3. The End of an Era / The New Era: If the lockout had taken away an entire season, it would have also taken away the opportunity for NBA fans to watch and appreciate the final run to a title of some of the older, dominant teams in the last decade. Those teams, I'm talking about are the Spurs and Celtics. For the Mavericks, they've accomplished the goal of a title and partying with Lil Wayne before their window closed, and there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency for them to repeat this year as they've exceeded the expectations of the potential in their roster. We may possibly be watching Jason Kidd's final season, Jason Terry's last productive season before his career winds down like Bobby Jackson's, and possibly Dirk slowing down as well this season. It's ok for the Mavs, they're a veteran roster that will continue to change and compete because Mark Cuban is their owner. As for the Spurs and Celtics, this season will be it for their title aspirations. These two teams have combined for four championships (Celtics only 1) in the last decade and how they try to win their last title before their window closes will be interesting to see because the way they were eliminated from the playoffs last season made it seem like their time had already run out. Both teams have stuck to the core of their roster so far, and if it remains the same for the rest of the year, appreciate the games the Spurs and Celtics are televised in because we may be watching the end of a decade of brilliant robotic basketball from Tim Duncan and crew, and the end of an era of the first assembled super team.
Although I mention the end of an era of two great franchises in the league, last season's playoffs offered previews of a new era of basketball led by teams with young and exciting stars. These teams included the Chicago Bulls. Oklahoma City Thunder, and Memphis Grizzlies (ok Zach Randolph isn't young, but how can you not like Z-Bo and his squad??) These three teams are the future of the league that will compete against the new super teams that will develop in the near future (Knicks, Lakers, Nets, along with the Heat). If the Bulls can add some scoring help (Jason Richardson!!) for the MVP, they will certainly be ready to compete with the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference crown and an NBA title this year. The Oklahoma City Thunder are another team on its way to being a yearly contender for an NBA title. With Durant and Westbrook locked down for the next few years, they will continue to be a top team in the league as long as their two superstars learn to play together and build chemistry. Lastly the Grizzles remind me of a team that can build themselves the way the Spurs did for the last decade. Gasol and Randolph can be a poor man's combo of Robinson and Duncan and they are a Monta Ellis (Please GSW do it!!) or OJ Mayo reaching full-potential away from being scary good. Two other teams to lookout for this year: Indiana Pacers (David West + Paul George actually playing like the next T-Mac = contender, only if these two things happen) & Los Angeles Clippers (BLAKE GRIFFIN & Eric Gordon too). The future of the league is looking very bright and heading into this season, there may be a couple teams making their final run at a championship, but there will be many making their first run en route to many at an NBA championship and it should be fun to watch. 
2. Like Mike: When the Los Angeles Lakers were swept emphatically out of the Playoffs in the conference semi-finals last year no one could really understand what had happened. The 2010 champs looked terrible and the team looked to be heading in a free-fall. Shannon Brown may have slept with Pau Gasol's girlfriend which caused him to play like a pussy in the playoffs. The chemistry of the team was in shambles as Andrew Bynum told reporters the players did not trust each other. Derek Fisher looked really old, and most importantly, Kobe's fatigue finally caught up to him. Kobe looked tired and hurt all year. We never got the vintage Kobe performance we were accustomed to seeing during the season or playoffs and it seemed as if his best days were behind him. Phil Jackson seemed to have lost control of his team and with his retirement, Mike Brown now takes over these issues.
These issues in Tinseltown make for a very intriguing season for the Lakers however. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers bounce back and how Kobe plays with a healthy body and an offseason of extended rest which he has not had in years. It's hard to believe that he won't come into this season hungrier than ever for that sixth ring to match Jordan, looking to prove he can win without Phil, and showing he is still the best player on the planet. Kobe will be the main focus and he will show up this year, but there are still many questions lingering for the rest of the team: Is Mike Brown the right choice as the head coach? Can Steve Blake actually assume the role of Steve Kerr? Will the 2010 Pau Gasol return? Will Dwight Howard arrive by the deadline? Can the reincarnation of Dennis Rodman finally show up in the form of Metta World Peace? All that remains to be seen, but it should be a Hollywood season as expected.
1. The Real World - South Beach (Season 2): The video was just a summary of the regular season for the Miami Heat last year and we all know what happened in the Playoffs and how their season ended. Hate them or love them, the Miami Heat are great for the NBA. They are a reality television show with a ton of star power, and play the role of a villain excellently. They are fun to watch and they were the reason the league hit a peak in popularity that had been missing since the days Michael Jordan played. In season two of the campaign to win "not 5...not...6...not 7" championships, the Heat's storyline will be how they can overcome their collapse against the Mavs and return to the Finals and win their first title. Their season will once again be filled with a ton of drama and excitement, and even the little things like bumping the coach (purposely or accidentally) will once again be placed under a microscope and analyzed in all ways. The Heat this season should be a much better team with an upgraded roster (trade for Kaman with Mike Miller!! Do it.) and there should not be a period where the guys need to adjust to playing with each other this year. They have too much talent and LeBron can only fail for so long before he finally comes through right? There are no excuses this season for not winning a championship, but the possibility that the Heat may fail makes them that intriguing and must-see TV.
Top team breakdowns/season predictions and Warriors' season preview post will hopefully come from Josh sometime soon. I would love to post about it, but I'm leaving the country on the day free agency officially begins and won't be back until after the season has started, so I will not have time to write about who went where and how it impacts a team. Maybe I will be able to post something within the next few weeks, we'll see. Happy Holidays everyone and thanks for reading.
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