The NFL is undoubtedly the hallmark of American sports today-from Tom Brady, fantasy football, $1 billion TVs to concussions and God-awful parity that separates a handful of teams from the pack of mediocrity.
Just ask Tennessee Titan fans how their season is going.
And while I think Sunday is a day of rest, prayer, football, beer and pasta, this NBA season is setting up to be one of the best ever.
Unlike the NFL, there is dominance in the NBA and the 2009-2010 season will pit some of the deepest rosters in ages against one another.
Yes, even better than Michael Jordan's years.
The Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Magic and Cleveland will have as many as five potential stars on each team in what has been a very active off-season.
The Lakers are clearly the favorites to take the West with the addition of Ron Artest, as well as Lamar Odom returning (how many teams can say they have a Lamar Odom coming off their bench when he'd be the second or third best player on most teams in the league?).
- The Celtics added Rasheed Wallace and are returning Kevin Garnett.
- The Magic added Vince Carter to an already athletic and large lineup and are returning Jameer Nelson.
- The Spurs added an athletic wing in Richard Jefferson who can also defend as well as get to the cup, along with the smart and capable Antonio McDyess.
Cleveland has LeBron and that bears mentioning even though they've added this cartoonish character who can share khakis with Robert Traylor and Oliver Miller. And here's the problem: LeBron is undoubtedly great enough to carry this sluggish team through the season again but is facing better competition than ever.
With the looming 2010 free agency coming up and a strong chance that they'll be eliminated again in the playoffs by an improved Celtics and Magic team, how can LeBron look at this roster and believe they're on the cusp of something special as he enters his prime.
Shaq continues to steal headlines, even appearing on Sports Illustrated's NBA season preview, giving gullible writers the impression that Shaq still matters.
He doesn't-at least in a good way. He's a zero on defense, can't play in the fourth quarter, needs to touch the ball on offense to remain interested and doesn't exactly know how to play pick and roll with the most dynamic slasher of all time.
And how many blue-chip, hall of famers have been on five teams?
I didn't buy into the whole LeBron's leaving for Jay-Z thing in 2010 for two years, but after The King marched off the court when eliminated by the Magic in last year's playoffs, I'm thinking that Anderson Varejao and Delonte West are not enough to make him stay.
With all this at stake and what could potentially determine the fate of the NBA for the next decade as LeBron (maybe the greatest player to ever play the game) entertains free agency, this is going to be the most important and entertaining season in more than 10 years.
Here are 10 storylines to watch for the coming year:
- The Boston Celtics: If the San Antonio Spurs have won on great defense, execution and balance, then the Celtics are the Spurs 2.0. Rajon Rondo is emerging as an elite point guard and Kevin Garnett returns as the most talented defender in the game, but it will be the supporting cast of Ray Allen, Rasheed Wallace and Paul Pierce that determine whether this team can grab another title.
- The Memphis Grizzlies: Americans love dysfunction. It's why Jerry Springer continues to exist and Rod Blagojevich has thrived in Illinois politics (He said he would lower taxes and improve healthcare...why not?). So, for some reason, the Grizzlies acquired Zach Randolph with a bloated contract to play with ball-dependent young stars Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. Add in Allen Iverson, who has a reputation for eating tacos during weight-lifting sessions, and we've got a Bret-Michaels-esque freak show.
- Ron Artest: For all the obvious reasons, he's playing with the best team he's ever been on and with the best player. Can he co-exist and when will be the first time he walks around nude during post-game interviews to make his critics even less comfortable?
- Derrick Rose: Bulls' fans have one shot at becoming a title contender in the next decade and this would be the start of it. Does he take the next step, bringing the team to another playoff appearance and luring an all-star free agent to the team? We'll know by the end of July 2010 how good this team was if Gar Foreman is pictured with Channing Frye and Joel Przybilla in a press conference holding red jerseys.
- Kevin Durant: Young teams don't win in the NBA. It's a man's league, and Kevin Durant is a mere 21 years old. He's as thin as a beanpole and he hasn't added much muscle at all, heading into his third year in the NBA. But, it's possible that Durant is not meant to hold a lot of muscle on his frame and he's not that explosive. At 6'10, with long arms, Durant is undoubtedly one of the most gifted scorers in the NBA, but will he emerge as a bona fide top 5 talent?
- Danny Granger, Eric Gordon, D.J. Augustin, Rudy Fernandez: You don't know much about these players because they're either on a bad team or being underused. Granger, an all-star, is the best of the bunch but with the addition of the great white hope in Tyler Hansbrough (thank God, he's not a Bull) this team is going nowhere fast. The rest should emerge as players in the NBA and you shouldn't forget them.
- The Portland Trailblazers: I don't know what this team is. They're talented, sure. Young, also. But its biggest problem is that they're only good enough. Brandon Roy is fabulous, but he's not Dwayne Wade, LaMarcus Aldridge is a nice player but not an all-star and Greg Oden is still trying to fit into the NBA (he's not Dwight Howard or Bill Russell).
- Danillo Gallinari: Who? That's right. A one-dimensional 6'10, soft Italian-league player who can't beat anyone off the dribble and is supposed to fit into Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense but is not known for finishing. Is he young, sure? But I ask you: What is the upside of such a player? Andrea Bargnani or Yi Jianlian? Good luck filling the arena as this team will be finished about 20 games in.
- Yi Jianlian: Actually, no one cares about Yi. I just think he's a metaphor for foreign players who think they're actually better than they really are and want to undermine the NBA draft system by demanding which team controls them. It's the same approach that Ricky Rubio has taken with Minnesota, effectively making the Timberwolves one of the dumbest most-confusing franchises in the NBA. The worst part of it: These softer international players think their games translate to the NBA and they're going to be the sensations they were in their native leagues. I mean, who does Rubio think he is? He would be guarding strong and athletic points like Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose. This should be a lesson for both parties: "We've be ‘Yi-ed' and we're looking for alternatives."
- Dwayne Wade: See above about LeBron James. After Michael Beasley was found lying around beer bottles post rehab, you have to wonder if Wade is shopping the market for a team that doesn't employ Jeremy Shockey as their power forward.
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