West Showdown Kobe Bryant remains a member of the Los Angeles Lakers – for now. With the most recent trade rumor put to rest, Bryant will turn his attention to helping the Lakers try to earn their first win Friday when they visit the Phoenix Suns, who have knocked Los Angeles out of the playoffs each of the past two seasons.
Author: Anthony Rome
Right Where We Left Off The San Antonio Spurs are picking up right where they left off. The reigning NBA champions look to open a season with three consecutive wins for the first time in seven years Friday night when they host the Sacramento Kings.
Home not so Sweet Although home openers haven’t been very kind to the Chicago Bulls lately, they’re still a lot better than another game in New Jersey. The Bulls look to rebound from a season-opening loss Friday night when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center.
High Expectations With the face of their franchise gone, the Minnesota Timberwolves have dedicated themselves to rebuilding. Opening a season without Kevin Garnett for the first time in 13 years, the Timberwolves unveil a young, revamped squad on Friday when they host the Denver Nuggets.
High Hopes A whirlwind offseason has left the Boston Celtics with very high hopes for a team that finished with the NBA’s second-worst record in 2006-07. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce debut as the Celtics’ formidable new core Friday when Boston hosts the Washington Wizards.
Tough Offseason The New York Knicks ended the 2006-07 season with some optimism for a better future. Then came an ugly offseason that most would like to forget. Seeking their first playoff berth in four seasons, the Knicks look to get off to a quick start and put a humiliating summer behind them when they open the season Friday at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Fighting Back The Dallas Mavericks appear on the way to quickly putting last season’s playoff collapse behind them. They visit the Atlanta Hawks on Friday looking to open the 2007-08 season with consecutive victories.
Experience Counts The young Toronto Raptors surprised the veteran New Jersey Nets during the 2006-07 regular season. The Nets’ experience, however, proved too much for the Raptors to overcome in the playoffs. The last two Atlantic Division winners face off Friday at the IZOD Center in a playoff rematch from last season.
Starting Anew After three years of relying on rookies and other inexperienced players, the Charlotte Bobcats hope veteran Jason Richardson will be the piece to turn the struggling franchise around. Richardson and the Bobcats begin the new season on Friday night when they host the Milwaukee Bucks.
Wake Rolling Along After a slow start to the season, Wake Forest has played its way back into the Top 25. The No. 21 Demon Deacons (6-2, 4-1 ACC) will look to hold off another team looking to climb back into the rankings when they visit Virginia (7-2, 4-1) on Saturday.