Basketball Season is Back for Christmas! Sweet!

     After a long lockout where I thought the season was in serious jeopardy, the NBA is back with intriguing stories and sudden earthquake shifts in the NBA Power Structure.
    
     First of all, I am glad that the NBA is back for Christmas Day. At least, it was a nice gesture of goodwill considering the bitterness, intransigence, etc of both sides. All seemed well for only 10-12 days as we found out about the new condensed 66 game schedule.
 
    Yet, it was nearly erased with David Stern trying to undo a trade that would have put Chris Paul aka the Greatest PG of his era to the Lakers. With that, it led to a barrage of blog posts, articles, and twitter messages killing David Stern for doing something unprecedented. The story had many turns such as those saying it was back on and then killed leading to the Lakers trading Lamar Odom for a bag of magic beans to the team that eliminated them in embarrassing fashion, the Dallas Mavericks. The drama was enrapturing but also mind numbing to watch as well as listen to for the last 10 days.

   Additionally, it screwed over the Rockets and Lakers. Not only were the Lakers unable to get Paul but it hampered them from doing anything significant to upgrade the roster. Not only that but they have Kobe Bryant whose wrists are as fragile as a glass vase much like the knees of Andrew Bynum. Yikes!

   Perhaps, it will most likely put them out of the running for another NBA ring while paying the luxury tax to the Clevelands, Sacramentos and Charlottes of the world for years to come. The Rockets meanwhile are screwed because it eliminated a potential front court of Gasol and potentially Nene who signed with the Nuggets. Update: Rockets signed Samuel Dalembert here 

    Ironically, CP3 still came to L.A. but to one of the worst franchises in basketball with a history so bad that it can backdrop as a horror movie. Yet, CP3 and Blake Griffin could potentially become a force that could lead them to boldly go where the franchise has never gone before but only for a 2 year window. They also got Chauncey Billups (amnesty auction), Caron Butler and Blake's BFF: DeAndre Jordan. Yes, it was a bright day for the City of Los Angeles just not the Lakers.It'll be fun watching this:

  

  As well as this:

   

As for the Hornets, they got Eric Gordon (Second best PG of the 2010s after Wade in the Post Kobe era), Al Farouq Aminu, the expiring deal of Chris Kaman (good trade chip) and Minnesota's 2012 unprotected draft in a supposedly loaded 2012 draft. Sure, they'll stink but if they're lucky, they might be a very good young team to watch very soon.

   David Stern may have made a good deal as the Dear Leader of the Hornets but it might have been Pyrrhic victory and potentially his downfall as Commissioner of the NBA.
 
  Meanwhile, there are other compelling stories and I am gonna focus on the following teams:

   Miami Heat:
      In Miami,  it is a time for redemption after an embarrassing lesson where it takes a team not 3 friends to win a the NBA championship. It's gut check time for Lebron who I expect will have revenge on his mind to redeem himself and exorcise the ghost of Decisions past. The Heat seem to be embracing their run and gun offense as mentioned here.With the addition of Shane Battier, he might be a good piece that will bring the leadership,savvy and a calming influence to a team that looked rattled in the NBA Finals. I expect them to win a lot of games and become a massive favorite to win it all. Yet, even if they do win it all, it will come with an asterisk to the critics.

Dallas Mavericks:
     Dallas after becoming NBA champs and Dirk Nowitzki exorcising the demons of Playoffs past. It seems they have weakened somewhat with the loss of Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea, which makes the daunting task of repeating all the more daunting considering that they're an aging group with a question in the front court. Yet, the addition of Lamar Odom helps make the team a little formidable and with boatloads of cap space to go after Dwight Howard (assuming he's still not traded this season) and Deron Williams this upcoming Summer to form their own Super Team. So, even if they don't win it all, the future is bright for the Mavericks

Oklahoma City Thunder:
    Oklahoma City time appears to have but are they ready? They have everyone picking them to win the West and beginning a LBJ vs. Kevin Durant duel that will be intriguing to watch in the Regular Season and potentially the NBA Finals. Yet, it will be intriguing to watch the Thunder handle being one of the elite teams considering that their core players are under 24 years old. Will they rise to the occasion and become the San Antonio Spurs 2.0 or are they still not ready for Primetime. A lot of questions but they'll be fun to watch.

Orlando Magic:
    Orlando has a season of uncertainty with Dwight Howard as to whether he will be traded to the Nets, Lakers and maybe the Bulls. They revolve around prowess of Dwight Howard with three point shooters. Yet bad management (See: VC trade, Arenas and Hedo trade) put a team that was a couple bounces from winning it all in 2009 to the brink of losing their Franchise player a la Shaq in 1996. It's gonna be a circus much like the Melo trade to NY where the Nuggets got a kings ransom from the Knicks, which leads us to:

New York Knicks:
     This team has the star power in Amare Stoudamire (who made NY relevant as basketball city for 45-50 games until Melo showed up) and Carmelo Anthony (Bernard King 2.0 w/o injuries). They got Tyson Chandler to protect the rim and a team that can make the Heat, Bulls and Celtics sweat in a Playoff series just not beating them in a 7 game series unfortunately. With the high risk high reward pickup of Baron Davis. The future for the Knicks looks bright going forward but the coach, well that's a different story. New York  finally has a team worth rooting for after ten long years.


Indiana Pacers:
   This is a team that could be sneaky good to watch with good management as they signed David West to a 2 year deal. Add it all up, and the Pacers have a nice Starting 5: Hibbert, West, Granger, George, Collison with Psycho T, George Hill, and Jeff Foster. This team could be a tough out in the 1st Round. In fact, credit Larry Bird for making good solid moves and not overpaying for players who are not superstars in the wake of the 2004 fight in on a cold night in Detroit that crippled the franchise for years.

Boston Celtics:
  It is a year of uncertainty with an aging roster of KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce with Rajon Rondo. This team much like the Lakers are in a state of flux. It's an uncertain time especially with Jeff Green out for the year and bought out due to a heart ailment discovered here. It's tough for such an aging roster, which brought a proud franchise back to glory in 2008 and almost in 2010. Doc Rivers has his hands full and we shall see what he's gonna do in a compressed schedule with 3 games in 3 nights.

San Antonio Spurs:
  After last year's drubbing by the Grizzlies, the Spurs twilight seems to be coming closer for its core of Tim Duncan and Manu. Yet, this crafty team will make the playoffs but it seems with no future franchise player in sight, the days of glory seem to be all that will be left to hold for a franchise that was the Gold standard of the NBA for many years and still at this moment. Yet, I would not be surprised if the Spurs management finds gold again in the not too distant future. Plus, it will be interesting how Kawahi Leonard plays for the Spurs.

All in all, it will be an interesting season of where will see which teams rise to the top of the NBA echelon while seeing others break down under the stress of it all. It's gonna be fun to watch as basketball is back on Christmas Day no less. Now let the games begin!