Top 10 NBA Storylines This Season

1. The Emergence of Kevin Durant.

The athletic small forward has pushed his game to the next level each year since he has been in the league, and this year should be no different. Coming off a stellar 08-09 season, Durant seems focused on translating his 25 points per game average into more wins for the city of Oklahoma. Most media/agents would rank Durant as the future of the game, but he is still no household name with the likes of LeBron, Wade, Melo, and even Dwight Howard. The dunk contest catupolted Superman II into the limelight and a trip to this years All-Star team could do wonders for Durant. It will be interesting to see how he and his teamates improve this season


2. Will A.I Fit In?

The Answer is back to prove all the Haters wrong, the only problem is he will be wearing a Grizzlies uniform. Personally I like the Grizz, on paper they have a nice collection of talent and youth but i'm not sure how many games they can win in the Wild West. First things first A.I has to start..right? That's why he's not in Motown anymore due to the fact he had to come off the bench. How does he fit into the Memphis organizations long term plans? I can see this ending ugly if the A.I of old comes out and tries to drop 50 every game while stunting the growth of Mayo and Gay. Or he could be the ultimate team player for half a season, and before Febuary get traded to the Lakers and win a ring with Kobe and the Lake Show. Now thats a stretch, but if it comes true just remember I said it first.

3. A Steph Curry and Monta Ellis Backcourt?

Monta Ellis publicly stated on media day that a backcourt of himself and rookie Steph Curry would not work. (See visual aid) His concerns are warranted, especially in the Western Conference where the likely matchups each night are Kobe Bryant, Manu Ginobli, Tracy McGrady ect. Those players, and many more would have a considerable height advantage over the 6'3 backcourt of Ellis and Curry, but the Warriors still have Don Nelson. The Originator of small ball with dating back to the Dallas days, Nelson will get the most out of the two headed monster of #8 and #30. Ellis may be right in the long run, but on media day when ticket sales are lagging thats not the best way to convince fans to show up.

4. 1 More For Duncan.

Tim Duncan can see the end of his career staring right back at him. I would say the window for the Spurs to win a title is 3 years, and you can tell that they are trying to do it NOW. The offseason aquisitions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess stress the urgency that the team has placed on winning this season. Duncan's numbers dipped slightly at the beginning of the season but he proved to be a force down the stretch leading the team into the postseason. Can the Spurs win one more for Duncan while the window is slightly cracked?

5. The Chase For 18.

The Boston Trio returns with a few new additions on their quest for the franchises 18th Titile. Will KG be healthy? Will Sheed fit in? Is Rhondo and Doc Rivers relationship ok? All of those questions will need to be answered correctly if the C's hope to raise another banner in 2010.

6. Hollywood Lights

The New Look Lakers will try to defend their title this season with Ron Artest and newlywed Lamar Odom. Both of theses stars have had an interseting last few months to say the least. Ron Ron has been courting the Lakers ever since his former team Houston was beaten by LA back in June. He was interviewed and photographed frequently during the Western Conference Finals on the sidelines living up the Hollywood Dream. Now he is in Purple and Yellow as a teamate to his greatest foe Kobe Bryant. Will it Work? Also, Lamar Odom wed month old girlfriend Khloe Kardashin at the same time his new clothing line "Rich Soil " was scheduled to be released. With all of these "distractions" in play how will the Lakers find time to Repeat?

7. The Big Witness Protection

Shaq's slogan this year is "Win 1 for the King!" The "King" LeBron James is in dire need of help after being booted out of the weak Eastern Conference by the Orlando Magic. The Magic wera a better team..in the paint, and adding Shaq proves to bolster the frontline this season. How much does the Big Diesel have left? Only time will tell, but Cleveland is hanging their hopes on a title being brought in to ensure that LeBron stays put in the summer of 2010.

8. D-Wade Needs Help

The man known as Flash put on quite a show last season boasting a career best in points (30.2) which lead the league in scoring. The Heat scrapped their way into the playoffs only to be dismantled by a hungry Atlanta Hawks team. Simply put, Wade needs help. 2nd year players Mario Chalmbers and Michael Beasely played well last year, but they are not consistent #2 options alongside Wade, or at least not yet. Beasely underwent rehab in the offseason and should be ready to contribute again this year. I expect Boozer to be traded to the Heat sometime this offseason, or the Jazz risk letting him walk in the Summer of 2010. This would be an attractive piece to the puzzle to keep Wade in South Beach in the hopes of adding 1 more superstar like LeBron, or Amare.

9. The Return of Tracy McGrady

T-Mac is Back and sporting a new number (#3) to mark the change in his game and life. This year McGrady did a tour of Darfur in an attempt to raise awareness of the war stricken country. The Houston Rockets have made a few changes since he last took the court; Yao is lost for the season, and Artest was virtually swaped for swingman Trevor Ariza. The Rockets are full of hustle players that will claw their way into the playoffs, but the monkey is squarely on T-Mac to get out of the 1st round, something that the team accomplished with him on the sideline nursing an injury last season. So it is his cross to bear, and one that he knows all to well dating back to his days in Orlando. I don't think the Rockets can escape another 1st round exit this year, but I will settle for a healthy T-Mac all year long. Good Luck #3.

10. Rookies

The Rookie class is always a topic of discussion during the regular season. This season the headliner is #1 overall pick Blake Griffin. Can he lead the Clipps back into the playoffs? Steph Curry is already a household name and should see significant playing time in Golden State. Hasheem Thabeet will be a nice addition in Memphis and Ricky Rubio decided to stay in Spain but his rights still remain with Minnesotta. Could this years class hold some future Hall of Famers? It wil be years before that question is answered but I'll take my chances on Blake Griffin being the Rookie of the Year.

Peace,

Agent34

Who's Making Moves in NBA Free Agency

Shaquille O'neal to the Cavs

Shaq's slogan "Win a RIng for the King."  The Cavs who lost to the Magic in the Eastern Conference, now have the Big Diesel to help slow down Superman2 Dwight Howard.  We all know the pre-game antics will be a sportcenter nightly special, but will they really win the whole thing?  The trade that brought Shaq in sent Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to the Suns.  Cleveland will still need to add 1 or 2 players to make it official, but anytime you add Shaq its an upgrade.

Vince Carter to the Magic

Orlando pulled a Big Surprise by adding Vince-Sanity to the roster, choosing him over free agent Hedo Turkoglo.  Im not sure how this will make them a better team by losing Hedo but Carter will give them a pure scorer on the wing.  Alston and Courtney Lee were sent to the Nets, while Ryan Anderson also came in with VC.  The Magic like the Cavs need to add another piece to make a super run back to the Finals. 



Ron Artest to the Lakers

The Rich get Richer!  After the Lakers beat the Rockets in Game 7 of the Western Conf Semis, Artest went to the lockeroom and told Kobe he would do everything he could to get to LA next year..and he did.  Now the Champs have a proven All-Star to pair with Kobe and a defensive stopper who can lock up any player on the court.  I already had the Lakers penned in for the Finals in 2010 and this just solidifies my pick. 

Shaq -VS- Lebron (Pre-Game)

By now I'm sure even the most average NBA fan has seen LeBron's pregame ritual of taking pictures of his teammates before tipoff..right? Well if not here are a few clips of King James getting his troops fired up. This has sparked some uneccesary controversy from the likes of Charles Barkley (not the biggest LeBron fan) on whether or not this should be acceptable as a pre-game ritual. Also, its worth mentioning that LeBron still does his signature "powder toss" in front of the scoring table as well.

Now, the Great Shaqctus has taken it upon himself to openly challenge LeBron to a pre-game celebration contest in which the fans will judge the winner. Here is a clip of what Shaq and the Suns came up with the other night verses the Wizards.
Shaq Goes Bowling

The Big Aristotle says that LeBrons intro is "weak" and that he has an unlimited array of ideas that he will be unleashing if King James accepts the challenge. I'm not sure who will be the winner but I know Shaq is a pretty creative guy, especially after seeing the 300 pounder transform into a Jabawackee.

So who do you think will win the contest? My vote is for Shaq. He's a seasoned vet with more experience in getting the crowd involved.

Heres a few more pictures to help you decide who is more entertaining, and remember this is pre-game only.





















Peace,
Agent 34

Is Shaq the MVP?

The Phoenix Suns swapped Shawn Marion for the Big Cactus over a year ago and are just now figuring out how to use him.

Shaq has been the force that has kept the Suns afloat this season, putting up some of the best numbers in his career. He is shooting a higher free throw percentage (.629) than field goal percentage (.602) ans has seemed to have found the fountain of youth in the Valley of the Sun. With injuries throughout the season to Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Amare Stoudamire; Shaq has been the most consistent and most dominate of any of the Suns and maybe even the NBA.

So I raise the question is Shaq the MVP of the League?

Think about it..he averages 17.8 pts, 9.0 rpg and has only missed 2 games all year. To make it worse he has the bounce back in his step, no longer just overpowering opponents with dunks; but using jump hooks and the infamous left hand stare. Lol. Once you factor in the fact that Shaq only averages 11.2 shots per game and he plays in the new happy offense the Suns have resurrected then he is one of the most productive players in the league. In his last two games he has poured in totals of 45 pts and 33 pts both in big wins without Amare and Nash. Lebron and Kobe may be the favorites but the Suns would not even be in contention without the Big Diesel. This is probably why the Shaq and Lebron talk never turned into action at the trade deadline. (By the way the Cavs would have won it all if that had happened..sorry Boston.) If the Suns can squeak into the playoffs with a healthy roster then "Shaqctus" will be among the few at the top of the MVP race.

Peace,
Agent 34