Curry, Howard, D-Rose & The Nets Featured On The Cover Of Sports Illustrated’s NBA Preview Issue

The 2013-14 NBA season is less than a week away, and that means Sports Illustrated is writing their NBA season preview. Who made the cover in an offseason with so many big moves? Well SI was smart and decided to release four separate covers featuring Dwight Howard (flanked by Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin McHale), Stephen Curry, Derrick Rose, and the new look Brooklyn Nets.

Rather than attempt the unenviable task of identifying which storyline (we loathe that word) merited a cover entering the 2013-14 NBA season, SI elected to go with the four different covers below.

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It seems like the return of Derrick Rose has been prophesied from above. The 2011 NBA MVP finally graced the court during preseason, and by most accounts he’s fully recovered from the ACL tear that ended his 2011-12 season prematurely in the first game of the playoffs and knocked him out for the entirety of the 2012-13 season. But does Rose have what it takes — after a year off — to get the Bulls past the 2-time defending champion Heat?

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By trading for Celtics Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and the ritualistic Jason Terry, the Brooklyn Nets are suddenly in the title conversation entering the new 2013-14 season. Just don’t tell intra-city rival, the Knicks. Can the aging — and expensive — roster bring a title to Brooklyn, or will Mikhail Prokhorov‘s 2008 All-Star doppelgängers led by Hall of Fame shoo-in Jason Kidd at coach, falter with the title-or-bust expectations?

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The ankle jokes are gone, and Stephen Curry’s play has elevated him into contention with the best talents and biggest names in the NBA. With the addition of Andre Iguodala and the continued health of Andrew Bogut, the Warriors might actually play some defense this year and figure to be in the thick of a competitive Western Conference. But it’s Curry’s lights-out shooting, court awareness and handle that will likely decide whether the Dubs take the next step, or if they fall back after last year’s surprising run to the Western Conference Semifinals.

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Easily the biggest story in the early days of the NBA’s free agency period, the courtship of Dwight Howard turned into a frenetic battle of spoils between the Lakers, Mavericks, Warriors, Hawks and finally the Rockets. He went with the Rockets, Dream as his big man tutor, and the wide open offense Kevin McHale favored last year with the run and gun Rockets. But can Howard handle playing a lot of pick-and-roll with superstar-in-the-making James Harden, or will he grouse about the lack of low-post opportunities in the Rockets frenzied offense forays?

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The NBA season can’t get here fast enough.

[Sports Illustrated]

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