10 NBA training camp position battles to watch

A tumultuous and entertaining NBA offseason awarded fans with as competitive a league as they’ve seen at any point during the 2010s. The Eastern Conference houses a team that features the reigning Most Valuable Player and also a massive question as it pertains to one spot in its starting lineup. Out west, both the remnants of the Association’s dynasty and a certain "king" who isn’t yet ready to relinquish his throne have some things to figure out during training camp sessions and preseason games.

The winner of the 2020 NBA Finals won’t be determined by any of the training camp battles spotlighted in this piece. A transaction that occurs before or during the campaign could make any one of these competitions irrelevant. While some clubs are already looking beyond the upcoming season and planning for the 2020s, others need training camp to solidify lineups and rotations as they prepare for the grueling playoff schedule.

Let's look at the most intriguing and anticipated training camp battles.

New York Knicks: Dennis Smith Jr. vs. Elfrid Payton

The New York Knicks were the big losers of the offseason, as they missed out on the rights to draft Zion Williamson, struck out in free agency and then watched as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets. Ideally, the Knicks would start 21-year-old Dennis Smith Jr. at point guard so that he could develop chemistry with rookie RJ Barrett as he built upon his skills. Smith’s career assists-per-game average of 5.0, his 28.9 three-point shooting percentage in 21 appearances with the Knicks last season and the fact that he’s failed to make a considerable leap as a defender since entering the league in 2017 all raise red flags. 

In July, the Knicks signed Elfrid Payton to a team-friendly deal, and head coach David Fizdale can only afford to show so much patience with Smith during what’s likely to be a long and losing season. Payton, who became the fifth player in league history to notch triple-doubles in five straight games last March, averaged a career-best 7.6 dishes in 42 games with the New Orleans Pelicans last season. As Oleh Kosel of The Bird Writes explained last January, Payton also improved defensively during his stint with the Pelicans. The 25-year-old deserves a chance to start for a team with little to lose other than games. 

Denver Nuggets: Paul Millsap vs. Jerami Grant

The Denver Nuggets have the goods to contend in the loaded West, especially if Nikola Jokic competes for MVP honors as expected. Denver picked up the option on Paul Millsap’s contract over the summer, which should pencil him in as the starter at power forward. The 34-year-old with a cap hit of over $30 million has seen his PPG average decline over the past few seasons, but he averaged 7.2 REB and shot 36.5 percent from beyond the arc last year. 

With that said, the Nuggets used a first-round draft selection to acquire Jerami Grant from the retooling Oklahoma City Thunder in July. Grant started 77 games with OKC last season, and he tallied career highs in multiple categories. “He’s a guy that we’ve always kind of coveted,” team president Tim Connelly told reporters following the trade, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post. If the 25-year-old shows he can continue to drain over 39 percent of his three-point attempts, his ability to switch on defense and cover multiple positions may make him the better option in the lineup vs. playoff-caliber opponents. 

Charlotte Hornets: Dwayne Bacon vs. Malik Monk

The idea that we’re discussing Dwayne Bacon vs. Malik Monk as a legitimate position battle says plenty about how bad the Charlotte Hornets are entering training camp. Both Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb escaped the sinking ship via free agency, and Charlotte responded by gifting Terry Rozier with a contract named one of the worst of the offseason by Jordan Greer of the Sporting News. 

The unofficially tanking Hornets should start Monk if only to see if the 11th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft can be anything other than a total bust. Monk regressed as a distance shooter during his second season, and he shot under 38 percent from the field in his initial 136 career appearances. Bacon, a second-round selection from that same draft, was a more efficient scorer (43.7 3P percent, 47.5 FG percent) in 43 games and 13 starts, and it’s possible the Hornets could play Bacon and Monk together. If, however, Bacon takes minutes from Monk, Charlotte will need to consider jettisoning the former lottery pick. 

Golden State Warriors: Willie Cauley-Stein vs. Kevon Looney

Center Willie Cauley-Stein yearned for a fresh start and an exit away from the Sacramento Kings, and the Golden State Warriors gave the 26-year-old both after letting DeMarcus Cousins leave through free agency. The Warriors taking a flier on a big man with superstar talent who hasn’t yet consistently put it all together makes sense during the team’s restructuring. Cauley-Stein could thrive in a lineup that includes Stephen Curry and D'Angelo Russell, or this experiment could crash and burn before the team decides acquiring assets for Russell is the best business decision. 

Don’t just expect Kevon Looney to go quietly into the night. Looney put pen to paper on a three-year deal to stay with Golden State over the summer, and head coach Steve Kerr said he’s looking to give the 23-year-old more minutes this season, per Brian Witt of NBC Sports. Looney’s shown he can start in the playoffs, and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (h/t CBS Sports) recently reported Looney and not Cauley-Stein could be on the floor during the closing minutes of games. Cauley-Stein will start right out of the gates, but a timeshare is a likely conclusion to this battle. 

Los Angeles Lakers: Dwight Howard vs. JaVale McGee

In reality, center JaVale McGee probably deserves better from the Los Angeles Lakers than being forced to compete with whatever Dwight Howard has left in the tank as of September 2019. McGee averaged a career-best 12.0 PPG and also 7.5 REB and 2.0 BLK in 75 games for a Lakers side that missed the playoffs mostly because LeBron James’ groin that failed him during the season, and Kevin Ding of NBA.com praised the 31-year-old for his stellar play down the stretch last spring. 

The Lakers signed Howard in August, though, and the 33-year-old will be given a shot to start even though every indication suggests he’s a shell of his former self who played in only nine games last year before what Deadspin’s Chris Thompson joked to be a “Buttectomy” (an operation to relieve pain in his glutes) turned him into a spectator. As Brendan Bowers of USA Today alluded to, Los Angeles using Howard as a role player could be key to keeping the veteran healthy and available for what’s expected to be a deep postseason run. Unnamed club general manager LeBron James may have something to say about that, however, if the team underwhelms before Christmas. 

Chicago Bulls: Coby White vs. Ryan Arcidiacono vs. Kris Dunn 

The Chicago Bulls acquired guard Tomas Satoransky in a sign-and-trade to start him. He isn’t making $10 million a year to begin games on the bench. His presence on the roster creates a logjam at the position, where the Bulls have one too many cooks in the figurative kitchen. Kris Dunn is the most proven product to sit in the backup role, but the fifth pick of the 2016 NBA Draft is more of a bust than a star. In August, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry (h/t Hoops Hype) reported he has “no doubt the Bulls have given up” on Dunn, and K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune recently wrote Dunn is still with the Bulls only because there’s little demand for his services as of the end of the summer. 

Logic suggests a Bulls team unlikely to make the playoffs should hand rookie Coby White the spot and let him play over 20 minutes a night his debut year. The seventh pick of this year’s draft couldn’t hit water falling out of a boat during Summer League games, as he made only three of 30 three-point attempts. Developing the 19-year-old through a marathon rather than a sprint may be the wisest course of action, and that could lead to Ryan Arcidiacono taking some of his minutes during the fall. Arcidiacono made 32 starts and played in 81 contests last season. 

The Bulls can’t afford to redshirt White, but we wouldn’t put any wacky notion out of the question when discussing this frustrating franchise.

Brooklyn Nets: Jarrett Allen vs. DeAndre Jordan 

A major component of the Brooklyn Nets signing Irving and Durant was the team giving veteran DeAndre Jordan $40 million over four years. Durant, specifically, would probably select Jordan over 21-year-old Jarrett Allen if the two-time Finals MVP was choosing his lineup. Remember, though, that KD is rehabbing his ruptured Achilles and will probably miss the entire season. Yes, the Nets should play postseason basketball next spring, but the team’s future doesn’t begin until October 2020. 

That’s why Allen, who averaged 10.9 PPG, 8.4 REB and 1.5 BLK in 80 starts last season, should start wherever and whenever he can. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Allen told reporters in late August he wants to fight for his spot in the lineup but also that he’s always willing to accept whatever role is handed to him. He has no outside shot — he converted a paltry six of 45 threes (13.3 percent) in 2018-19 — and that could be his downfall unless he’s able to add one to his arsenal before Durant is ready to play. 

Milwaukee Bucks: Wesley Matthews vs. the field 

The Milwaukee Bucks are already planning on (hopefully) signing league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to a supermax following the upcoming season. There’s only so much cash to go around, though, which is why the team executed a sign-and-trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Indiana Pacers. Brogdon finished his last season with Milwaukee as the club’s fourth-leading scorer, and the 26-year-old who won Rookie of the Year in 2017 showed during the postseason series vs. the Toronto Raptors that he can’t be replaced by a discount free-agency signing.

Wes Matthews is the favorite to sit atop the depth chart at the start of training camp. The 32-year-old averaged 31.5 MIN and 10.9 PPG after signing with the Indiana Pacers last February, but the Bucks may look to reduce his wear and tear thanks to other options on the bench. Sharpshooter Kyle Korver joined Milwaukee in July. Pat Connaughton remains on the roster, but his three-point shooting regressed last season. As Adam McGee of Behind the Buck Pass explained, Sterling Brown may have blown his Summer League audition coming off a woeful postseason run. George Hill could even get some time at the 2. 

New Orleans Pelicans: Jahlil Okafor vs. Jaxson Hayes 

Are the New Orleans Pelicans the Western Conference team with the highest upside ahead of the 2020s, or are they an Island of Misfit Toys filled with Los Angeles Lakers castoffs and a rookie who can’t possibly live up to the hype? We’re not sure, but we’re excited to learn the answer. The Pelicans are hoping rookie Zion Williamson, Derrick Favors, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, JJ Redick and Jrue Holiday will all ease the pain of Anthony Davis’ departure. Meanwhile, former first-round pick Jahlil Okafor is merely trying to keep whatever roster spot he can get in a league that’s passed him by. 

The second New Orleans traded for the draft rights of center Jaxson Hayes, Okafor became an expendable big because of his offensive limitations. Hayes was named All-Summer League Second Team after he averaged 16.3 PTS, 7.3 REB and 1.3 BLK in four outings. Can Okafor rise to the challenge and grab minutes from Hayes, or will the 23-year-old who lacks quickness and anything resembling a decent shot shrink and fade from our memories? In July, Alex Shultz of GQ wrote about how Okafor altered his diet and training to add speed and strength. 

Los Angeles Lakers point guard 

Three things we know about James at this stage of his career: He will quarterback the offense when and how he pleases, he’s at his best playing alongside scoring guards who consistently drain threes, and his patience is about as thin as his...well, never mind. You may remember how the Cleveland Cavaliers blew things up to surround James with new faces in February 2018. We wouldn’t be shocked to see a similar roster reorganization occur within the Lakers before next year’s trade deadline. 

Rajon Rondo is a fine veteran presence to have on the roster for the playoffs. As Lakers reporter Mike Trudell wrote in mid-September, though, nobody should write Rondo into the team’s starting lineup yet. Quinn Cook shoots over 40 percent from three-point range, but he’s never shown he can start for a championship contender. The same can be said about Alex Caruso. Durability is always a concern with Avery Bradley. 

We’re not sure the guy who will start at this position in April will be on the Los Angeles roster at the end of training camp.