1 Spurs · Trends - The defending champs are going to skip home shootarounds again. Consider it another of the spoils of success. 2 Suns · Trends - Amare Stoudemire has become the model for coming back from knee surgery after knee surgery. His powers of recovery defy medical logic, but then again, he's always said he's a special athlete. No lie there. 3 Mavericks · Trends - With Erick Dampier out all preseason, Avery Johnson has gotten a good look at some small lineups while also taking advantage of seeing what young acquisitions Brandon Bass and Nick Fazekas can do. It will be interesting to see if either makes a significant dent in Johnson's rotation. 4 Rockets · Trends - Tracy McGrady says his goal isn't to get past the first round this season, but rather, his "vision is going all the way." As long as he stays away from making guarantees, talking tough and shooting high won't come back to bite him. He's towing the line with the "control our own destiny" talk. November isn't even here yet. 5 Nets · Trends - Don't forget how good Nenad Krstic looked before a knee injury ended his season 26 games in. The big Serbian has added a 3-pointer to his arsenal and may be the driving force that pushes the Nets to the top of the Eastern Conference. 6 Bulls · Trends - A bum left ankle has kept Ben Gordon from finding his rhythm during the preseason, which could trickle into games that count these upcoming first few weeks. 7 Pistons · Trends - The loss of rookie Rodney Stuckey for a several weeks (broken hand) looms larger than you may think. The Eastern Washington product looked capable of big things as Chauncey Billups' primary backup and strengthened the team's chances of continuing as the Eastern Conference's most potent regular-season team. Now that Stuckey's suffered this setback, it's going to be tougher for him to sustain the progression he had been showing. 8 Celtics · Trends - Point guard Rajon Rondo will lead the NBA in steals this season, and it might not even be close. He'll be pushed in practice by hungry rookie Gabe Pruitt, who enjoyed a strong preseason. 9 Nuggets · Trends - One of the more interesting decisions George Karl would love to potentially face is handling the doling out of minutes between a healthy Nene and a healthy Kenyon Martin. Martin has looked good returning from his latest knee escapade, while Nene is just working himself back from a calf strain. 10 Jazz · Trends - Ronnie Brewer looks like he's ready to hit his stride in his second season. If he can give Utah a legitimate option at shooting guard, a return trip to the Western Conference finals isn't out of the question. 11 Cavaliers · Trends - With Anderson Varejao's holdout expected to cut into the regular season, Drew Gooden has a major opportunity to step up as LeBron James' top lieutenant. Gooden's done it in flashes over the years, but must hold down the paint consistently while staying out of foul trouble since he'll have to log major minutes. 12 Raptors · Trends - Although Chris Bosh's knee concerns have Raptors fans fretting the worst, he's already proven his resiliency with last year's season-long bout with plantar fascitis. The cautious approach that was taken with him all summer will prove to be the right move. 13 Warriors · Trends - Monta Ellis' neck injury has kept Don Nelson waist-deep in lineup variations. Now that Ellis is back, the third-year guard, hands down the team's second-most dynamic player behind Baron Davis, will command minutes and allow all the uncertainty to fade into the background. 14 Heat · Trends - The acquisition of Ricky Davis takes some of the heat off Dorell Wright and Daequan Cook, but Pat Riley is still hoping both will be ready to make contributions by the time Miami is ready to make its postseason run. Both will be scrutinized continuously. ... http://www.sportstwo.com/Thread/View/NBA/NEWJERSEY/1897636 --

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