NBA Return: 22 Questions for 22 Teams, Part 1

As the NBA's return to play draws near, Alex Barutha and Nick Whalen explore one major question facing each of the 22 teams heading to Orlando.

Boston Celtics

Could a weak center rotation be their downfall?

Aside from the intentionally center-less Rockets, the Celtics have the worst center rotation of all teams likely to make the playoffs. Boston has made it work, with Daniel Theis exceeding expectations as a floor-spacer and solid rim protector and Enes Kanter pretending to be Hakeem Olajuwon for 17 minutes a game. Robert Williams is also healthy and could be a defensive wildcard.

Still, none of those options inspire confidence. In the East alone, there is Brook Lopez, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Bam Adebayo, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Joel Embiid, Jarrett Allen, DeAndre Jordan and Nikola Vucevic to deal with. Regular season numbers suggest it will be fine, as the Celtics have a +6.9 net rating in 924 small-ball possessions (mainly with Grant Williams at center, but some Jayson Tatum as well), per Cleaning The Glass.

But as we've seen time and time again, the playoffs can be a different story -- it's when weaknesses truly get exploited. We'll see if Brad Stevens can make the right adjustments. - Alex Barutha

Brooklyn Nets

Will Caris LeVert continue to improve?

With neither Kevin Durant nor Kyrie Irving suiting up in Orlando, the Nets' chances of pulling a Round 1 upset are slim. But this final stretch will be another chance for LeVert to prove his late-season breakout was no fluke.

After Feb. 1, LeVert averaged 24.1 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals, while hitting better than 41 percent of his three-point attempts. That 16-game span included a career-best 51-point outburst in a come-from-behind win in Boston, as well as a 27-11-10 triple-double three nights later against the Spurs.

LeVert should pick back up as the Nets' No. 1 scoring option in what will be his final stretch before a three-year, $52.5 million extension kicks in next season. For now, the Nets have the 25-year-old penciled in as the de facto No. 3 behind Durant and Irving going forward. But LeVert's contract makes him an appealing trade chip should the Nets eventually explore adding a more-proven third star. - Nick Whalen

Dallas Mavericks

Can the Mavericks dodge a death sentence in the first round?

Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have been impressive in their first year together. That tandem is combining for 47.9 points, 18.8 rebounds, 10.4 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.8 steals. The Mavericks have been better than their record indicates, ranking fifth in Basketball-Reference's Simple Rating System (which combines strength of schedule with net rating) despite sitting in the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Dallas probably doesn't have a chance against the Clippers in the first round, but if they can maneuver up the standings a bit, their likely first round opponent changes to the Nuggets. That's a much more interesting matchup. At that point, the Mavericks would have two of the three best players in the series. The Nuggets have much, much better role players, and we should still expect them to win the series, but there's a least a possibility of an upset. - Barutha

Denver Nuggets

Are Gary Harris and Michael Porter Jr. the keys to a Finals berth?

The Nuggets' playoff run last year gave us proof that Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray can perform under pressure, and they're playing well this regular season. Paul Millsap and Will Barton playing their usual roles could be enough for Denver to make a deep playoff run, but how far can this team go if Gary Harris and Michael Porter Jr. play up to their potential?

Things seemed to click for Harris two seasons ago, when he averaged 17.5 points on 13.6 shots, plus 1.8 steals. But he continues to battle injury and, since then, he's averaging 11.7 points on 10.2 shots, plus 1.2 steals. After missing all of his rookie year, Porter Jr. has been as advertised in the 670 minutes he's played. In the eight games that he's seen at least 24 minutes, he's averaging 16.9 points on 11.8 shots, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals-plus-blocks.

Every team in the league would find real minutes for a mobile three-and-D guard and a 6-foot-10 microwave-scoring forward, and it feels like the Nuggets have both in their back pocket. Denver is 43-22 without Harris or MPJ tapping into their true potential. If it happens in the postseason, a Finals berth is within the realm of possibility. - Barutha

Houston Rockets

Will the experiment work, and what happens if it fails?

Since Robert Covington made his Rockets debut Feb. 6, Houston has claimed the NBA's 11th-best point differential (+2.1) over a stretch that included some nice wins over the Lakers, Celtics (twice) and Jazz, but also some bad losses against the Suns, Knicks, Hornets and Magic. Covington himself has been great, averaging 12.8 points on 10.9 shots, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 3.6 combined blocks-plus steals.

Houston's most recent stretch is underwhelming, but the numbers improve dramatically when you increase the sample size. For the whole season, the Rockets are +11.5 points per 100 possessions with both Russell Westbrook and James Harden on the court and Clint Capela off the court, implying the extreme-small-ball concept works. Houston gets dominated on the boards and sends opposing teams to the line, but they concede those points in favor of winning the turnover battle and playing hyper-efficient offense.

Despite general success with Harden as the Rockets' number one option, pressure still feels like it's mounting for the organization, stemming from having not made the NBA Finals. Whatever opponent Houston faces in the first round this season won't be easy. What if the Rockets get bounced in the first round for the fourth time during this seven-year stretch? Can the roster go through yet another overhaul? Will there be a coaching change? Will there be a general manager change? - Barutha

Indiana Pacers

Do the Pacers have the top-end talent to get out of Round 1?

Domantas Sabonis was a first-time All-Star this season, and Victor Oladipo was an All-NBA player just two years ago, but the Pacers still lack a certain element of star power. They'll arrive in Orlando with seven players averaging at least 10 points per game but with none averaging more than T.J. Warren's 18.7. There's nothing wrong with a balanced approach, but who will take control with five minutes left in a playoff game?

If everything breaks right, the answer is hopefully Oladipo, but he still has plenty to prove after shooting 39 percent from the field and 30 percent from three in 13 games. He started to show some signs of settling in -- 18.6 PPG 47% FG, 40% 3PT in final five games -- before the shutdown, however, and there's a chance he'll be among the players to benefit most from the nearly five-month layoff. Malcolm Brogdon is also in that conversation, as he missed the final three games in March after struggling through seven post-All-Star-break contests.

For what it's worth, the gambling community doesn't appear to have much confidence in the Pacers, who trail the other upper-middle class teams in the East by a significant margin. Indiana is priced at 100/1 to win the title, while the 76ers and Heat sit at 27/1. Even out West, the Mavericks -- who currently sit in seventh place and would likely have to go through both LA teams -- hold 36/1 title odds. - Whalen

Los Angeles Clippers

Can the Clippers' bigs handle the size of the Lakers?

What the Lakers lack in guard depth, they make up for in size up front with Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard all playing prominent roles. Conversely, the Clippers have plenty of backcourt options but only one true center in Ivica Zubac. The Tasmanian devil-like energy of Montrezl Harrell more than make up for his 6-7 frame, but over the course of what could be a six or seven-game Western Conference Finals, it's fair to question whether that tandem can hold up.

In the regular season, the short answer was "yes", with the Clippers taking two of three matchups -- including one victory without the services of Paul George. But in their final meeting just before the shutdown, the Lakers turned the tables, outscoring the Clippers 63 to 50 in the second half of a nine-point victory. Though the Clippers  pulled down 15 offensive boards to win the rebounding battle, Harrell and Zubac provided little resistance against Davis (30 points on 19 shots), while LeBron James (28 points) repeatedly bullied his way past Marcus Morris for several key baskets late.

Zubac picked up four fouls in less than 14 minutes, and Morris was whistled for five of his own, while also going 0-of-9 from the field. The Clippers didn't even try Patrick Patterson, who essentially fell out of the rotation around the All-Star break, and JaMychal Green played only 10 minutes off the bench.

Perhaps another question for the Clips: With expanded rosters, will they look to add a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency center? - Whalen