Writing the Pine

The 2009-2010 NBA season tips off tonight with quite possibly the best quartet of games you’ll find on any given day throughout the year.  The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers cut the ribbon on the season as they renew their rivalry after a year off last year.  Then, a refurbished Gilbert Arenas leads the revamped Washington Wizards against the Dallas Mavericks and their new weapon – Dirk Nowitzki’s hair.  Just kidding, I mean Shawn Marion.  At 10pm, the Portland Trail Blazers look to get revenge on the Houston Rockets, who eliminated them from the playoffs a year ago.  Finally, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers take on the other team in Los Angeles and the new kid in town, Blake Griffin.  Devestating news out of Los Angeles that the likely would-be Rookie of the Year suffered a broken kneecap in the last preseason game.  Terrible news for the Clippers and even worse news for the young man out of Oklahoma.  Here’s to a speedy recovery.  Nevertheless, it’ll be an intriguing season for sure with all the top teams having gotten better and the worst teams having gotten even worse.  The fun won’t even stop after a new (or the same) champion is crowned in June.  No sir.  Not with a loaded draft class and the most anticipated, star-studded free-agent class in the history of sports waiting.  The 2010 offseason may be the most dramatic part of the year but until then, here’s a few top 5 lists for the upcoming season and some predictions for the year-end awards.

TOP 5 MVP
1. KOBE BRYANT
2. LEBRON JAMES
3. DWYANE WADE
4. DWIGHT HOWARD
5. BRANDON ROY

TOP 5 TEAMS
1. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
2. BOSTON CELTICS
3. ORLANDO MAGIC
4. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
5. SAN ANTONIO SPURS

TOP 5 ROOKIES
1. BLAKE GRIFFIN TYREKE EVANS
2. TYREKE EVANS BLAKE GRIFFIN
3. JONNY FLYNN
4. JAMES HARDEN
5. STEPHEN CURRY

TOP 5 BREAKOUT PLAYERS
1. ANTHONY RANDOLPH
2. GREG ODEN
3. DANILO GALLINARI
4. RAYMOND FELTON
5. ANDREA BARGNANI

TOP 5 COMEBACK PLAYERS
1. GILBERT ARENAS
2. MANU GINOBILI
3. MICHAEL REDD
4. ELTON BRAND
5. ALLEN IVERSON

TOP 5 MOST LIKELY TO BE TRADED
1. TAYSHAUN PRINCE
2. CARLOS BOOZER
3. STEPHEN JACKSON
4. MIKE MILLER
5. RAYMOND FELTON

TOP 5 STARTING LINEUPS
1. BOSTON CELTICS
2. ORLANDO MAGIC
3. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
4. DENVER NUGGETS
5. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

TOP 5 BENCHES
1. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
2. SAN ANTONIO SPURS
3. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
4. WASHINGTON WIZARDS
5. DETROIT PISTONS

TOP 5 PROSPECTS

1. DERRICK FAVORS
2. JOHN WALL
3. GREG MONROE
4. ED DAVIS
5. AVERY BRADLEY

NBA CHAMPION – LOS ANGELES LAKERS

MVP – KOBE BRYANT

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – BLAKE GRIFFIN TYREKE EVANS

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – LEBRON JAMES

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER – ANTHONY RANDOLPH

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR – GILBERT ARENAS

You may disagree with all of my picks and maybe rip them to shreds.  But one thing I’m sure we can all agree on is THIS SEASON CAN’T GET STARTED SOON ENOUGH!!!!