the Cavs, trying to keep James, and the Knicks, trying to lure him, just to name two.
Cavs general manager Danny Ferry had cleared a maximum slot for next summer, enabling him to woo a star like Bosh to play alongside James.
With Ferry’s max slot whittled in half and the Cavs’ devastating loss to the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals, Ferry pushed all his chips out on the table, acquiring O’Neal, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon, giving James his best supporting cast by far.
Now, the Cavs’ Last Stand just has to get past the Celtics’ Last Hurrah.
Meanwhile the Knicks, who thought they would have two maximum slots to offer to James and Bosh, just to name two players, are now looking at 1 3/4 slots. That would mean they need to ask some big guy to take less … not a popular option among big people.
Thinking cap space, Knicks President Donnie Walsh made no moves, even making Lee, his best player, a free agent next summer by bringing him back on a one-year qualifying offer.
(Adding to the drama, no one will know how much space anyone has until July 1. Confusing as this is, the New York tabloids will beat up Walsh until James dons a Knicks uniform, in which case Walsh then will be deemed Red Holzman’s linear heir.)
No matter what happens this season, this league is going to look different next season. Because things rarely turn out as anyone expects, there may be more plot twists than we can imagine.
Take the Clippers, or as Clippers fans would say, please.
With a comeback looming — how can they miss after winning 19 games? — they have a talented young roster featuring Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon … and $20 million worth of cap room, which could make them one of James’ most attractive suitors.
So, Mike Dunleavy could end up Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year, or, if things don’t work out, fired.
One way or another, it’s going to be something everywhere.
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NBA TIPS IN 1 DAY
Tuesday on TNT:
*Celtics at Cavaliers, 6:30 p.m.
*Clippers at Lakers, 9 p.m.