1. Will the Golden State Warriors defend their title?
After being compared to the 1996 Chicago Bulls for a portion of the 2014-2015 season, the Warriors lived up to the hype and won the 2015 NBA Finals. Steve Kerr guided his team to an overall record of 67-15 in his first season as head coach, the best record of any team in the league. Now, entering his second season at the helm, will Kerr duplicate last season's success? Will reigning MVP Stephen Curry make another run at the award? For starters, the Warriors are looking at a nearly identical roster for 2015-2016, bringing back key players in Draymond Green, Marreese Speights, and Leandro Barbosa. The only big-name departure was David Lee, who was traded to the Boston Celtics to free up space in the salary cap. All eyes will again be on the Splash Brothers, Curry and Klay Thompson, whose energy and pizzazz will allow the Warriors to pick up right where they left off in June. Kerr now has the experience to go along with a talented roster that makes a repeat very plausible. The subsequent question, however, will likely be the biggest roadblock for the Warriors in the Western Conference.
2. Will the San Antonio Spurs live up to the hype?
The team that had far-and-away the best offseason of 2015, the Spurs are poised to dethrone the defending champs. In what could be the last ride for the trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, the 2015-2016 season could potentially be one for the ages. The acquisition of four-time All-Star, LaMarcus Aldridge, was the biggest splash made by any team this offseason and gives the Spurs a more defined view of the team's future. Aldridge, who spent the previous nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, returns to his home state in search of his first NBA Finals appearance. But the Spurs did not stop there, signing veteran power forward, David West, to a veteran's minimum contract. He, too, shares the same quest with Aldridge; one that, under the guise of Gregg Popovich and his veteran leaders, can surely be accomplished in 2015-2016. There are a select few teams capable of dismantling the Warriors' title defense and the Spurs are best suited for the job. Re-signing both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green ensured the Spurs would have a similar lineup to their 2014 NBA Championship. Now, Number Six for Duncan does not seem far off.
3. How will the Cleveland Cavaliers cope without Kyrie Irving?
The news broke last week that Irving, who was sidelined with a broken kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, will likely be out until January. As he recovers from the injury, which may have ultimately cost the Cavaliers a championship, the team will prepare for an elongated stretch with Matthew Dellavedova as their starting point guard. Another team which had a successful offseason, the Cavs coupled the re-signing of Dellavedova with the addition of veteran point guard, Mo Williams, who played alongside LeBron James back in 2009 and will add much-needed depth to the guard position. The Cavs also re-signed key players in James, Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov and Iman Shumpert, solidifying a core that was dismantled by injuries a season ago. Even without Irving, David Blatt's roster is in great shape to take the Eastern Conference. Upon the return of his All-Star point guard, Blatt will have more than enough to make a return trip to The Finals in search of Cleveland's first NBA Championship.
4. Will the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder find success under rookie head coaches?
Under former college coaches, Fred Hoiberg and Billy Donovan, the Bulls and Thunder could each be in for a revamped season in 2015-2016. Both Hoiberg and Donovan had success at the NCAA level at Iowa State and Florida, respectively. Now, in their first seasons as NBA head coaches, both have inherited talented rosters which include former MVPs in Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant. Perhaps the larger question, however, is how each superstar will return from injuries that caused their teams to underachieve last season. Luckily for Hoiberg and Donovan, both the Bulls and Thunder have several top-tier players capable of taking over the lead role with the team. 2015 Most Improved Player, Jimmy Butler received a healthy contract extension from the Bulls and will be depended on largely in 2015-2016. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook, who nearly stole the MVP Award from Stephen Curry last season, will be tasked with maintaining his high level of production alongside Durant. These players, among others, will ease the transition for Hoiberg and Donovan into the player's league that is the National Basketball Association.
5. Which rookie will lead his team to prominence?
In a highly-regarded draft class, a number of rookies bring valuable skill sets to the teams that drafted them. Karl-Anthony Towns, the first overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, is a seven-footer who will provide rim protection alongside 2015 Rookie of the Year, Andrew Wiggins, on a youth-filled Minnesota Timberwolves roster. Second overall selection, point guard D'Angelo Russell, has already made noise in preparation for his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers. Regarded as the future of the franchise, Russell will need to avoid being another headcase for Kobe Bryant if the team hopes to climb out of the depths of the Western Conference. Then there is Jahlil Okafor, who was selected third overall by the lowly Philadelphia 76ers. A dismal franchise, the Sixers will look to Okafor to put the team back on the map with his size and explosiveness. Other players, such as fourth overall pick, Kristaps Porzingis, fifth overall pick, Willie Cauley-Stein, and tenth overall pick, Justice Winslow, have the potential to make waves alongside All-Stars on below-average teams. One rookie who may be largely overlooked is Jabari Parker, who was limited to just 25 games in 2014-2015 before tearing his ACL. The underlying question is will Parker return to form in due time to lead the Milwaukee Bucks back to the postseason while he makes a run at the Rookie of the Year Award.