10 NBA training camp position battles to watch

1) Boston Celtics – Pecking order at wing (Gordon Hayward vs. Jayson Tatum vs. Jaylen Brown)

The NBA’s most star-laden role battle in years features an All-Star coming off a devastating injury and two athletic rising stars who took advantage of their extra minutes and opportunities last season. This battle isn’t so much a position battle as it is an alpha-dog hierarchy for Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. With Kyrie Irving running the show and shooting 18-20 shots per game, Al Horford touching the rock on nearly every play and aggressive ball-handlers coming off the bench, there’s a finite amount of shots to go around for Boston’s wings, even though all three are deserving of about 15-18 a game.

In his final season in Utah, Hayward took about 16 shots per game, whereas Tatum and Brown took only 10 and 12, respectively, last year. Brad Stevens will try to redistribute some of the shots Marcus Morris (11), Terry Rozier (10) and Marcus Smart (10) attempted last season, but there’s probably only 30-35 total shots to go around for Hayward, Tatum and Brown. Do they buy into the system, take what the defense gives them and ride the hot hand all season? Or does one of them emerge as the de facto go-to guy? 

Prediction: Tatum takes the most shots, Hayward takes on a playmaker role and Brown shifts his attention to becoming one of the best defenders in basketball.

2) Cleveland Cavaliers – Starting point guard (George Hill vs. Collin Sexton)

Cavaliers camp will feature an interesting battle for the starting point guard position between veteran George Hill and the franchise’s prized lottery pick, Collin Sexton. While both will play significant minutes during the season (Hill can also play off-ball), whichever player emerges as the starter out of camp will tip us off as to how Ty Lue (and ownership) plans to handle this season. If he goes with Hill, it means that the team is serious about trying to get back to the playoffs. If he turns the keys over to Sexton, it signals that the team is valuing Sexton’s development above all else. Most franchises in this situation would choose the latter option, but most franchises aren’t run by Dan Gilbert. 

Prediction: Hill begins the season as the starter but is traded or bought out once the team realizes what most already know: It's probably not even an eight-seed without LeBron James. 

3) Los Angeles Lakers – Starting two-guard (Josh Hart vs. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope vs. Lance Stephenson)

Note: Lonzo Ball vs. Rajon Rondo was originally the battle to watch on the Lakers, but the team recently announced that Rondo would begin the season as the starter to ease Ball back from his knee injury.

The battle for starting two-guard in LA includes the ultimate Klutch Sports beneficiary, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Summer League MVP, Josh Hart, and esteemed meme generator, Lance Stephenson. KCP is a traditional three-and-D wing with some similarities to Iman Shumpert and JR Smith. Hart is smaller and more of a playmaking combo guard who shot 40 percent from three in his rookie season. The ever-mercurial Stephenson is a point guard in a tight end’s body whose best asset, self-confidence, is also his greatest weakness. 

Prediction: KCP starts because of his fit with James, Hart emerges as the best player of the three but is better coming off the bench and Stephenson plays sporadically when the Lakers need his energy and versatility on defense. 

4) Miami Heat – Pecking order at two-guard (Tyler Johnson vs. Dwyane Wade vs. Dion Waiters)

The ironic thing about this battle is that it doesn’t even account for Wayne Ellington (designated shooter), Josh Richardson (plays more like a small forward) or Justise Winslow (same). Johnson is an explosive guard who competes every night, so there will always be a role for him off the bench. Wade and Waiters are interesting because they have some similarities to their respective games. Waiters is more athletic and a game-changer (for better or worse), but Wade is more dependable and easier to play with. I’d love to see Erik Spoelstra experiment with a “closer” concept with Wade (where he has Wade only play in the fourth quarter), but that idea might be a little too radical for Wade in his “one last dance.” 

Prediction: Johnson gets the most consistent minutes, Waiters gets the most offensive opportunities once healthy and Wade gets the most attention…and least minutes.

5) Memphis Grizzlies – Starting small forward (Chandler Parsons vs. Kyle Anderson)

For better or worse, the Grizzlies fortunes are tied to Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. If both are healthy, this team could easily be fighting for a playoff spot in the West this spring, which means that whoever is the starting small forward between Chandler Parsons and Kyle Anderson had better be ready for some difficult matchups. Narcissistic social media tendencies aside, Parsons has a nice all-around game, but he hasn’t been healthy in years. Anderson, on the other hand, has enjoyed good health but will need to prove that he's more than a Gregg Popovich system beneficiary. 

Prediction: Anderson starts and plays more minutes, and Parsons shows some signs of life but has trouble playing more than 20 minutes a night.

6) Milwaukee Bucks – Starting two-guard (Donte DiVincenzo vs. Tony Snell)

Not the most exciting position battle in the world, but whoever is named the starter here could give us a little insight as to how the Bucks intend to play this season, their first under coach Mike Budenholzer. Donte DiVincenzo is an awesome athlete whose game projects to be similar to a young JR Smith. (Everybody wants to play like JR!) If he starts, it means that the team wants his shooting out there to space the court for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Snell is a below-average three-and-D player with still a little upside. If he gets the gig, it’ll indicate that the Bucks want to start games featuring their insane team length on defense. 

Prediction: Snell starts while DiVincenzo learns the ropes of the NBA game early in his career.

7) Minnesota Timberwolves – Backup point guard (Derrick Rose vs. Tyus Jones)

Re-signing Derrick Rose this offseason certainly didn’t win Tom Thibodeau any fans in Minnesota, as they’ve been patiently waiting for the local product, Tyus Jones, to get some serious run. While Rose turned back the clock a bit in a couple of the playoff games against the Rockets last year, his searing hot shooting (7-of-10 from three; 51 percent from the field) was clearly an aberration. Rose shouldn’t be playing point guard over Jones — the advanced metrics back it up; the shooting percentages back it up; the eye test backs it up.

Prediction: Thibodeau is still going to play Rose over Jones.

8) New Orleans Pelicans – Starting power forward (Julius Randle vs. Nikola Mirotic)

After passing on the chance to re-sign DeMarcus Cousins, the Pelicans signed a mini-version of him, Julius Randle, to a bargain of a contract this summer. Too short and stocky to relieve Anthony Davis of his rim-protecting duties, Randle will have to battle for minutes with another player entering his fifth season in the NBA, Nikola Mirotic. Although they play the same position, Randle and Mirotic couldn’t play power forward any differently. Randle is a human battering ram with enough vision to make up for his shooting deficiencies. Mirotic, on the other hand, is a classic stretch-four on offense — he hoisted nearly seven three-point attempts per game last season — but still rebounds at a respectable rate. Both players really found their grove last season, and both could theoretically fit next to the ever-versatile Davis. 

Prediction: Mirotic starts and finishes games to optimize spacing around The Brow, but the team runs a good chunk of its offense through Randle early and often to soften the defense. 

9) Philadelphia 76ers – Backup point guard (Markelle Fultz vs. T.J. McConnell)

Obviously Ben Simmons is the starting point guard in Philly, but it’ll be interesting to see who coach Brent Brown places the most trust in to relieve Simmons. Markelle Fultz, who will might even start at guard next to Simmons, is the favorite now that his jump shot appears to be back to normal. Fultz displayed blips of brilliance in all nonshooting facets of his game last season, but does he have experience and feel for the game to run the 76ers’ second unit? If Coach Brown doesn’t trust him yet, McConnell should get the nod, as he’s shown that he can positively impact a game with his intensity, hustle and basketball intelligence. 

Prediction: Fultz starts and emerges as a future star who can play either guard position at a high level, and McConnell still gets 15-20 minutes a night.

10) Portland Trail Blazers – Starting center (Jusuf Nurkic vs. Zach Collins)

For all of their salary cap monstrosities , the Blazers should be pretty stoked about having two of the best centers under the age of 25 in the NBA in Jusuf Nurkic (24) and Zach Collins (20). Most readers are probably wondering, who the heck is Zach Collins? Collins is a second-year player from Gonzaga who the Blazers drafted with the 10th pick in last summer’s draft. And while he didn’t show much during the regular season in 2017-18, he flashed some potential in the playoffs as a rim-running center who could also step out and knock down three-pointers. Once he learns the game a little better, his athleticism will allow him to stay on the floor against small-ball lineups whereas Nurkic, a more traditional center, is too slow-footed to switch onto the top playmakers in the West. 

Prediction: Nurkic starts, but the minutes distribution is close to even come April.