New LeBron James Commercial

With all the criticism LeBron has been getting during the off-season for his move to South Beach, many are wondering how he is going to respond. Well it looks like LeBron has some questions for the fans as well in his new Nike commercial.

The NBA Is Back

Finally I can stop watching the vintage Temple University basketball games, kids playing basketball on milk crates and Hawks Training Camp on NBA TV because the 2010-2011 NBA basketball season is here. There is so much to discuss, but hey we have got the entire season. Here are a few stories to get you caught up on what has been going on around the league…

The Heat is On

In case you have been living under a rock or in solitary confinement at Rikers Island, LeBron James and Chris Bosh have joined Dwyane Wade in Miami. LeBron caught a ton of criticism for making his decision in a live hour-long telecast on ESPN. Despite the team being a five seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs last year, the Heat has become the squad to beat this upcoming year. Look to see trio just about every night on TNT.

Melo on the Move?

In July Carmelo Anthony was rumored to be going to the Nets. In August it was the Knicks. But for now he’s staying put in Denver. If Carmelo gets traded during the season, it could really shake things up for the rest of the league. Will Melo look to back his bags this year or will he ride the season out? Only time will tell.

Shaq Heads to a Contender…Again

Shaq plays fantasy draft with his NBA legacy once again by signing a two year, $3 million dollar deal with the Boston Celtics. Some people are joking that he needs the money to pay child support. Others are swearing that he will do anything in his power to win another championship. I’m convinced he just wanted to join all of the other old guys on the Celtics.

Here are some of my predictions for the 2010-2011 season…

MVP: Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is all but a lock for this year’s MVP award. Last year he finished second in MVP voting to LeBron whose numbers will surely be down due to the array of talent he will be sharing the court with. Durant’s stellar performance with Team USA in the World Games this summer shows that he’s made the transition from a scorer to a superstar who can lead his team to victory down the stretch. Look for his numbers to mirror that of last season’s with a league leading 30.1 points per game while shooting almost 50% from the field.

Rookie of the Year: John Wall

John Wall has quite the advantage to run away with this award. He has proven to be the most NBA-ready rookie thus far, averaging 17.3 points per game in seven preseason contests. The key for Wall will be efficiency. His quickness and ability to get to the basket won’t mean much if he can’t protect the ball. Many are arguing that Clippers forward Blake Griffin will put up some serious competition for this award after rebounding from a 2009 season-ending knee injury . Sure he is a talented player that can be one of the top power forwards in the NBA if he remains healthy; however, he has yet to prove that he can go up against KG, Amare’, and Gasol on a nightly basis. My vote goes to John Wall.

Western Conference Champions: Lakers

The Lakers are my favorite to return to the NBA Finals. This team has done nothing but gotten better during the off season. They added to their defensive presence with Matt Barnes and alleviated the strain an NBA season may have on 14 year vet Derek Fisher by signing Steve Blake. The only hiccup in the Lakers plans to three-peat is Kobe Bryant’s knee. Kobe had his right knee surgically repaired during in July and all signs point to it being an issue as the regular season comes to fruition. If Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest can carry the load until the All-Star break the Lakers should be able to cruise back to the Finals

Eastern Conference Champions: Magic

It would be too easy to go with the Miami Heat so I will take the underdog in the Orlando Magic and here’s why...
The Heat are handing the responsibility of point guard to Mario Chalmers who despite flashes of solid play has yet to prove himself in the NBA. If the pre-season and training camp is a prelude of thing to come most of the ball handling responsibility will be delegated to D Wade and LeBron to make up for Chalmers lack of decision making ability. Sure this gives the team a better ball handler, but I feel like we all saw the “LeBron the point-guard” experiment go terribly wrong in Cleveland.

Not to mention Miami does not have a big man who can stop Dwight Howard in the paint. I’m not calling Dwight the next Bill Russell but there is no way that Haslem, Ilgauskas and Magloire will be able to contain him in the paint.

Orlando on the other hand has it all. A seasoned point guard in Jameer Nelson, sharp shooting in Rashard Lewis and rebounding in Brandon Bass and Dwight Howard. It may not look pretty, but Orlando has the edge if these two meet up in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Last But Not Least…

Be sure to check out NBA Spark Notes for news and insight as this year’s NBA season is sure to be an exciting one.