82 Things to Watch For This NBA Season (Pt. 1)

Finally.

It's been three long months since the NBA last took center stage when the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to win their 17th NBA title back in June. In those three months, basketball junkies have had plenty to talk about: players headed overseas (let them go), players staying put (Gilbert Arenas), players almost staying put (Elton Brand), players not staying put (Elton Brand, Baron Davis), and even the very fun to watch fantasy team of USA basketball stars bring the home the gold (USA!).

All of those things, however, are just little teasers throughout the summer to remind us that the NBA season isn't as far away as it seems. Little nuggets of best and worst case scenarios to kick around hypothetically while you wait and see what really plays out.

Now, with the NBA preseason set to begin this week, we get to see the 2008-09 version of NBA basketball.

Finally.

However, just because camp opens this week doesn't mean the speculation needs to end. After all, the regular season doesn't start until October 28th.

I wouldn't be doing my job if I let a basketball fan go into the upcoming season blind. So, starting today and every Monday for the next five weeks, I'll be counting down the 82 things to watch for this NBA regular season.

They are, in no particular order…

82. Kobe vs. LeBron

There is one sure topic you can count on being up for debate before every NBA season starts: who is the best player in the world right now? This season is no exception.

Last year, Kobe won his first MVP award and led his team to the NBA Finals. LeBron averaged 30 points per game and nearly 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Based on that, you'd think it'd be a dead-heat coming into this season.

Then the Olympics came around this summer and LeBron went off. He came out and shot nearly 67% from the floor. He was the best player on the floor most of the time for what is most certainly the second best basketball team ever assembled. And yes, that includes the time that he spent on the floor with Kobe.

Advantage LeBron, right?

Not even close. Anyone who watched the gold medal game against Spain knows who the best player in the world is. The fourth quarter of that game is a perfect example of how far LeBron has to go to get to the level that Kobe is at.

When the game was on the line (the United States lead by just two points with a little over eight minutes to play), Kobe took over. He was dominant. He got to the basket. He knocked down threes. He drew fouls. He found open teammates. He was a man amongst boys, only he wasn't playing against boys at all, but the best competition the international game has to offer.

With the gold medal hanging in the balance, coach Mike Krzyzewski and the rest of team USA decided to get the ball in Kobe's hands and let him win the game. Not because no one else was capable, not because no one else can handle the big stage, but because Kobe is the best player on the planet. Period.

81. Dwyane Wade's Possible Comeback

This one actually hurts a little bit. I've spent more time ripping D-Wade in this space than I have on any other topic. I couldn't stand anything about his game. To me, he was just the whiny swing guard that got bailed out on every play for an entire playoffs, milked every bump and bruise for more camera time, and inexplicitly became a star in this league without actually having the skillset of a superstar.

Then he left the floor on a wheelchair with a shoulder injury and I snapped. No grown man should ever be wheeled off the floor with an upper body injury. I was done with Dwyane Wade; he was forever on my bad side.

Then the Olympics came around this year and I couldn't believe what happened: I was rooting for Dwyane Wade. Hard. I mean, how could you not? He played the entire tournament with such energy and such passion that it was impossible not to root for him. The second quarter of the gold medal game was one of the top five greatest quarters of basketball I've seen one player play.

It got to the point that when a Spanish player took a cheap shot at Wade after his buzzer-beating three-point attempt at the end of the half, I was furious. How could this have happened? I've made a career out of taking cheap shots at Dwyane Wade, and now all the sudden I'm beside myself when someone else does it.

Maybe it was my patriotic side that wouldn't let me root against Wade this summer, but I know one thing: if Dwyane Wade plays as hard for the Miami Heat this season as he did for Team USA, he'll earn himself at least one more fan than he already has.

80. Chris Paul

Chris Paul has replaced Allen Iverson and Isiah Thomas as my favorite little guy of all-time. Watching Paul play is amazing. He can get to any spot on the floor he wants, and he does it seemingly so effortless and with a certain swagger that makes it impossible not to pull for him. And while we already touched on the Kobe vs. LeBron debate, let's not forget who finished second in the MVP voting last year.

Bryant and James may get most of the early attention for MVP, but if CP3 plays at the same level he did last year, we are definitely going to have a three-horse race for MVP by New Year's.

79. Deron Williams

Per NBA rules, everyone who mentions Chris Paul must immediately mention Deron Williams. Since I wouldn't want to catch the wrath of Commissioner Stern, I'll abide.

Williams broke out in his second season, averaging 16 points and 9 assists, but he stepped his game to a whole other level last season, averaging 18.8 points and 10.5 assists while leading the Utah Jazz to the second round of the playoffs.

Although his individual numbers may not be as good as Chris Paul's, Williams' teams have had more success, which leads to the inevitable...

78. Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams

These guys might as well live with the fact that they are going to spend their entire careers being compared to one another. They are roughly the same age, play the same position, came out in the same draft and were picked back to back. The debate might get tired to them, but each one presents a good measuring stick to the other, and the comparisons are worth making.

So who has had the upper hand so far in their "rivalry?" Chris Paul has certainly had more individual success. He was Rookie of the Year, First Team All-NBA last year, Second Team All-Defense, and finished second in the MVP voting.

Williams has yet to make an all-star team, although he did manage a Second Team All-NBA bid last year. Clearly, he hasn't been as outstanding as Paul from an individual standpoint, but Williams has won 15 playoff games to Paul's seven. Williams has played in the conference finals, Paul got blown-out at home in a Game 7 that would have sent him there.

Chris Paul might have the slight edge on Deron Williams coming into this season because it looks like he has finally been able to elevate his team to a high level, but if the Utah Jazz outperform the New Orleans Hornets again this season, it might be time to admit that D-Will might actually be the better player.

77. Will Ron Artest the Rockets' Missing Link?

The Rockets may have made the biggest move of the offseason by acquiring Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings. A team that was already stacked (on paper) added another potential all-world caliber player.

Any hope for a positive outcome ended early, however. Yao's reaction to bringing in Artest: "hopefully he's not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands."

I love how Yao didn't even generalize the idea of Artest fighting fans, but used the singular "guy" to describe who Artest would fight. It's like he already has someone in mind. There's probably some loudmouth fan with season tickets courtside at the Toyota Center that gets under everybody's skin and when Yao heard about the trade his first thought was, "Yeah, I could see Artest punching that guy in the face."

At least Artest took the high road and responded with the always classy, "I'm still ghetto."

It's certainly not a lack of talent that keeps the Rockets from succeeding year after year. The problem is staying healthy and team chemistry.

Forgive me if I'm not buying into bringing in Ron Artest, the biggest locker room cancer in the league and a guy only averages 59 games per season, as the solution to all of the Rockets' problems.

76. Andrew Bynum's Return From Knee Surgery

While the Rockets may have made the biggest trade of the offseason, the Lakers may have made the biggest addition to their lineup. All they had to do was reach out to the end of the bench.

After blowing out his knee in January, Andrew Bynum missed the final 47 games and the entire postseason for the Lakers. His injury may have proved to be fatal to the team as defensive rebounding and interior defense were the two biggest weaknesses exposed by the Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Bynum had been averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game before the injury. If he can return to form his added defensive presence and the lineup flexibility he brings to the table, it could make an already outstanding Laker team very scary in the West.

75. Gilbert Arenas Has (Another) Knee Surgery

Make that knee surgery number three in 17 months for Agent Zero. I hate to say it, but Arenas could be tracking towards being the next Grant Hill, but not in a good way. Continually having major surgery on the same part of the body is not a recipe for success.

Gilbert may be fun to listen to, fun to read, and fun to host a pool party, but his days as being fun to watch play may be behind him if he keeps getting tripped up by the same knee. Let's hope that he can fully recover and isn't relegated to penning his autobiography: "What If: The Gilbert Arenas Story."

74. The Stephon Marbury Saga

Someone has to pay for the jet fuel. Even though the Knicks reportedly want to buy out the remaining year on Marbury's contract, the point guard says he won't accept anything less than the $21 million he is owed.

$21 million a year is a ridiculous amount to pay Marbury, but once he gets bought out and signs somewhere for the veteran's minimum, he becomes great value for whatever team signs him. He is a shoe-in for the Chris Webber Award for having the worst contract in the league and the best contract in the league in the same season.

Early rumors are that he could end up in Miami. Marbury, Wade, Shawn Marion, and Michael Beasley in the same starting lineup? The Heat could be an early sleeper team in the East.

73. The Elton Brand Saga

Maybe Donald Sterling shouldn't have slept on Elton Brand. That way he could have ponies up extra few million dollars and kept Brand around. Instead, he allowed Philly to swoop in and trump his offer, then stood idly by while his star player took the deal and jumped ship.

Look, I'm not saying it was cool for Elton Brand to go back on his word, but the fact is no one in their right mind would pass up several million dollars more to play elsewhere. But losing Brand was just another example of the ineptitude in the front office that has plagued the Clippers for years.

Instead of coming into this season and keeping their best player in Brand and swapping out their second best player (Corey Maggette) for Baron Davis, they basically made the change from Elton Brand and Corey Maggette to Baron Davis and Marcus Camby.

The Clippers went 23-59 last year. If they would have stayed healthy, maybe they win 40 games. As usual, instead of taking a step forward this season, they made a lateral move. Mike, Sr. and Donald Sterling can complain all they want about unscrupulous agents or backstabbing or what have you, but the fact is that the Clippers organization dropped the ball. Again.

72. The Celtics' Bid For Back-to-Back Titles

I wanted to spend all of part one of this preview talking about individual players. After all, teams haven't even practiced together yet so it's a little premature to start predicting where teams will finish. However, it wouldn't make sense to talk about the 2008-09 season without visiting the 2007-08 champions.

The biggest problem the Celtics are going to face is a potential hangover. Last year's team was so dead-set on achieving one goal, of which they were successful, that I believe they are spent.

The Celtics team was built to win immediately. There weren't formed with the idea of building for the future. They put so much effort into the season both mentally and physically that I can imagine this team getting back to that level. Convincing these players to play over 100 games with such passion for their first title is one thing, but convincing them to do it again on a short turnaround is quite another.

I'm not saying they can't reach that highest level again, but it seems likely that coming off such an intense playoffs that this team of 30-somethings might just throw it in cruise control for the first few months and try to play their way into championship form after the new year.

Then again, we could see this opening night and all bets are off.

We'll know soon enough. The NBA season is here.

Finally.