How Will Amazing Happen This Year?

The NBA is back.

• Kobe still wants it. He really, really wants it. So does every other player in the league.
• "Everyday" by Carly Comando. You'll recognize it. Trust me.
• Not sure who the best team in the East is going to be but its a safe bet it won't be a team not named the Celtics, Magic, or Cavaliers.
• Rasheed Wallace will have a better year in Boston than Shaq will have in Cleveland.

• Lebron will score 30+, but Boston will beat the Cavs on opening night 95-89. Just a hunch..
• Although they excite me about as much as seeing Marge Simpson in the nude (seriously Playboy?), the Spurs are my pick to finish the season with the best record. 
• That is as long as they stay healthy.  The trio of Tony Parker, Manu and Tim Duncan have won three titles on their own this decade. Richard Jefferson will make a huge difference as he is both explosive and a solid team guy. He will feed off not having any pressure on his shoulders. DeJuan Blair was the best player in the Big East last year and yet somehow fell to the Spurs in the 2nd Round of last years draft. Oh, and they have solid players in Roger Mason, Antonio McDyess, Michael Finley and Matt Bonner. This might be the deepest team in the league, but they need the power trio to be at full force to win in June. 
• Duncan knows his window is closing to cement his legacy. That spells trouble for the rest of the league.

• Not sure why people think the Mavericks are going to be good with the Artist Formerly Known as Jason Kidd manning the point. 
• I have no idea why the 76ers went back to their old logo, but it sure does look good. A lot cleaner. Combine that with the Pistons throwing their Flaming Mustang logo away a few years ago and I guess simple is in again.
• My coworker offered me to split season tickets with him for the Nets. Besides Devon Harris, name me one player on the New Jersey team? Easily the most boring team in basketball. Needless to say, I did not go in with him on the offer.
• Anyone watching the playoffs last year could tell you how valuable Trevor Ariza was to the Lakers run. Without him, they lose, plain and simple. The guy was perfect for the triangle offense and was really just coming into his own as a player. Not sure how he will do in Houston, but the Lakers are going to regret not resigning him for the same money they are paying...
• Ron Artest. I don't think he'll be a problem, but at this point in his career he is not a better player nor does he fit better in Phil Jackson's system than Ariza.
• I really hope Blake Griffin's only blip on the radar this year ends up being the broken kneecap he sustained throwing down a patented monster slam during his last preseason game. He is too hard a worker, too good a guy, and too exciting of a player to go all Greg Oden on us Watching Griffin in the NCAA's last year was truly watching a man amongst boys. Even UNC, which had a NBA caliber front court, were throwing triple teams at him in their tournament game. Aside from Lebron, no one throws down a dunk as viciously as Griffin. Here's hoping for a healthy return.
  

• Stephon Curry wll lead the rookies in scoring. Alas, he still looks 15.
• I can't believe people are second guessing the Magic. If he hadn't been Mr. Clutch in the playoffs last year, wouldn't everybody (EVERYBODY) point out that Vince Carter is just simply a better player than Hedo Turkoglu?
• Vince Carter has a capable, motivating, and proven coach. He has a supporting cast that will take the majority of opposing defenses focus. Vince Carter has never had either of these before.
• Dirk Nowitzki has got to get a haircut, right? Right?

•  People expect big things from Derrick Rose in his sophomore season. I expect big things from Derrick Rose. And by big I mean 20 PPG, 10 APG, and 5 RPG.
• The Pistons added Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. That be great if this was 2003 UConn and not the 2009-2010 NBA season. Pencil them in for a seven or eighth seed and a hasty departure from the playoffs...at best.
• No new logos this year. I'm disappointed.
• Reigning scoring champ Dwyane Wade, inch-for-inch, is the best player in the NBA when he is healthy.
• Unfortunately, the Heat are a mediocre team and look to be for some time. Wade wants to be contending for championships and he deserves to be. A free agent after this season, I don't see him staying in South Florida.
• Speaking of deserving to contend for a championship, Steve Nash deserves better than the 2009-2010 Phoenix Suns.
• In 2005 Emeka Okafor won the Rookie of the Year Award over Dwight Howard. Since then, I don't think there is an argument over who has become the better player. While Emeka is always fun to say, Dwight Howard is the premiere center in the league right now. It will be interesting to see if Okafor can revive his career with Chris Paul and the Hornets though.
• Portland is overrated. Brandon Roy is not.
• It doesn't bode well for him when the best thing about Greg Oden's career has been that hilarious ESPN The Magazine commercial. 
• The Oklahoma City Thunder are making the playoffs.
• Because of Kevin Durant. Durant might be the most freakish player, from a skills stand point, in the NBA. At 6'10 he is virtually unguardable. He can drain deep range threes, post up, and take it strong to the hole. It doesn't matter who you throw at him because no matter who you do it's going to be a mismatch. He was fifth in the NBA in scoring last year averaging 25 points per game...and he was 20. 20! Some freshman in college are that age. Factor all this in with the way he admirably handles himself professionally and personally and the sky is the limit for Durant in this league.

• LeBron James. No question about it, the guy is a freak, freak athlete. At 6'8 and 250 lbs he could be listed as a tight end (I would put money on him being able to start with the Browns right now). However, I'm not bowing down to him until he wins a title. It won't be this year.
• The Cavs got beat last year by the Magic in convincing fashion because they were unable to guard the pick and roll. Time and time again the Magic would screen the ball and draw Cleveland's immobile big men out on the perimeter for an easy drive-by, three pointer, or inside feed to Howard. So naturally in the off-season the Cavs acquired one of the worst pick-and-roll defenders of all-time in Shaquille O'Neal.
• The Magic, as evidenced in last year's playoffs, match-up incredibly well with Cleveland and incredibly bad with Boston. The Celtics despite playing Brian Scalabrine significant minutes were still able to take Orlando to 7 games. Even without a healthy KG and newly acquired Rasheed Wallace, the Celtics simply bully Dwight Howard and the Magic inside. They also have the athleticism, size, and team chemistry to defend the pick-and-roll. The Magic want no part of the Celtics in the spring.
• Mike D'Antoni will keep the Knicks entertaining. But when his best player is Danillo Gallinari, he can't make them good.
• The Pacers are the whitest team in basketball.
• Allen Iverson plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. No way this ends well.
• Agent Zero (Gilbert Arenas) is still the coolest nickname in the NBA.
• Here is hoping the Birdman soars again in Denver.

 

• With Carmelo Anthony, Nene, Chauncey Billups, and J.R. Smith, I think the Nuggest will be the third best team in the Western Conference this year and give either the Lakers or Spurs a real scare in the second round. SOAR BIRDMAN, SOAR!!!!
  
• Dear Atlanta Hawks Fans, I hope you enjoyed making it to the second round last year and getting abruptly destroyed in four games. That's the peak of this teams potential.
• Sacramento Kings...I've got nothing to say.
• Same goes for the Raptors, Timberwolves, and Bucks.
• Is it just me or does Charlotte seem to have compiled a team comprised mostly of players that played collegiate basketball at UNC or Duke? That be great if they were playing in the ACC and not the NBA. Bobcat fans should be ready for a rough season, not that they aren't used to that or anything. 
• Also, a note to whomever runs the Bobcats. Please do not subject us to seeing those hideous, hideous Nascar inspired checkered jerseys this year. Thanks.
• Jerry Sloan has been the coach of the Utah Jazz longer than I have been able to talk.
• Have you listened to "Everyday" by Carly Comando yet? If that won't get you pumped for the 2009-2010 NBA season, I don't know what will.