mcgee, and nate robinson

not really sure if this matters in the big scheme of things

javale mcgee

Whether you want to hop on the bandwagon or not, it’s hard to imagine the talent assembled on this Portland team not making a serious run in 2013 – even in a cut-throat Western Conference.

"All the training staff was gone with the team," Horford said. "Obviously, they have to take care of the other guys so for me it was key for me to do my conditioning on my own. The cardio stuff and just little things like that I had to take care of like that. It was challenging, but we made it work. We figured out a way."

Can the Miami HEAT repeat their championship quest from last season? Is this the final championship run for the aging Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs? Will Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks finally put all of their talent together and join the league’s elite? Can the new-look Los Angeles Lakers, now boasting Dwight Howard and Steve Nash unseat the Oklahoma City Thunder as Western Conference champions? Is this the year the Minnesota Timberwolves reach the playoffs behind All-Star Kevin Love? Likewise, the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors are poised to make playoff runs of their own, but can they seal the deal? Are the Dallas Mavericks toast, or will their new group of hungry veterans surprise us all?

“It is a process for a rookie,” Casey said. “He is not that far behind because the one thing he can do that makes up for a multitude of sins is he can shoot the ball at the end of the day and that’s part of the process too.