1. Free Agency/Training Camp
For those of you who haven't followed the process of the lockout on twitter/facebook/espn.com/nba.com and every other possibly media outlet (aka for all the normal people), let me break down what's about to happen. Training camp and the first day to sign free agents and make trades ALL land on December 9th. If you thought that the NFL free agent frenzy was entertaining, just wait until this. With the new amnesty provision, restructured mid level exceptions, and teams that are desperate to get new players in for training camp this is going to be the most exciting two weeks in NBA offseason history. Which players will hold out for more money and risk missing training camp (Jeff Green)? Which star player becomes a surprising amnesty cut (Ron Metta World Peace Artest)? Which free agents will get horrendously overpaid (Tyson Chandler/Marc Gasol/Nene)? Which player will come into camp 50 pounds overweight (Baron Davis)? And this is all going to happen in a weeks time. Getcha popcorn ready.
2. A Country for Old Men.....Sort of
I know, I know, you're saying that there are going to be some back to back to back games this year, and old legs just can't handle that, but hear me out on this one. Let's take a look at some of the older players and more injured players in the league. Kobe Bryant, KG, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Tracy Mcgrady, Greg Oden (allegedly still a young man), Tim Duncan, and all the other guys who were drafted before the turn of the millenium. For Kobe, the Celtics Big 3, Tim Duncan, and Mcgrady this was the longest break they've had in almost 10 years. They say that time heals all wounds, and in this case time heals all knees. Garnett got extra rest for his troublesome knee and Kobe took the time to go to Germany and get his knee fixed. This is the last hurrah for all of these guys, and they should be as fresh as they've been in years. Tracy Mcgrady's agent has gone on record saying that Tracy's athleticism is completely back. If that's true, I'm excited, because prime TMac was out of this world.
3. Year 2 of the South Beach Experience
The NBA's version of the nWo gets another year to try and win the championship. Perhaps the only upside of the lockout was that it looked like it might take another year of Lebron's prime away before he could win a championship. Following the Miami Heat is like watching Basketball Wives on Vh1, because the Miami Big 3 pretend like they get along, but underneath it all you can sense that they really aren't big fans of each other. Lebron and Dwyane Wade having silent battles over who is "the man" on the team, and Chris Bosh playing nervous because he's not sure how to fit in with the other two. They have all the talent in the world, but until they embrace the fact that they're hated in every opposing city, they'll never win a title. If they find a competent point guard and center though, then the rest of the league may as well quit now, because this is the most talented trio in the league. Unfortunately for the Heat, it's another T word that matters more than talent, and that's Teamwork.
4. The Impending Trades of Chris Paul and Dwight Howard
Where are CP3 and Dwight going to be playing on Christmas? The smart money is anywhere except Orlando and New Orleans. In what has become the single biggest problem in the NBA, star players are continuing to force their way to big markets where they can play together. Boston made a play for Chris Paul, offering Rajon Rondo, but Paul said he wouldn't sign an extension with Boston and effectively killed the trade. He would rather go join Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire in New York.....completely killing the New Orleans franchise in the process. Dwight has his eyes set on the bright lights of L.A. where he can become the second best center to leave Orlando in favor of Hollywood. At least the Magic fans know what to do when a franchise center leaves their team for the Lakers. The NBA....it's Fannnntastic (as long as you live in LA, Boston, New York, or Chicago).
5. Are the Grizzlies and Clippers really going to be GOOD teams in the West?
The Grizzlies shocked everyone last year by beating the Spurs in the first round, even if all the "experts" tried to claim that they picked the upset afterwards, and proved that they were a team on the rise. In one playoff run the Grizzlies have gone from underrated to CRIMINALLY overrated. Other than a few weeks last May, Zach Randolph has built a career on being an underachiever. He's the classic case of a guy that puts up stats, gets paid huge money, and doesn't carry his team even close to a championship (hey Vince Carter). Marc Gasol is a free agent, OJ Mayo is apparently on the trade block in a "We're REALLY open to trading him" kind of way, and Rudy Gay has to be reintegrated to the team. The Clippers are also a trendy team to pick as a dark horse by the experts. As opposed to the Grizzlies, I LOVE the Clippers this year. They have Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon, quite possibly the best young power forward and shooting guard in the league along with a veteran center named Chris Kaman who has been underrated for a long time. Throw in Mo Williams, Eric Bledsoe, a resigned Deandre Jordan, and a signing of someone like Tayshaun Prince means this team is good enough to make the playoffs and maybe even make some noise when they start.
Well, that's the first 5 things to look forward to this season in the NBA, check out my next entry where I talk about Ricky Rubio, the 2011/2012 rookie class, and who's going to win the championship this year with my next 5 things to look forward to.
So remember, leave a comment, favorite my page, follow me on twitter, and take care, play fair.
-Josh
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