'Twas the night before tip-off, and the man told his spouseI'll watch Monday Night Football, then the lights will go out;
The Bud Light and Mikes Hard were chilling with care,
In hopes tomorrow evening soon would be there;
The man was all nestled all snug in his bed,
Dreams of And-1's, crossovers and fast breaks in his head...
The NBA season tips off tonight with Heat versus Celtics followed by Lakers versus Rockets on TNT. I don't really know if it could get any better than that.
Fresh Starts
John Wall, Blake Griffin, Yao Ming make debuts (Of some sort)
Three players that have, had or might have potential are making first appearances of some sort this season. The beast from the East, Yao Ming makes his return against the Lakers after missing an entire season due to a recurring foot injury. Blake Griffin, last years number one draft pick did not play one regular season game because of a freak injury in the pre-season. This year he gets another chance at his rookie season. John Wall, this years number one draft pick looks to lead the Wizards to a bounce back season. He looked impressive in the pre-season--what about when it counts?
No More Mr. Nice Dwight
Will we see a more aggressive, no-nonsense Dwight Howard?
Since his debut in the NBA, Dwight Howard's toughness has been questioned. He responded the first time by bulking up and becoming the defensive force we all knew he had the potential to be. Now we're waiting for his offense to blossom. Last year in the playoffs, as they were on the verge of losing to the Celtics, we saw flashes of a mean, almost "dirty" Dwight Howard on the block. Will this season be more of the same or will he falter to all the criticism?
Defying the Obvious
Will the Knicks STILL miss the playoffs?
Now I'm no Knicks hater, but I must admit it's funny to watch them consistently implode on themselves and continue to miss the playoffs despite Mike D'Antoni's expectations. Additions of Raymond Felton, Amar'e Stoudemire and potentially a late season acquisition of Carmelo Anthony, I'm excited to see if they can somehow STILL miss the playoffs. (However, I just traded for Raymond Felton on my fantasy team so I'm kinda in his corner).
Respect the Redick
Will J.J. Redick finally have a breakout season?
J.J. Redick looked like the missing piece for the Magic last year in the playoffs. He out shined Vince Carter in the Celtics series and earned himself a shiny new contract in the off-season as the Bulls, Magic and other teams bid for his rights. He's growing as a defender and his off-the-dribble skills have significantly improved. Will he finally emerge as the J.J. Redick that broke record after record at Duke?
Who's house is this?
Who will emerge as the "king" of south beach?
We know a lot about Miami even before the season started. They'll be covered more than old school rock songs on Glee. They'll likely sell out every game they're involved in. The Christmas Day match up against the Lakers will be the most watched NBA game in a long time. But what we don't know is who will emerge the "king" of South Beach. It's Wade's house going into the season, but many eyes will be on Lebron. Nike contributed to that even more last night with it's new "Rise" commercial. As a Dwyane Wade supporter, I can only hope a battle for "team captain" doesn't distract from the goal of winning a championship--but I can't help but think it might get a little competitive.
Get excited. NBA season tips off tonight at 7:30 p.m. et on TNT.
