The '97-'98 NBA Season is Filled with Questions

The "Basketball for Thought" is a commentary by Kris Gardner.

November 1997

The 1997 - 1998 NBA season is underway and it promises to be a very exciting year. The Eastern Conference should be a battle every night with nearly every team improving from the previous season. The Western Conference has a legitimate (on paper) 7 teams, sorry Minnesota, who should be locks for the playoffs. As the season progresses, many questions will be answered:

Will the Chicago Bulls pull off their "Repeat Three - peat"

Will Houston's Charles Barkley's new body guard get arrested when someone throws ice on him?

Will the Atlanta Hawks lack of scoring production from the small forward position keep them from achieving elite status?

When will the Boston Celtic players break down from head coach Rick Pitino's aggressive trapping philosophy?

How are the Charlotte Hornets going to resolve their problems with veteran point guard Muggsy Bogues?

How long will it take Cleveland head coach Mike Fratello to resort to his slow down tactics? Will Shawn Kemp ever admit to himself: "Wow, I should have stayed in Seattle?"

How much of Dennis Rodman'sincentive laden contract will be paid to either the league office or the Bulls? How many games in a row will the Bulls win when Scottie Pippen returns to his All - NBA status after his surgery?

When will Dallas GM Don Nelson fire head coach Jim Cleamons and name Golden State GM Garry St. Jean coach?

How many games will the Denver Nuggets lose this season?

How many triple doubles will Detroit's Grant Hill collect this season?

Will any teammates be able to help Golden State guard Latrell Sprewell win games for the Warriors? Which team is Joe Smith going to end the season playing for?

Can Houston's Big Three: Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, and Hakeem Olajuwon survive the regular season without any major injuries?

When will new Pacers' coach Larry Birdcomplain that today's players: "don't play the way I used to"?

When will Clippers' owner Donald Sterling finally move his club to Anaheim?

Will this be the season the Lakers mature to the level of their immense talent?

Did the Miami Heat add enough offensive firepower to advance further in the playoffs?

Will the Milwaukee Bucks realize talent alone is not enough to get to the playoffs?

How many games will Minnesota center Stanley Roberts be healthy enough to play? Can Kevin Garnett handle the pressure of being a marked player for his exorbitant contract?

Is New Jersey rookie forward Keith Van Horn the next Larry Bird? Why can't he be the first Keith Van Horn?

How many times will the New York Knicks get 20 or more turnovers in a game? When will the Knicks' management realize there is such a thing as being too deep of a team?

Will Orlando's Penny Hardaway supplant MJ and lead the league in scoring?

How long can Philly coach Larry Brown co-exist with disgruntled forward Derrick Coleman?

Is the defense of the Phoenix Suns good enough to win in the playoffs? Can Kevin Johnson be healthy 2 seasons in a row?

Will Portland's summer signing of forward Brian Grant backfire? How long can Isaiah Rider stay out of trouble?

When will Sacramento trade disgruntled All - Star guard Mitch Richmond?

Can San Antonio center David Robinson's back hold up for the entire season? When will the media tab rookie forward Tim Duncan "Rookie of the Year"?

How long will it take forward Vin Baker and his new Sonic teammates to adjust to one another? Where will head coach George Karl be working next season?

How many ragged games will the Toronto Raptors win while driving their opponents nuts with the trapping defenses? How will rookie Tracy McGrady perform?

Will Utah’s John Stockton be able to return to his Hall of Fame level of play when he returns from cartilage surgery?

How long before Otis Thorpe causes internal strife in Vancouver?

When will the Washington Wizards' fans begin booing the team for not living up to expectations?

For answers to these questions and a whole lot more, enjoy this NBA season because, unfortunately, one more question will be asked after the playoffs: When will the 1998 - 1999 NBA season begin as a result of the lockout / strike?