NBA: 10 Things To Look Forward To

Finally basketball fans, the NBA season has started! On the first day, the Lakers looked dominant, Celtics won at home, Lebron lost again, and Derrick Rose is starting at point for the Bulls. Here is my list of things to look forward to this 2008-09 season:

1. The Lakers have two 7-footers in their starting lineup, Lamar leading the second squad, the deepest bench in the league, and Kobe Bryant. If they can stay healthy, I predict a 64-win season and the title.

2. Beantown just hung another banner in their historic stadium. Are the Celtics still hungry? And how will they deal with the loss of their best perimeter defender (how are they going to slow down Kobe?)?

3. Baron Davis is back in his hometown and playing for another historically bad team. Will he and Camby miraculously lead the Clippers to the playoffs?

4. The 76ers solidified their lineup with the addition of a healthy Elton Brand. Will the 76ers live up to their hype and challenge Boston for the Eastern crown?

5. There's was a reason to be excited in Portland, but he has the durability (and face) of a 55 year old man. After being manhandled in the opener versus the Lakers and losing Oden to injury, can Portland live up to the hype?

6. The Chicago Bulls looked like a huge mess during the offseason but everything came together in their first game with Derrick Rose at the helm. Can this rookie finally lead the Bulls to their full potential?

7. New York Knicks are still recovering from Isiah Thomas's past decisions. With Marbury remaining relatively quiet and Mike D'antoni as the coach, I believe we'll be pleasantly surprised this season.

8. Seattle, the most depressing city in America, no longer has an NBA franchise of their own. How will Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder fare in the Western division. (I'm not going to be optimistic here, 16 wins.)

9. Let's face it, LeBron James does not like the Cleveland Cavaliers or the city of Cleveland. He likes Jay-Z, he likes New York and it is a contract year. How is this season going to play out in Ohio?

10. Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Love are expected to make huge contributions to their respective teams. Can these NBA neophytes really make a huge difference and who will make the biggest impact and win the ROY trophy? (I still say OJ Mayo)