The National Basketball Association, run by Commissioner David Stern, really knows how to do it right. They will open the season on October 27th. According to the calendar on my computer that is a Tuesday, so maybe they don’t have everything perfect.

To start the season off with a bang the league has 4 games on that day including the San Diego Griffins…er Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. That would be L.A. vs. L.A. on TNT. (Which brings to mind, how can the NBA have two L.A. teams and the NFL has zero?) That game should be a fun one and a great introduction into the league for Blake.

The Lakers will make a total of 25 appearances throughout the season on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV, including both regular-season games against the NBA Finals runner-up Orlando Magic (Jan. 18 in Los Angeles, March 7 in Orlando).

Five games will be shown Christmas Day, starting at noon ET with the Miami Heat at the New York Knicks (ESPN); the Boston Celtics at the Magic (ABC); the Cavaliers at the Lakers (ABC); the Clippers at the Phoenix Suns (ESPN) and the Denver Nuggets at the Portland Trail Blazers (ESPN).

source

Now if you want to catch a real game make sure you tune in earlier to the marquee matchup of the Boston Celtics with Kevin Garnett back and the Cleveland Cavaliers with the LeBron Tour before he leaves for the highest bidder.

LeBron James will open against the

This year the All Star game will be on February 14th, and hey, that sounds suspiciously like Valentine’s Day. How are we going to watch that game? Anyway that game will be held in the new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys. Should be cool!

Photo source Newscom

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Kryptonite is the only thing that can stop Superman Dwight Howard.

Watch this YouTube of Nate Robinson winning the 2009 All Star Dunk Championship!

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LeBron James All Star MVP – Time to get out of Dodge err Cleveland!

With David Stern happy to have NBA Marketing Icon LeBron James as the MVP of the 2008 All Star game, the world can move on.

If you had to lay odds, it had to be James as MVP.

The NBA is a marketing organization, not a sports organization. Right now the future of the NBA seems secure, with possible expansion out of the USA and many stars in the league, but it can change fast and David Stern knows that.

Don’t get me wrong, LeBron is so good he probably would win the MVP of the All Star game anyway, almost every year.

It wouldn’t be long until these pulsating final minutes of this fabulous All-Star Game ultimately belonged to the genius of its Most Valuable Player with 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. It wouldn’t be long until commissioner David Stern passed him his second trophy at 23 years old, and the world would see who the star of stars was again at New Orleans Arena.

“LeBron is a freight train when he goes to that basket,” West coach Byron Scott sighed. “He’s so big, and so strong – so quick and so powerful. It’s hard to stop him when he gets the momentum going like that.” source

Now it is time to plan for LeBron to leave Cleveland.

The Cavaliers will have a hard time putting together consistent teams in Cleveland.

Over the summer, LeBron, Bryant and Jason Kidd were grumbling teammates with Team USA. Bryant wanted out of Los Angeles. Kidd wanted a trade to Cleveland. And James just wanted someone to share the burden with him. Well, the two point guards whom Cleveland GM Danny Ferry had tried to obtain for two years – Kidd and Mike Bibby – are on the way to Dallas and Atlanta.

The NBA needs to keep LeBron on the highest stage possible. That stage would be the NBA Playoffs and probably at least the Conference Finals. Hopefully the Championship series itself.

You can’t market Tim Duncan.

As much as it hurts your intrepid author (a huge Pistons fan), the League does not want anymore San Antonio Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons series. To fans outside of those teams, it is boring. They play defense.

Think of Kevin Garnett’s Boston Celtics vs. Kobe’s Lakers.

Think of Steve Nash and the Shaq bringing the Suns in to play LeBron James when he is on the Knicks (without Isiah).

Thanks goes to Blue Workhorse.com for sending this YouTube on Dwight Howard putting together his Dunk routine for the All Star game.

Dwight talks about being disappointed from not winning it last year.

There is also a bit of Vitamin Water ad going on, but not much.

He wants to win it for the Big Men in Basketball!

As you can see, Dwight can really throw it down!

NBA Basketball Fan Question Will you be watching the dunk contest at the All Star Game?

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Kobe is flat out a great scorer

The Bulls have got to be wondering what they were thinking.

Hold on to Luol Deng and pass on Kobe Bryant?

Luol Deng. Now how many votes for the All Star team did he get? Hmm, there was that one from his mother. And that one from his agent.

Oh well, Luol is going to be great, right? Right?

Kobe is great and has been since the day he stepped on the court.

GM Mitch Kupchak should get more credit for not pulling off any deals.

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports has compiled some first half of the season awards with the MVP being one of them. Let’s look at Adrian’s awards choices and why he feels that way.

Your intrepid author’s comments will be in italics.

Most Valuable Player: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Sometimes, there are superstars due to win the Most Valuable Player Award. It is the year owed them. No one wants to hear this, but it’s true. Kevin Garnett has an MVP trophy. So does Dirk Nowitzki. Steve Nash has two. Once Shaquille O’Neal left, Bryant was considered an unworthy candidate because the Lakers were still losing. source

Adrian goes on to support his argument, by stating that LA winning in the West is far harder than Kevin Garnett winning in the East.

He also states that LeBron will win several MVP’s but this is just not the year for him to get support from his team.

It will be a great MVP race. Not like in past years where you arguable could have just handed the trophy to Shaq every year. In fact, it got to the point that someone had to get smoking hot to take the trophy away from Shaq.

For the first half of the season you have to go with Kobe.

Least Valuable Player: Vince Carter, New Jersey Nets

He has stopped going to the rim, stopped risking life and limb and declared his new four-year, $62 million contract fit for a suburban jump shooter.

Have never understood why Rod Thorn thought the Nets could win with a 6′ 4″ ball hog that played no D.

Rookie of the Year: Kevin Durant, Seattle SuperSonics

Adrian brings up what could have happened with a healthy Greg Oden.

Kevin Durant is instant star power in a franchise that is floundering. He will be a star for his entire career and hopefully will leave town to play for franchise intent on winning.

Oden has the power to bring back the true center into the NBA. But at this point, Greg is just potential and Kevin is doing it.

Rookie Bust: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

no one can live with the insubordination that he showed with assistant coach Ron Adams prior to getting a two-game suspension in mid-January. Maybe his chatter will be entertaining when he’s considered a good player, but until then, Noah needs to grow up.

Just be glad you are not a kid in an adult world where everything you do is told to the media and printed the next day or shown on the internet. Noah will make it in this league. He will mature as well.

Executive Disaster of the Year: Isiah Thomas, New York Knicks

This is a career achievement award for Thomas. Kevin McHale has been a different disaster, but he does have a blossoming young star in Al Jefferson, No. 1 picks and cap space on the way. Odds are, he’ll do nothing with it, but at least you know Thomas has no chance with the constitution of his team.

All the Isiah Thomas stuff just stuns me. As a long time Piston fan it is so hard to fathom.

Did Isiah ruffle feathers as a Piston? Absolutely.

Did Isiah turn people off, in spite of his cherub smile and youthful energy? Absolutely.

Did Isiah move beyond all that and get the job done? Absolutely, positively.

Try two rings as the team leader of a franchise that had no belief in itself for decades.

And, like now, Thomas told everyone that he would do it!

Let me leave you with this thought, no matter how ludicrous. What if the Knicks start to win?

Adrian gives us some other awards, so be sure to check them out!

NBA Basketball Fan Question What other MVP candidates are out there?

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Dwight Howard has tremendous upside

Normally the All Star game is not a big ticket with your intrepid author.

A game with little or no defense has a hard time holding my interest.

In fact, today’s basketball with all the rule changes towards offense has really bothered me in recent years.

But this year may be an exception. The league is just so filled with exceptional talent.

One starter in particular could become a dominant force in the NBA sooner than we think. That man would be Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

Hmm, may just have to tune in after all. Here are your vote getters.

The leaders of both the Eastern and Western Conference players for the second returns of the 2008 NBA All-Star voting program are attached:

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,186,690; LeBron James (Clev) 1,005,733; Chris Bosh (Tor) 313,983; Paul Pierce (Bos) 268,926; Yi Jianlian (Mil) 192,828; Caron Butler (Was) 150,042; Hedo Turkoglu (Orl) 121,991; Tayshaun Prince (Det) 120,783; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 116,168; Antawn Jamison (Was) 106,370.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 777,764; Jason Kidd (NJ) 559,333; Vince Carter (NJ) 468,051; Ray Allen (Bos) 464,810; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 422,463; Chauncey Billups (Det) 238,125; Michael Redd (Mil) 183,309; Richard Hamilton (Det) 121,663; Joe Johnson (Atl) 109,443; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 109,345.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 970,778; Shaquille O’Neal (Mia) 466,292; Rasheed Wallace (Det) 124,348; Ben Wallace (Chi) 114,245; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 100,622; Jermaine O’Neal (Ind) 89,900; Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Clev) 55,217; Emeka Okafor (Cha) 51,490; Zaza Pachulia (Atl) 43,036; Eddy Curry (NY) 37,252.

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 767,722; Tim Duncan (SA) 722,059; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 686,853; Carlos Boozer (Utah) 281,299; Josh Howard (Dal) 251,756; Shawn Marion (Pho) 240,752; Shane Battier (Hou) 227,112; Luis Scola (Hou) 222,896; Kevin Durant (Sea) 191,542; Grant Hill (Pho) 152,898.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 941,716; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 663,141; Steve Nash (Pho) 526,493; Allen Iverson (Den) 514,291; Manu Ginobili (SA) 220,620; Jason Terry (Dal) 200,693; Baron Davis (GS) 194,048; Chris Paul (NO) 189,646; Tony Parker (SA) 183,173; Jerry Stackhouse (Dal) 178,152.

Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 813,305;Amaré Stoudemire (Pho) 463,916; Erick Dampier (Dal) 171,386; Marcus Camby (Den) 161,807; Pau Gasol (Mem) 118,759; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 85,715; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 69,691; Tyson Chandler (NO) 69,083; Andris Biedrins (GS) 67,862; Chris Kaman (LAC) 66,315.  source

NBA Basketball Fan Question Did your favorite player make the cut?

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Teammates?

Can you see it?

Rasheed Wallace joking with Shaq before the game?

A front line of Tayshaun Prince, Wallace, and Shaq?

Yeah, you are right; it probably has a zero chance of happening. But how cool would it be, if it did?

Just think of the next time the Celtics rolled into the Palace to play the Detroit Pistons and Kevin Garnett had to look up to Shaq and then see Rasheed needling him, standing right next to Shaq.

Shaq could help. The Pistons have a serious flaw on their team and it is in the paint. Rasheed and McDyess do not like to post as much as they like to shoot.

On the few occasions when the Pistons have lost this season, opponents have destroyed them in the paint.

Excluding the Nov. 18 game in Sacramento, in which both teams scored 36 points in the paint, the Pistons have been outscored in the paint by an average of 15.4 points in their seven other losses. source

Hey, Big Baby on the Celtics had the game of a lifetime against the Pistons the other day. If Big Baby can suddenly look like he is an All Star, then anyone can.

Shaquille O’Neal lowdown

Shaq will turn 35 in March and that is getting up there for a guy that carries so many pounds around. So his trade value is not too high. He can be had.

Ok, dreaming again. But even a 35 year old Shaq put on a solid roster is still dangerous. Besides, we all know Shaq only plays in the playoffs these days.

Shaquille O’Neal is off to Los Angeles to have further testing done on a dodgy hip that he hurt a few days before Christmas while diving for a loose ball. Nobody knows the extent of the injury other than to say that it could be worse than previously diagnosed (bursitis of the left hip). If it turns up that O’Neal has anything, anything wrong with his left side beyond just a little inflammation, then the Heat need send the Big Fella to bed, and not think twice about it. source

You scoff, but who would have thought Danny Ainge would land Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and not lose Paul Pierce?

Could you see the look on Duncan’s face in the NBA finals?

Yeah, the Pistons should trade for Shaq. They could be handing a championship banner.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Would you make the trade for Shaq?

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Vote for the NBA All Star team and possibly win a trip for two to the All Star game or tickets to a game.

You can go to NBA.com and vote now.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Do you watch the All Star game?

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