After an off-season dominated by the transfer saga to end all transfer sagas, the result of which was a heap of money transferred from the Miami Heat to LeBron James, the NBA will finally get its 2010-11 season underway on October 26.
Just in case there was any doubt over where all eyes will be when the season starts, the opening match of the season will see James and the Heat travel to Boston and face last term’s losing finalists, the Celtics.
The first question that will be posed going into the season will be around whether any team can stop a play-off final being contested between Miami and the LA Lakers, last year’s winners and Western Conference champions for three successive seasons.
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There will certainly be one less contender this season now that James has left Cleveland, the team he has carried since 2006.
Indeed one of the more interesting parts of this summer’s over-hyped transfer saga, capped off by a live, hour-long show called ‘The Decision’, was that Cleveland offered James $15million more than Miami but, as James stated, “I want to be able to win championships.”
The Celtics should also have less of a chance of repeating their final appearance, although a play-off battle with Miami could pose the Heat with their toughest opposition before they face the Lakers.
Boston have been a team of veterans for a couple of seasons now, with Ray Allen, Keven Garnett and Paul Pierce all in their mid-30s, and even 24-year-old starlet Rajon Rondo can’t hide their combined age or the decline of summer signing Shaquille O’Neal, now 38.
Orlando Magic, the team Boston beat in last season’s Eastern Conference Final, have made no great changes but all-star centre Dwight Howard, 24, has a year’s more experience and an injury-free season from guard Vince Carter would be the equivalent of a major new signing.
Expect them to go under the radar in the regular season, as they are in the same Southeast Division as Miami, before going far in the play-offs.
Other opposition could come from the Chicago Bulls, who should own the Central Division now that Cleveland are no longer a force.
The Bulls have emerging talent in Joakim Noah, Ronnie Brewer and England’s Luol Deng and have added veteran forward Carlos Boozer this summer.
In the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks should head the Southwest Division after recently adding Dirk Nowitzki to a squad that was already looking good following the mid-season acquisition of seven-footer Brendan Haywood.
Oklahoma City Thunder should improve and could challenge Denver in the Northwest Division, but all this is likely to be a sideshow to Kobe Bryant’s Lakers and their face-off with the Heat.
