Season Tip-Off

Basketball season is getting closer! The college basketball season kicks off November 9th, but the NBA season starts Tuesday with Cleveland and Boston. What better way to begin the 60th season of the NBA than with two Eastern Conference powerhouses whose players have a combined 56 All Star appearances. In this matchup, the reigning MVP and newly acquired Shaquille O'Neal will travel to Boston to face the 2008 NBA champs. Many off season trades took place, including Shaq to Cleveland and Ron Artest to LA. This year, the East and West both have stacked teams, but it is highly possible that some teams could creep up and surprise basketball viewers. The Lakers have the talent to repeat, but we know that 29 other teams aren't going to let that happen. Can Lebron repeat as MVP? Here are some of my preseason predictions:

MVP: Lebron James
Lebron James definitely deserved the MVP last year, and I think he will earn his second straight trophy in 09-10. Lebron has put up unreal numbers in his first six seasons. He is not even 25 and is already one of the elite players in the NBA. I think the addition of Shaq will help him but won't affect his stats because James is the leader of the team. He has had over 28 points per game and over 7 assists and rebounds per game for two years straight, and I think this year will be his third.

Contenders - Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant
I really like Chris Paul to have an incredible season this year. While he has a good team, he doesn't have as many All Stars around him as teams like the Celtics, Magic and Spurs. He will be in control of the ball for a majority of each game and will have the ability to pass and shoot at free will. Also, while both are great defenders, newly acquired Emeka Okafor is more of a scorer than Tyson Chandler, giving CP3 another big man to throw to. Kobe Bryant is always in contention of winning an MVP award, and he'll lead the Lakers to yet another great season. Bryant has not averaged below 24 ppg since the 03-04 season, and I think he will put big numbers up yet again.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard
Howard had almost 14 rebounds per game and almost 3 blocks per game as the 2008-2009 Defensive Player of the Year. This guy is a monster on D: opposing players are scared to take the ball to the paint against Orlando because they see the thin but strong 6'11" Howard blocking their path to the hoop. Because of his presence in the paint, players will shoot more outside shots and he will grab the boards like there's no tomorrow, so I see him repeating like Lebron.

Contenders - Kevin Garnett and Chris Paul
The one concern about Garnett is health. If he can stay healthy, he should pose a threat to Superman defending his crown. The 2007-2008 Defensive MVP has made the first-or-second All-Defensive team every year since 2000. Chris Paul led the league in steals last year, and his speed and athleticism are very unique. Similar to Howard, no one wants to take the ball up the court against the Hornets because they are scared of turning the ball over to Paul.

Rookie of the Year - Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin was a beast in college, but can he be that good in the pros? I think he can. Griffin has been compared to Michael Beasley as a larger, right-handed version of Beasley, and Griffin is one of the rare versatile big men. I expect a big year for Griffin, and he should make a big improvement to last year's disappointing Clippers.

Contenders - Jonny Flynn and Tyreke Evans
Jonny Flynn is in a great situation. The former Syracuse point guard has Al Jefferson as a big target to pass to, and Flynn should fit well in the Wolves' organization. Flynn is a well-balanced player with explosive speed, and I just think he will play well for Minnesota. Tyreke Evans has little talent around him, which leaves room for him to shine. The Kings aren't going anywhere this year, but maybe he can make some noise as a powerful, 6'5" rookie guard.

Best Off Season Move: Richard Jefferson to San Antonio
The most talked about teams are the Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Cavaliers, but what about the Spurs? Jefferson gives the Greg Popovich and the Spurs a genuine shooter in the starting lineup. Manu Ginobili is a great scorer off the bench, Tim Duncan is a great post scorer and Tony Parker is a great scoring point guard, but Jefferson gives them a solid mid-range scorer. I think he is going to help the Spurs more than many think.

Other big additions - Rasheed Wallace to the Celtics and Ron Artest to the Lakers
Wallace gives Boston another premier big man who can help them, whether he comes off the bench or starts. He gives them a great backcourt, and Wallace and Kevin Garnett on the court at the same time is a scary thought. Also, the defending champs were able to resign Lamar Odom and get Ron Artest. While they couldn't hold onto Trevor Ariza, Artest will definitely help LA in search for their 16th NBA championship.