10 Wishes For The 2013-14 NBA Season

We don’t live in a perfect world, and the NBA doesn’t go according to any prewritten plan. Even though most of us know which teams will be the cream that rises to the top by the end of the 2013-14 NBA season, there are still a lot of unknowns — namely surrounding injuries. With that in mind, we’re pretending the NBA Gods have granted us 10 wishes before the start of the season. The NBA isn’t perfect, but we’re going to try and make it better for all the fans.

As Wallace Stevens taught us in Sunday Morning, “Death is the mother of beauty,” so it would be impossible for every item on our NBA wish list to come true at the same time, but that hasn’t stopped us from compiling one in case the NBA Gods (â„… J.R. Smith) are listening.

Keep in mind these are just a small percentage of the things we’re hoping to see happen during the season and some are mutually exclusive or overlap others (while writing this we’ve already come up with 20 more wishes, but we don’t want to get any more greedy). Some of the wishes have a very low chance of happening, and a few will probably happen. In (our) perfect world, all of these things would happen all the time. But the best parts of the NBA couldn’t be savored if all our wishes came true. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

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10. LeBron James averages a triple-double and finishes with shooting splits of 50/40/90

Not since Oscar Robertson has an NBA player averaged at least 10 points, rebounds and assists over the course of an entire NBA season. And for the Big O, it came during a time when faster play allowed more possessions in a game to pad those stats (no disrespect to Oscar though; he is one of the all-time greats). If anyone can challenge Oscar’s excellence in the contemporary game, it’s James, whose do-it-all wizardry for the Heat has meant a regular season MVP the last two seasons and four of the last five. The chances of him averaging over 10 rebounds and assists a game though, are slim. He has to do too much offensively — scoring in the post and on the perimeter — to gobble more boards an dish more dimes. Last season he passed for 7.3 APG and grabbed 8.0 RPG, so he’s not far off. But as he grows older and rings become the only thing that separates him from the list of all-time greats, the energy expended to achieve such all-around brilliance just isn’t worth it if he’s not fresh come playoff time.

But, the 50/40/90 club isn’t as rare. Kevin Durant did it last season despite his heavy usage (close to 30 percent). James already took care of 2-of-the-3 last season, shooting 56.5 percent from the floor and 40.5 from behind the arc. But as James already said on media day, “Ninety percent is not the goal, that is out of control. Let me get to 80 percent first. Let me get to 78 percent.” Last season James averaged near the league’s average from the charity stripe at just over 75 percent.

9. Stephen Curry shoots 50 percent from behind the arc and sets a new record for 3-point field goals.

Last season Stephen Curry’s ankles finally held. The result was a 3-point barrage the league hasn’t ever seen before. He knocked 272 3-pointers to set the NBA record for a single season. What’s left after setting the record? Could he drain 300 and shoot better than 50 percent from beyond the arc? It’s not as unthinkable as it appears — even if the numbers remind people of NBA 2K stats. Curry shot better than 45 percent from the arc even while attempting 7.7 3-pointer’s a game last season. With the Warriors suddenly being picked by some prognosticators as a top-4 seed in the West, Curry’s activity from deep might even increase. If his offseason training is any indication, it’s not crazy to think he could average greater than 50 percent from deep while breaking his own single-season 3-point record.

8. Kawhi Leonard becomes an All-Star

We’ve slowly drifted towards a more realistic wish. Kawhi Leonard is only entering his third season in the NBA, but he plays as if he’s a veteran. The 3-and-d cyborg increased his number of shot attempts last season from the field and from behind the arc, but still managed to shoot better than 49 percent overall and 37 percent from 3. Leonard also increased his rebounding, assists, blocks and steals with the increased minutes of his sophomore season in the Assoiciation. There is no law of diminishing returns for Leonard, and there are very few players that combine his efficiency on offense, his lock-down abilities on defense and his youth. That’s before even mentioning his incredible play in last season’s NBA Finals. Leonard just turned 22 this summer, so he’s likely only scratched the surface of his potential.

Not one to lavish undue praise — especially when it’s for his own players — Gregg Popovich recently spoke on the record about how impressive Leonard has been through his first two seasons in San Antonio. Go check out Dan McCarney’s piece on “The Perfect Spur” for the Express-News because when Pop is singing your praises like that, people better listen. Most NBA observers already have, but the soft-spoken wing is due for big, big things as he inherits the mantle from his Hall of Fame forebears in San Antonio. If Leonard isn’t an All-Star this coming February, than something’s wrong. He’s just too talented to be overlooked — even on a roster with as much championship hardware as the Spurs.

7. Kevin Durant wins the MVP after leading the Thunder to a top 2 seed in the West.

Listen, the Thunder are going to really miss Russell Westbrook. That was apparent the moment he went down against Houston last spring. He creates so many opportunities for his Thunder teammates, his presence is necessary if the Thunder are going to have any chance at returning to the NBA Finals after their 2012 sabbatical. But Kevin Durant is on a mission, and Westbrook’s absence in the first couple months of the season could provide a window for Durant’s dominating production to unseat James for the league’s annual MVP award.

It’ll be pretty hard to top his unreal 2012-13 numbers, when he joined the 50/40/90 club and just missed out on his fourth consecutive scoring title after ‘Melo went bonkers from the field over the season’s last month. But Durant looks to have added some much-needed bulk after watching him in his first preseason game, and he’s a couple years short of his prime. Durantula (I won’t ever give up on this nickname) might have a rosier future than even James when all things are said and done; he just keeps getting better and stronger as a player on both ends of the floor, so look for him to push James for the Maurice Podoloff trophy.

6. Doc Rivers transforms the Clippers into a top 5 defense.

With all due respect to Tom Thibodeau — who was the mastermind behind the Celtics D with KG, Pierce, Perkins etc. during Boston’s title run in ’08 and close call in ’10 — Doc Rivers brings a sense of calm to the often calamitous Clippers squad doing their best to shed the “Lob City” moniker. Vinny Del Negro is gone, and so are the excuses. What’s really crazy is the Clippers were a top 10 defense last season under Vinny’s fluttery gaze from the bench. That’s while Blake Griffin continued to shirk some defensive rotations and DeAndre Jordan attempting to swat the ball far enough into the crowd to grab the attention of a pneumatic lady in the 10th row — though he’d have a better chance at Lakers games.

Still, the Clippers were a pretty stout defensive team last year. The addition of Doc and the continued presence of Matt Barnes and re-signing of Chris Paul will only help matters. Whether Rivers ingested enough of Thibodeau’s defensive aplomb remains to be seen since Doc hasn’t had to coach a team without Kevin Garnett anchoring the defense since KG went down in during the 2008-09 season. DeAndre Jordan seems committed to becoming a tireless rim presence this season, and you know Doc will question Blake if he’s not bringing the ruckus while defending against opposing power forwards.

When Blake and/or DJ were on the court last season, the Clippers gave up over 104 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com (overall their top 10 ranking in the league was due to 101 points per 100 possessions). With Blake and DJ logging the most minutes in the post, this is a bad omen. Sure, they scored a lot more when they were on the floor, too, but defense is their rosetta stone for a conference championship berth and beyond. We hope Doc shows them how and they surprise teams with their defensive tenacity. Maybe they learned something after the Grizzlies took 4-straight in the first round shellacking LA endured to end their first round matchup in the spring? Maybe not, but it’s gonna be fun to find out.

5. The Pelicans and Pistons make the playoffs.

This is simply because we don’t actively want to root against GM’s Dell Demps and Joe Dumars. We flirted with the idea of adding Bucks GM John Hammond to this list for a triumvirate of exceeding expectations, but when he signed Zaza Pachulia to a 3-year, $15 million contract as a backup to Larry Sanders, we lost it — though it was smart to extend Sanders.

No, we’re using one of our wishes on the Pelicans and Pistons because we enjoyed their busy offseason. Dumars was smart to sign Josh Smith even if he’ll combine with Greg Monroe to produce a forward combination that doesn’t mesh well with the perimeter-oriented contemporary game. Andre Drummond is a beast (and a lover), but the sign-and-trade with Hammond’s Bucks to take on Brandon Jennings was, err, peculiar, it not totally without merit. Dumars is trying to energize a franchise that hasn’t been relevant since Chauncey was in uniform. Oh hey look, Chauncey Billups is back too! We just want Motown to return to the basketball map, and while spacing will be an ongoing issue — as will shooting — if Jennings learns to share the ball and Smith and Monroe stay away from 18-footers, this team could put a scare in Miami with all those jumbo bodies crashing the boards. We hope they get an 8 seed and take the Heat to a game 7 in the first round.

The Pellies might have traded for a point guard who lucked into his All-Star game berth by playing for a star-less Sixers squad (Holiday); they might have traded for a woefully overpaid sixth man in Tyreke Evans (rest that ankle ‘Reke); and they may play in the toughest division in basketball, but they’re making moves and trying to win now. All those summer splashes were to appease new owner Tom Benson. While that’s not the most tactful way to create a successful basketball franchise, it’s all Demps could muster, so we hope they squeak in to get obliterated by whichever team takes the West (keep in mind, the fall-off from the 6-7 seed in the West will be HUGE).

4. Magic, Celtics, Sixers, Kings, Jazz, and Bobcats fans see some good basketball before their teams ALL get a top-3 lottery pick.

Listen, we understand the emotions of the perturbed fan bases for these teams while they’re venting about an upcoming season below .500 and for Celtics fans the first of what could be a long rebuild, but at least everyone’s got a plan in place, even if it’s — in some cases — the wrong plan.

Utah’s irksome decision to keep Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap at last February’s trade deadline might not matter if Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors turn into top-flight talents on cheaper contracts (for now). But Kevin O’Connor had better hope that happens in some measure, or else the decision to take on $20 million in contracts for Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins will look like a panic move for the summer of 2014 clearing house. Keep in mind, free agents just don’t dig the Salt Lake City vibe, so securing free agents next summer will likely end in failure.

The Kings are amazing and rather than spend another 500 words telling you why, just know they kept the team in town, got a cool new owner in Vivek Ranadive, a smart coach and GM combo of Mike Malone and Pete D’Alessandro, and they took a big bet on DeMarcus Cousins. They might still be out of playoff contention before March, but there’s no way they’ll be worse than the Suns.

Speaking of the Pacific’s new lottery darlings, Robert Sarver should just sell the Suns. He’s just not financially viable as an NBA owner; you don’t cut corners to save a buck or two when you own a sports franchise, and that’s exactly what he’s done since Steve Nash had them in the Conference Finals as early as 2010. At least Suns fans can drink while watching their team this year…nevermind. Hopefully Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe can co-exist in the backcourt and the Suns win the lottery (keep in mind, we’re hoping EVERY one of these teams wins the lottery).

The Magic drafted well in Victor Oladipo, and Nikola Vucevic is a rebound machine with a deft touch around the rim. Tobias Harris is a legit steal and Bucks GM John Hammond is still pissed about that J.J. Redick deal in February — even if basketball bloggers are glad it happened so they had something to talk about at the trade deadline. But the Magic still have a lot of issues: Glen Davis‘ health, Aaron Afflalo‘s diminishing returns, Jameer Nelson‘s plummeting shooting and the fact E’Twaun Moore is now their full-time backup point guard are all red flags, or herrings — depending on who you ask. But they’re primed for a good selection in next summer’s draft. The core of Oladipo, Vuc and Harris will make this season go by a lot faster for Magic fans.

The Bobcats lured Al Jefferson this summer, Kemba Walker showed some skills last year that might make him one of the more underrated point guards in the league, and MJ might come back for a game, which would only happen if he was stripped of his ownership. That’s the good news, at least, and so the Bobcats Hornets trundle on like the rest of the these teams, hopeful for the right series of ping pong balls.

Finally, let’s hope Celtics GM Danny Ainge knows what he’s doing with Brad Stevens and Rajon Rondo. If not, Boston fans will be the first to spot why, and they will be vocal in telling him so.

3. Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose return to form.

Kobe’s got the Achilles to deal with, Russ just had another surgery on his meniscus, Love broke his hand and then had knee surgery…again; Dwight looked good in Houston’s preseason opener, but a 6-11 center with back problems before he turns 30 is a bad sign; Derrick Rose is back…but every time he plants on that surgically repaired left knee, we’re all grimacing at what might come next.

These guys are all stars, and the NBA is better when they’re performing at the peak of their powers. With the exception of Kobe, all are in their 20’s and so their young bodies should recover in time for all of us to enjoy watching their next decade plus of basketball. So these injuries have abate for at least one season, right? We’ll get back to this.

2. The Knicks-Nets rivalry comes to fruition.

We wrote about this over the summer and that was before Paul Pierce started the war of words between the Knicks of Manhattan and the Nets of Brooklyn. Listen, we live in New York City, and we are so excited for the ebb and flow of these two teams to become the cornerstone of ever bar debate north of 14th st. (you know what I’m talking about New Yorkers — it’s tough to find a spirited debate about anything but a favorite microbrew or the latest Tech Crunch rumor once you hit Astor Place on the 6 train).

Brooklyn looks like a juggernaut…from 2008, but it remains to be seen whether their $100 million plus payroll (plus another $90 million in taxes) can fulfill an 82-game regular season grind. There are silly rumors that KG and coach Jason Kidd are at odds over playing time, but getting Kidd’s veterans rest, is a very real challenge — one even KG can realize. The second team in Brooklyn is stronger than many realize, too. Andray Blatche had some ridiculous numbers last season in limited time on the second team and we love the way Shaun Livingston looked in Cleveland last year. Andrei Kirilenko may have inadvertently started WWIII by signing for less than market value with Mikhail Prokhorov‘s team, but AK-47 is a huge relief for Pierce off the bench.

The Knicks are again facing a lot of questions as they go through the paces at camp, but Pablo Prigioni is back, Raymond Felton is a couple years removed from the blubber butt lockout weight and Beno Udrih gives them three solid point guards to place around Carmelo Anthony, newbie Andrea Bargnani and Tyson Chandler at the five. J.R. Smith is still around and no longer facing financial uncertainty; Metta World Peace seems to have aged more gracefully than anyone expected. This is gonna be a delicious ride, we just hope it lives up to its preseason billing.

1. No one gets injured.

If you’ve made it this far, kudos. Allow us to rant for just a few more lines about injuries. They are the bane of any sports fan’s existence. Seemingly euphoric emotions can come crumbling down into the mire of woe with one tweak of a hamstring, and it just feels like everyone’s knee ligaments in the NBA are getting weaker as the surrounding hardwood gets more sturdy. We’re sick of hearing that so-and-so broke this bone, or tore that ligament, and that goes double when franchise talents — like those at No. 3 on our list — suffer an injury that can topple an entire franchise.

If there was one NBA wish for the 2013-14 NBA season we hope happens above all others, it’s that the entire season expires without a major injury befalling a single player. This is also the least likely to happen (though LeBron shooting 90 percent from the line is a close second), but that’s why we wish.

What are you wishing for next season?

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