Dog Days

The World Championships were fun and everything, don’t get me wrong, but for NBA diehards, these are dark, empty days. 

The draft’s done, summer league’s a distant memory, free agency is effectively over, and there’s still over a month before the regular season begins. If it weren’t for the occasional trade rumour and Monk reruns, would anyone even get out of bed in the morning?

Thankfully, the light at the end of the tunnel is bright. Lebron’s decision to join Wade and Bosh in Miami - and the utterly baffling way in which he announced it - instantly made the upcoming season more intriguing than a Stephon Marbury live stream.  

And that’s just the start of it. Here are a handful reasons why 2010-11 will be well worth the wait:  

LeBron James and the Evil Empire

Barring his penchant for wearing sunglasses at night, LeBron James always seemed like a fairly cool guy. Going by the media vitriol levelled at him recently, however, you’d think he tortures kittens for fun.

Yes, James’ decision to take part in The Decision was about as classy as Tiger Woods, but does it make him a villain? And is the hoarding of talent in Miami really one of the great crimes in sport, as some critics have suggested?

Regardless of whether the LeBron/Miami bashing is justified or not, the Heat will be ludicrously fun to watch (inevitable glut of free-throws aside). Just the thought of a Wade-James pick and roll, or a small lineup featuring LeBron at the four, has me pumping my fist Kriss Akabusi style.  

Kevin Durant and the Thunder 

So, while the Heat organisation is an imperious juggernaught bent on destroying the integrity of the NBA (or something like that), the Thunder are the good guys - a group of humble young men who were assembled with patience, integrity and draft picks. You know, the polar opposite of Miami.     

Expectations are high after last year’s captivating 50-win season and it will be interesting to see if Durant and Westbrook - fresh off a tour of duty with Team USA - can sustain the team’s winning ways.  

As for Durant, could the youngest scoring champ in NBA history become the youngest MVP in NBA history? LeBron and D-Wade will be sharing shots in South Beach and Kobe’s no spring chicken, so don’t put it past him.  

If he continues to improve at the rate that he has, Durant, aged just 22, could be looking at a 35ppg, 10rpg season. The last player to do that? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971-72 (34.8ppg, 16.6rpg).  

Rooting for Oden and Yao 

Unfortunately for Oden, his name will be inextricably linked with the guy above. Drafted ahead of Durant in 2007, GO has been more injury prone than Mr Glass, playing just 82 games in three years. 

It’s definitely nearing make or break time for Oden (bad pun intended). Another injury stunted season would put the kibosh on anything remotely resembling a promising career.  

Yao will be easing himself back into playing shape after missing all of last season with a severely broken foot. All signs indicate he’ll make a successful return, but re-injury could bring the Great Wall down for good.   

Let’s hope the big men (Andrew Bogut included) stay clear of the plaster cast for a change. 

Steve Kerr Back on TNT 

In the words of Marv Albert: Yes! Kerr was a good GM, but he’s an even better announcer. Funny, insightful, understated, he’s everything Reggie Miller isn’t. Together, Marv and Steve are a double act worthy of a sketch show.      

NBA in London 

It will be great to see a regular season NBA game in the capital but, Mr Stern, at the risk of sounding ungrateful, did it have to be the Nets and the Raptors?   

The Geriatric Celtics 

KG, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and the two O’Neals. Together they combine for 73 seasons, 51 All-Star appearances, seven championships…and a cumulative age of 536.  

Despite their years, the Celts should be good for another deep run into the playoffs, especially if Danny Ainge’s younger off-season acquisitions, Delonte West and Von Wafer, get loose. Just not with the Grey Goose, we hope.  

Questions do remain, though. Can Garnett’s gimpy knee hold-up another season? Does Shaq arrive at camp under 500lbs? Will Jermaine rebound from last year's miserable playoff performance? And when, if ever, will Rondo develop a serviceable jump shot? 

Two Number One Picks 

Remember Blake Griffin? He was meant to be pretty good, wasn’t he? With Griffin, John Wall, plus headcase DaMarcus Cousins in the mix, don’t tell me this isn’t an exciting rookie class.   

New York has a Basketball Team? 

Stoudemire, Randolph and Gallinari in a D'Antoni offence is a pretty salivating prospect. And, while he’s no Steve Nash, there are plenty of guards in the league worse than Ray Felton. Take Chris Duhon, for example.  

Sure, the Knicks aren’t going to win a chip, or a playoff series, any time soon - the Heat, Bulls, Celtics, Magic, Hawks and Bucks will all finish ahead of New York in the East - but, right now, that’s not what’s important. 

After years of ineptitude it seems this fabled franchise is starting to turn a corner. In Stoudemire, the team finally have a superstar they can call their own. He’s a guy with a big personality and an even bigger game who will bring the buzz back to the Garden. Yes, James Dolan still owns the team, but you can’t have everything.  

Kobe's Sixth 

Very quietly, the champs got even better. Steve Blake and Matt Barnes may not sound like much, but they’re a couple of solid veterans who should fit in well with the Lakers experienced core.  

Phil Jackson's returning for a shot at his fourth career three-peat and with Kobe gunning for that all-important sixth ring (MJ has six, as if you didn't know), expect Mamba to be even more motivated than he usually is, which is really pretty scary when you think about it.