The NBA season is upon us and another season with immense storylines. Two years ago was the formation of the “big three” in Miami. Last season had many storylines including the big three in New York, the big three in Oklahoma City that was homegrown, LeBron James needing to win a title immediately, and a small issue of a lockout.

This season has a few more storylines. First off the defending champs got even better with the acquisition of Ray Allen. The Knicks got more veteran leadership to make a run towards the NBA Championship Knicks fans desperately crave. The Nets have formed their own “big three” including Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, with Gerald Wallace and Kris “Khardashian” Humphries. Oh by the way, the Lakers got Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, no big deal. With all of that said, here is my NBA preview for the upcoming 2012-2013 season.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1) Miami Heat (66-16)- Let’s make this quick. The Miami Heat are the best team in basketball, the defending NBA champions, they added Ray Allen, and they have LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Yes, they are the top seed in the east.

2) Indiana Pacers (52-30)- If you can recall my preview from last season, I said that the Indiana Pacers were the team to watch out for in the East, that they were the sleepers of the season. Sure enough the Pacers were in fact one of the surprise teams and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals where they gave the Heat a run. This Pacers team is young, talented and with the Bulls having lost Derrick Rose for the majority of the season, the Pacers are the team to beat in their division. While I’m not sure they make as much playoff noise this year, this team should be a top the East.

3) New York Knicks (48-34)- Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I present to you the new Atlantic Division champions. The Knicks got older, but as the Boston Celtics have proved, age is a weapon, not a disadvantage. Don’t listen to the networks that tell you because of the age and loss of Jeremy Lin that this team is no better than the fifth seed. Jeremy Lin has looked horrendous in the preseason in Houston and these networks are just trying to stir controversy from a story that is already dead.

The reality is that the Knicks have a ton of depth, they have star power, they are finally well coached for the first time in a long time, and they play very good defense for the first time in a long time. This Knick season will hinge upon Carmelo Anthony taking the next step forward and becoming the superstar I think he is as well as the coexistence of Amar’e Stoudemire and Anthony on the offensive side of the floor. Both these things happen, and the Knicks could be a real contender for the Eastern Conference title.

4) Brooklyn Nets (46-36)- The new big three in Brooklyn is poised for a playoff run this year. They own one of the best point guards in the game in Deron Williams, a great offensive center in Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson is a dynamic scorer. They’re well coached, their superstars play team oriented basketball, and they have a solid bench. New York has a rivalry folks and it’s going to be fun.

5) Boston Celtics (46-36)- Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. The day where the Boston Celtics are no longer the best team in the Atlantic Division. Don’t believe me? Here’s a few notes on the Celtic team for this season.

First off, Boston is not a big team. Yes, they did draft Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo to become younger in the frontcourt, but Sullinger is a little undersized for a big man and Fab Melo lacks offensive ability and has a ten cent head. Yes the Celtics added depth in the backcourt with Jason Terry and Courtney Lee, but they lost Ray Allen, who for their system worked a lot better than Terry or Lee because of his high field goal percentage. I’m not sure if this team is as good as the Nets or Knicks.

The key to the Celtics season will be Paul Pierce. Pierce is one of the most underrated players in the game. He has been a Celtic legend and one of the most dynamite clutch scorers ever. With Garnett aging and Rondo’s inconsistent scoring (although it is getting better), Pierce must be a 20 point scorer for this team in order for them to go back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

6) Philadelphia 76ers (44-38)- The Sixers have improved drastically with the addition of Andrew Bynum. Bynum gives them a legitimate superstar that is a dynamite low post scorer. With Spencer Hawes and Bynum in the frontcourt and a talented scoring backcourt consisting of Evan Turner, Nick Young and Jrue Holliday, the Sixers can make a deep playoff run.

Here’s the issue. After losing Andre Igoudala, the Sixers now lack defense… entirely. Holliday isn’t a great defender, new additions Dorrell Wright, Nick Young and Jason Richardson play defense worse than a Mike D’Antoni led team, and minus Bynum in the middle, their low post defense is spotty. Their defense could be their downfall, especially in the postseason.

7) Chicago Bulls (42-40)- The Bulls have a massive challenge this season without Derrick Rose until at best mid-January. I did not like the Bulls made in the offseason. Letting go of great contributors like C.J Watson, Omir Asik, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver, guys who added valuable minutes, and replacing them with essentially just Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson could severely hamper this team.

However, in an Eastern Conference where the bottom half is not good and with very good players like Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and others, the Bulls should survive until the return of Rose.

8 ) Toronto Raptors (40-42)- I might be the only person on this team’s bandwagon, but I think the Raptors are poised for a playoff run. The bottom half of the East is absolutely awful, so any team here would have sufficed, but the reason I think it will be the Raptors is because of their offseason additions. Adding Kyle Lowry, a very underrated point guard, as a compliment to Jose Calderon gives them a very strong point guard duo. The Raptors drafted Terrence Ross, a phenomenal scoring two guard from Washington. Also, the Raptors get last year’s first round pick Jonas Valenciunas for this season. Valenciunas provides a low post scorer and a good rebounder, two things Andrea Bargnani is not. If all goes well, this team will play good defense under Dwayne Casey and could make a run to the playoffs.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1) Oklahoma City Thunder (62-20)- I’m going to make this one equally as short as I made the analysis about the Heat. They’re young, athletic, ridiculously talented, and well coached. They have not one, not two, not three, but four all-star caliber players, including newly acquired Kevin Martin who provides a lethal scoring option off the bench, more so than James Harden did.

2) Los Angeles Lakers (59-23)- The big three philosophy has made another splash, this time in Hollywood. The Lakers traded for Dwight Howard and signed Steve Nash to form a massive big four of Howard, Nash, Pau Gasol, and that Kobe character. While the Lakers don’t have a great bench, actually they lack an NBA caliber bench to be specific, their starting lineup is so good that this team is going to do damage this season in the West.

3) Denver Nuggets (55-27)- I present to you the actual winners of the Dwight Howard trade. The Nuggets traded Aaron Afflalo, a solid player but nothing special, a useless Al Harrington, and a first round pick not even in the upcoming draft, for Andre Iguodala, a borderline superstar. They also made sure to keep JaVale McGee, Andre Miller and Wilson Chandler. This team is very similar to the Thunder minus the superstar talent. They are young, freakishly athletic, they score as a team rather than as individuals, and will be better on defense this year. If you’re looking for a team not named the Heat, Thunder or Lakers to win the NBA Title, these guys are your pick.

4) San Antonio Spurs (54-28)- Same old story for the same old Spurs. Everyone else makes big offseason moves, the Spurs keep all their pieces and compete for an NBA title. I don’t know if San Antonio has the “horses” to go all the way because the Spurs are not as athletic as the three teams above him. However, it’s Greg Popovich, it’s Tony Parker, it’s Tim Duncan, and it’s the Spurs. Anything is possible with this team.

5) Los Angeles Clippers (50-32)- The Clippers won’t catch anyone by surprise this season, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be as good. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are still the leaders of this team, but the bench became much more productive. With the additions of Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes and Grant Hill, this young Clippers team now has some veteran leadership to help them try to take the next step. Whether they will be able to do it remains to be seen.

6) Memphis Grizzlies (48-34)- The Grizzlies start the season healthy, which means they’re a threat to challenge the top dogs in the West. However, since the chances of them staying healthy for a full season are not likely, this could be the same old tune for the Grizz.

Assuming they can stay healthy this could be a really good team. I love the addition of Jeryd Bayless and the drafting of Tony Wroten. Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol make up one of the best frontcourts in the game and Mike Conley is an underrated point guard. They might not be one of the top teams, but don’t sleep on Memphis.

7) Minnesota Timerwolves (47-35)- Another team not to sleep on. The Timberwolves are one of the deepest teams in the league and have a tremendous front court that almost no one knows about. Sure everyone knows Kevin Love, but Nikola Peckovic is a very good center and adding Andrei Kirilenko at small forward gives them a much better defensive frontcourt. They added Brandon Roy, who if healthy can be a terrific scorer off the bench. They traded for Chase Budinger who can contribute off the bench and spell an aging Kirilenko and Greg Stiemsma, who proved in minimal minutes in Boston that he can be very valuable. They also have very productive point guards in Luke Ridnour and JJ Barea. This could be the surprise team of the season.

8 ) Dallas Mavericks (44-38)- It’s time for Mark Cuban and company to face the reality. The Mavs are no longer the championship contender they once were. They added some nice pieces in the offseason like OJ Mayo to replace Jason Terry, and Darren Collison to replace Jason Kidd.

However with an aging superstar, no interior defense and a lack of a dominant wing scorer, they’re just not where they once were, even if their owner says they are.

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

Miami Heat vs. Toronto Raptors- Unless the Raptors can come up with a squad equivalent to the Avengers, this series is over before it starts. Heat in Four

Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls- Derrick Rose in the worst scenario would come back to the Bulls in time for the postseason, but I’m not sure he matters here. I think the Bulls win this series with or without him. They might not be the better team, but they will be better coached and after last season’s loss to the Sixers in the postseason, there will be a chip on the Bulls shoulder. Also the Bulls will have almost a full season to learn how to play without Rose so they should be ready this time around. Bulls in Six

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers- I think the Knicks will get over the hump and win their first playoff series in what feels like a millennium. For proof, I will put three common misnomers to bed. First off, Tyson Chandler owns Andrew Bynum. While Bynum puts up the occasional good scoring night, Chandler averages more rebounds and a much better field goal percentage in head to head meetings.

Second is that the Knicks can’t guard the Sixers three point shooting. The Knicks were bad at guarding the three last season, however when Mike Woodson took over they were fifth in points allowed and eight in field goal percentage defensively. They will be better against the three on defense.

Finally the argument that has to be made, can Carmelo Anthony win in the playoffs? To be blunt, yes. This is the same Carmelo Anthony that delivered a national championship to one of the most overrated head coaches of all time, but that’s a different argument for a different day. To compare him to another prominent scorer, it took Reggie Miller five years to win a playoff series. This is doable, if he buys into playing with a team like Miller learned to. Knicks in Seven

Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics- This may be a little out there, but I like the Nets here. Brooklyn will make the Celtics run for the whole series and with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, MarShon Brooks Gerald Wallace and others the Nets can light up a scoreboard. Not to mention that this team is also versatile enough to beat the Celtics at their own half court style game. Brook Lopez is a very talented offensive center and the Celtics might not have an answer for a seven footer with a lethal mid range game. I like the Celtics experience to help them, but I like the Nets in the end. Nets in Seven

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks- Just as I refused to entertain the thought of an eight beating a one in the East, I refuse to do it in the West. Thunder in Five

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves- The Timberwolves would be a great story to make it here, but they would also stand no chance versus Kobe and company. Lakers in Five

Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies- Many people would expect this to be a great series, but I’m not sure it’s as competitive as it may appear. The Grizzlies are good, but they’re weak in the up tempo style game. It’s why they were a nightmare matchup for the Spurs two years ago and lost to the up tempo Clippers last year. Denver is lethal on offense, runs the floor better than anyone in the league, and with the additions of Javale McGee and drafting Kenneth Faried last season and trading for Andre Iguodala, they might actually be able to play enough defense to be a force in the West. Nuggets in Five

San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers- This will be the best series in the West. The Spurs like to slow the game down and play half court basketball, where as the Clippers want to run and use their athleticism. I like the Clippers here because of what they were able to do over a long series to the Grizzlies last season, who play a very similar style. However, if the Spurs were to win I wouldn’t be surprised, this will be a great series. Clippers in Seven

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls- I don’t mean to make it look like the Bulls have no chance, but I’m not sure anyone in the East has a chance versus the Heat. LeBron James got the monkey off his back so to say, and it might just be lights out for the rest of the league. Whether you love him or you hate him, he is that good. Heat in Five

New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets- In the inaugural season of the Brooklyn Nets we see the New York-New York rivalry in the playoffs. This might be too good to be true, but I’m going to continue anyway. In what will be for lack of a better word a war for New York supremacy, I like the Knicks in a grueling series. Once again, let’s put to bed a couple of misnomers that might lead you to pick the Nets. Tyson Chandler will manhandle Brook Lopez because Lopez is a soft center. Deron Williams is a star, but the Knicks point guards do play good defense. Joe Johnson has a tendency to struggle in the postseason. Even with nagging injuries, Amar’e Stoudemire will dominate Kris “Khardashian” Humphries and the Knicks three point shooting will help take pressure off of Carmelo Anthony in the half court. Knicks in Seven

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers- This series will get a lot of headlines, but not be that competitive. The Thunder are really good and minus Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Clippers don’t match up anywhere to the Thunder. Thunder in Five

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets- I’ve gone back and forth on this series about nine times, but I’m going to take the Lakers. While the Nuggets are going to be great this season, the Lakers may have too much star power for this series. They’re tough to guard on defense and for a Nuggets squad that plays questionable defense, it could spell doom. Lakers in Seven

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks- If you haven’t figured out yet, the Heat are really good and no matter who plays them here, they don’t stand a chance. Heat in Five

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers- Allow me to put to rest the misnomer that this big four in Los Angeles might not work the first season. They have a hall of fame point guard to distribute the ball between a very good power forward (Pau Gasol), a hall of fame shooting guard (Kobe Bryant) and a hall of fame center (Dwight Howard), eventually. They’re the only team in the West with the star power to match the Thunder, and as we saw in the NBA Finals, the Thunder were exposed by this. Lakers in Six

NBA FINALS

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat- In the first of at least two consecutive meetings between the two (at least that’s the way I feel), I like the Heat to repeat as champions. While the Heat don’t match up with Dwight Howard, the Lakers also can’t match up against LeBron James. The Heat have more chemistry, they’re more athletic, and believe it or not they have more depth. Also, for the first season this will be Kobe’s team, and in this series with Dwight Howard having the mismatches he will, that will hurt them. Heat in Six

NBA AWARDS

M.V.P- LeBron James
Defensive Player of the Year- Dwight Howard
Sixth Man of the Year- Ray Allen
Rookie of the Year- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Coach of the Year- George Karl

When LeBron James hosted an hour long special on ESPN to declare he was signing with the Miami Heat (known as “The Decision”), many people (mostly Cleveland Cavaliers fans) started to dislike him. The way James took care of his free agency situation started a trend of superstars demanding/signing with other stars to form “super teams”. It wasn’t the first time it happened, but since James is regarded as the NBA’s best overall talent, most NBA stars thought, “If he’s teaming up with other stars, I have to do so to beat him.”

Enter Dwight Howard. Howard is currently (and surprisingly) an Orlando Magic. Throughout the past two seasons, we’ve heard mumbles on how he’s been demanding a trade and was involved in the firing of his head coach and general manager. All of this occurs, and Howard opts-in to finish the rest of the 2011-12 season and the next as a Magic.

You’re probably thinking to yourself how can someone be so indecisive. Howard has been demanding a trade to the Brooklyn Nets since midway through the 2011-12 season and has publicly stated his desire to play there alongside Deron Williams.

The Nets have been aggressive in trying to acquire the All Star center since his demands went public. Brooklyn has offered numerous trade requests that have all been denied by Orlando management. It’s gotten to the point where the Nets have recently agreed to a max contract with current center Brook Lopez. In the new CBA, a signed player can’t be traded until midway through the next season, so Lopez can’t be trade bait until January 2013.

Numerous teams have also inquired about Howard’s services. Examples are the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks. The problem is Howard only wants to play for the Nets and won’t sign an extension with any other team if traded, which is why he’s still in Orlando.

It’s unfortunate the ignorance of a star player is the reason why a franchise can’t clean house. The Magic are trying desperately to move him before next season but have failed miserably. And to think all of this could’ve been avoided if he didn’t opt-in when he clearly didn’t want to.

Part of this blame does fall on the Magic. They knew Howard was going to leave after last season and wanted to. So what was the point of persuading him to stay for just one more year to add more drama? Clearly management didn’t think of this when talking to him. Now they’re trying to rid of him. It makes no sense.

Howard wasn’t the first player to do this to a franchise. Around midway through last season, Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams were both unhappy stars that wanted out. Anthony, instead of Howard, refused to sign an extension and made it clear he wasn’t staying. He set his eyes on the Big Apple and the New York Knicks before eventually being traded there for a kitchen sink of role players. Williams’ relationship with Jerry Sloan caused the Hall of Fame coach to retire and Williams packed his bags to New Jersey (now Brooklyn).

I think that there should be disciplinary actions brought down on players like Howard. The NBA is a business, and the players should only have a say in where they go if they’re free agents. Imagine telling your boss you demand a trade to a new office or you won’t work. You think your boss will beg you to come back? Of course not. He’ll just go to his application list and call the first person that sparks his interest.

That’s why I don’t dislike LeBron James. Of course “The Decision” was publicly aired on television, but most people forget that was to donate the money to the Boys and Girls Club of America. It wasn’t like he wanted a camera to say, “HAHA see yah’ Cleveland! I’m joining Wade and Bosh!” He was also a free agent, so James had every right to address what team he’d play for.

Back to the disciplinary action. If a player holds back an organization like Howard is currently doing, he should be suspended without pay until further notice. I know it sounds harsh, but this has been going on for nearly two seasons. The Orlando Magic and its fans don’t deserve to be going on the Internet every day to see Howard in their uniform while he wants to wear another. The other punishment should be trading him to the Charlotte Bobcats, although that’s probably worse than the first option. I bet David Stern wouldn’t veto that trade.

Dwight Howard is the poster child of what the new CBA was supposed to block. It was supposed to block star players from demanding trades to another team to form a super trio. It was supposed to increase luxury tax and decrease cap space to avoid this. Unfortunately, it’s failed to this point.

Howard is going to get what he wants, but his indecision screwed up a franchise’s early rebuilding stages. There’s still time to rid him, but other franchises know he’s only committing to Brooklyn. People dislike LeBron James for making a decision, but they should turn that attention to Dwight Howard for his indecisiveness.

After all of the wacky things that happened to the Orlando Magic in the 2011-2012 season, they have decided to clean house (literally). Otis Smith is no longer general manager, Stan Van Gundy is gone, and most of all, Dwight Howard is officially on the trading block. No flip-flopping, Howard will officially be out of Orlando by the end of next season at the latest.

So the big question is where will Superman land. There have been a number of rumored teams interested in the big man’s services, and in this edition of Katz Korner, we’ll explore all of them, as well as give you my opinion on where Howard will go.

Brooklyn Nets- Well the first team on the list is the most obvious one. With the move to Brooklyn, there’s no secret that general manager Bernard King and owner Mikhail Prokhorov want to build a “Big Three” of their own. In order to keep Deron Williams, the Nets will need to establish something this offseason, which will make them very aggressive for Howard as the draft gets closer.

I would expect that in a package for Howard would include Brook Lopez, multiple draft picks, and maybe MarShon Brooks. Remember, Otis Smith is out as GM, so maybe when King comes calling with this ridiculous offer, it will actually get done.

Los Angeles Lakers- The Lakers have been constantly rumored with Dwight Howard, but let me explain why this won’t happen. The Lakers would need to part ways with Andrew Bynum, because Pau Gasol will not cut it. There’s no way the Magic choose to clear house and then decide to take Pau’s contract. It will most likely take Bynum plus draft picks and a player or two.

Even if the Lakers offered the right package, Dwight would have to sign a long-term deal to get the deal done. He has said time and time again that he doesn’t want to be Shaquille O’Neal. If he went to L.A., it would be exactly like the Superman that played before him. So in short, I doubt Dwight goes to the Lakers.

New York Knicks- In short, no. Once again, this could have been a possible landing spot if the Magic weren’t deciding to completely clean house and restart from scratch. They’re going to look for draft picks, which the Knicks don’t have, and big expiring contracts, which the Knicks don’t have. The Knicks have been rumored as to wanting to try to deal Amar’e Stoudemire, but they will have to look elsewhere.

Los Angeles Clippers- Now this is a real possibility. I understand the Clippers haven’t been rumored all that much, but they might become more and more of a likely destination if he isn’t traded during the offseason. Something like Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan, and multiple draft picks could make a lot of sense for the rebuilding Magic. I know that the Clippers haven’t been mentioned much, but this is a real possibility.

Dallas Mavericks- Well it’s no secret if a big name is out there, Mark Cuban will make a play for him. Cuban could steal the show here. If Dwight doesn’t wind up in Brooklyn before the July deadline for becoming a free agent, then Deron Williams will leave Brooklyn and become a free agent, which means that the Mavs’ become the favorite to land the star point guard who is from the area.

This now gives Cuban the possibility to build his own “Big Three.” He could trade expiring contracts, draft picks, and make a serious play at Howard. This scenario is unlikely, but never rule out Mark Cuban.

Prediction- Dwight Howard winds up in Brooklyn. Not only do the Nets have the most to offer, but Brooklyn is a basketball Mecca. It will become a monster draw for free agents to come. Howard will wind up a Net before or on draft day for Brook Lopez and the team’s draft picks for the immediate future. Deron Williams will stay, and New York basketball will have a rivalry for the first time ever.

Since I did one for the NHL, it would only do justice to follow up with one for the NBA. Here are my five players to watch out for at the NBA trade deadline March 15.

1. Dwight Howard, C Orlando Magic: This is literally just the Shaquille O’Neal situation back in 1996. The Orlando Magic have this superstar center and are refusing to trade him. Based on the way trade talks are going currently, Howard might terminate his contract after this season and test the free-agent waters.

General manager Otis Smith doesn’t intend to trade his star, but rather hold on to him and win now.

Howard has let the public know he’s interested with playing on other teams. Such examples Howard has stated are the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets.

Some of the offers we’ve heard include trading Howard to the Orlando for Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, Howard for Brook Lopez and two first-round draft picks, and Howard for Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.

Instead of trading their star, Smith has plans to go out and acquire another star to compliment his big man. That other star’s name will come up later in my article.

Come March 15, Dwight Howard will stay in a Magic uniform. There may be lots of speculation about a potential trade, but this is just history literally repeating itself. The Magic will hold on to Dwight Howard, make their playoff run, lose before the conference finals, and lose him to free agency. And you would’ve thought they learned from the Shaq days.

2. Ramon Sessions, G Cleveland Cavaliers: When the Cavaliers drafted PG Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, it was obvious Sessions would be the odd man out. This season, Sessions has had a pretty solid season, averaging 15 points and 7.5 assists per 36 minutes off the bench.

Sessions’ play has attracted the likes of several teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Atlanta Hawks. Making four million dollars each year off the bench, general manager Chris Grant should deal him. And it sounds like it might happen too. Sessions might only require a few second-round draft picks to acquire.

I see Sessions eventually becoming an Atlanta Hawk. The Hawks backcourt is weak, with Jeff Teague being the only productive guard this season. If they want to make a deep playoff run when Al Horford comes back, another guard would be the solution. The deal would involve Marvin Williams for Sessions straight up with a few money insets. Williams would be an upgrade over Omri Casspi, while Sessions would fit in well with Teague.

3. Stephen Jackson, G/F Milwaukee Bucks: Can a player-team relationship get any worse than this? After being acquired from the Charlotte Bobcats on June 23, 2011, he’s been vocal about not being happy with his current situation. He doesn’t even like the franchise in general and is demanding a trade.

The 33-year-old is considered by coaches as an all-around player who is a team player and makes everyone around him better. There have been a few reports surfacing about the Orlando Magic possibly trading for him, but talks have died down. Another team interested is the New Jersey Nets, only because Dwight Howard wants to play with him and Deron Williams. Jackson won’t be hard to acquire since the Bucks are desperate to get rid of him. It might take a second-round pick at the least.

I see Jackson being traded to the Nets. This would be a big step in the right direction for New Jersey in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes. It would also be fitting to see Jackson end his NBA career where it started, as well as helping them win a title or two if Howard decides to go to New Jersey after this season.

4. Steve Nash, G Phoenix Suns: It’s truly a wonder how someone who’s 38-years-old still perform on a star level like Steve Nash has. Always a pass-first guard, Nash has been one of the more loved players in the league. In his career, Nash has averaged nine assists and 15 points.

Although stats don’t show it, Nash is a very good shooter. He’s one of the best free-throw shooters in the league currently and can still drain it from behind the arc.

Unfortunately, once Amar’e Stoudemire left for the New York Knicks, the Suns haven’t been the same. Nash has had similar numbers, but the team around him hasn’t stayed consistent, and general manager Lance Blanks would be smart to get some value out of him now. Nash’s contract is up at the end of the season as well.

As recent as Feb. 27, reports have surfaced that the Orlando Magic are “aggressively” pushing to acquire Nash. A reason for this would be to hopefully keep Dwight Howard in Orlando. If a deal was going to go down, I’d expect Hedo Turkoglu to be involved since he has an expiring contract, Jameer Nelson, and a draft pick.

This one is tough to figure out, since Nash doesn’t mind being traded or staying in Phoenix. He’s publicly stated he’s willing to be traded if it helps out the team.

I say Nash will stay with the Suns. There isn’t a reason why Blanks should trade a star guard (who’s the only reason why they’re relevant) for a package like that. Keep Nash and sign him for two more years and let him finish where he started would be the best option for the Suns.

5. Pau Gasol, F Los Angeles Lakers: Ever since the Lakers were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Playoffs last season, Gasol has been labeled “soft.” This label has also been the reason why the Lakers have seemed desperate to ship him out of town.

It confuses me why they would want to trade someone as productive as Gasol, who’s averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds this season. But then again, the Lakers have the worst bench production in the league along with an aging point guard. They need to get some value out of the 31-year-old.

Some teams linked to Gasol have been the Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets.

I see Gasol becoming a Houston Rocket in a few weeks. The Rockets were notably going to acquire Gasol in the Chris Paul to the Lakers trade before the season started, but commissioner David Stern vetoed the deal. Houston has been rumored to request Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry for Gasol. This trade benefits the Lakers because they get that young point guard to run Mike Brown’s system, while getting someone to fill in the void for Gasol who can be just as productive.

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The NBA owners and the NBAPA have tentatively agreed to a new labor contract, league commissioner David Stern announced early Saturday morning.

“We’ve reached a tentative understanding that is subject to a variety of approvals and very complex machinations,” Stern said following Friday’s final 15-hour negotiating session. “But we’re optimistic that that will all come to pass, and that the N.B.A. season will begin on Dec. 25, Christmas Day, with a tripleheader.”

The 2011-2012 season will consist of 66 games, with Christmas Day featuring three contests between the Knicks/Celtics, Heat/Mavericks, and Bulls/Lakers respectively. Any remaining games for the season will be released in a re-constructed schedule later in the week.

In 1999, a 50-game schedule was played after a lockout too held that season short. Since there is a pressing need to accommodate for a short schedule this time as well, the season has been pushed back into late-April, moving the playoffs deeper into the summer as well.

While a deal has been agreed upon, there is still some work to be done. Issues such as drug testing, the age-limit, D-League concerns, and the actual ratification of the collective bargaining agreement are on the table, but can be settled amidst the reformation process. The players must also recertify their union.

The agreement is expected to be worth 10 seasons, with an option for either side to opt-out after six. It is the longest deal in league history.

NYT reporter Howard Beck believes that the deal undoubtedly favors the owners.

“The deal will feature a 50-50 split of revenues, but with the possibility of the players making as much as 51 percent or as little as 49, depending on whether the league exceeds or falls short of projections,” says Beck. “The players had been earning 57 percent.”

Free-agency and training camp will both start on Dec. 9, creating a whirlwind of excitement going into a season that few have seen before.

For more on this story, follow Jon Alba on Twitter.

This is the first of hopefully many column posts as open letters directed to athletes, teams, fan bases, or anyone who needs to be addressed about issues in sports.

By the way, I want to give a special thanks to three of my Twitter followers who really helped me get a broader perspective on the issue I’m about to address.  If you think that social medium is useless…well, you’re wrong.  (By the way, if you’re into tweeting, follow me. @JustCallMeUnk)

Enough with the pleasantries.  Here’s the debut of the “To Whom It May Concern” series.

—–

Dear Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook,

First and foremost, I want to make clear that the order is intentional.  More on that later on.

Gentlemen, in case you don’t know it by now, you hold the keys to the kingdom as the foundation of the Oklahoma City Thunder.  You have the 2010 Coach of the Year, a hungry, tough, and talented team around you, and a fan base that worships you.  You’re considered one of the top 1-2 punches in the NBA after three seasons together and you both are only 22!  For all intensive purposes, you should be graduating from college this month!

The future is indeed bright for your basketball futures.

That being said, y’all have some major issues playing together…and they all stem from this question.

Which one of you is “The Man”?

Don’t feed me that press conference “We work as a team” crap.  This is the most important question that needs the right answer – and FAST.  With Saturday’s 93-87 Game 3 loss in the Western Conference Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, you need to win tomorrow to send the series back home.  A lethargic first quarter put you and your team in an early hole, but it’s the fourth quarter comeback-that-almost-was that’s causing a lot of debate.  The general public may have its theories about what specifically needs to be fixed, but I think the real issue is that offensively, you guys aren’t playing in your proper roles right now.  In the regular season, you can get away with switching nights as the offensive focus.

But at this stage of the playoffs?  No, no, no.

Let me take the time to address both of you separately.

Russell: Usually a 30-point performance in a loss gets you some kudos and consoling.  But after Game 3, you don’t deserve any.

The label drifted in and out during the regular season, but NOW, it’s burning like a forest campfire.  You, according to many, are now a “ballhog.”  As a point-guard, it’s a huge insult.  Only thing worse than that is “turnover machine,” and you earned that too!  Aggression is always valued, but moderation is the most important aspect – and you’re not showing any of it.  For half of the possessions in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, you were the only one who touched the ball!  That’s inexcusable.

Now, I do understand that you were only a point-guard when you got to the NBA since you were a shooting guard at UCLA, but after three years, the words “pass first, shoot second” should be in your DNA.  With fellow point-guard Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls being named the newest NBA MVP, you’re probably wondering why seemingly everyone’s riding you for these losses instead of Kevin.  Well, here’s why.

Derrick Rose is “The Man”.  He’s the best player on his team, hands down.

YOU ARE NOT.  Sorry.

What you are is the floor general – whether you like it or not.  It comes with the territory.  You’ll always be handling the ball and getting it where it needs to go, so there is no reason at all why you should be forcing it on the offensive end.  You committed an absurd seven turnovers yesterday…where was your focus?  Funkytown, USA?

Now,  for the Thunder to win, you obviously have to have a valuable offensive contribution.  But you should not be playing as “The Man.”  You are best utilized as “The Facilitator.”  When you distribute AND score, your team is extremely tough to beat.  Why else do you think coach Scott Brooks sat you for the fourth quarter of Game 2?  Bottom line: You have to be pass first, shoot second.

Kevin: You may have good numbers over the first two games of this series, and Game 3′s line looks OK (a 24-12 double-double).  But in the fourth quarter, where the whole nation expected you to show up and assert your dominance, you were as visible as Barry Bonds’ Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown.  For 18 out of 23 possessions in the fourth quarter, you didn’t even touch the ball!  You just looked totally disengaged offensively – and you’re the NBA’s leading scorer for the second year in a row.

What, are you kidding me?  Forget the Gatorade commercial.  You didn’t have soul, and you sure as HELL weren’t super bad.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t credit the Mavs’ defense for doing an admirable job of “limiting” you to the aforementioned line, but that fourth quarter gave you a decent amount of good looks to get points.  There are times to be a good teammate, and there are times when you have to demand the ball.

Not ask for it.  DEMAND it.

Your killer edge has been playing hide-and-seek between games.  It’s time to find it and possess it for good.  Night in and night out, you HAVE to be “The Man.”

I’m not saying you need to change who you are.  There’s nothing wrong with being the modest, team-friendly superstar in public…so long as your squad understands that when you’re on the floor, you need the ball in clutch situations.

Now to regroup and drive the point home.

Kevin Durant – “The Man”.  Russell Westbrook – “The Facilitator”.

I talked about the order of the salutation being intentional.  When it comes to scoring options, it has to go Durant-Westbrook in that order.  Guys, if you straighten this out, throw out the term “tough to beat”.  The Oklahoma City Thunder will be downright scary.

If you don’t?  Tomorrow night will be your last home game.

So, guys….what’s it gonna be?  See you at tip-off.

Signed with your best interest in mind,
Nkwa Asonye

1 San Antonio Spurs vs. 8 Memphis Grizzlies

San Antonio has dominated the West all year, displaying a 61-21 record. On the other end, Memphis fought long and hard for that 8th seed. The Grizzlies have had quality wins throughout the year, including one against Boston. They are a hard-working team, that doesn’t want to give up until the last second. They will surely make the Spurs work for their four wins, though do not expect an upset.

San Antonio takes it.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. 7 New Orleans Hornets

The Lakers could not have gotten an easier opponent. The Hornets are the most vulnerable in the Western Conference. This is because ever since David West got hurt (who is a key player in the Hornets offense and defense), the whole team seems done with everything.

When the Spurs chose not to start their big guns (Manu, Parker, Duncan) against the Lakers in the second-to-last game of the season, the Lakers had caught a huge break.  This then kept them in the number two spot above the Mavericks.

3 Dallas Mavericks vs.  6 Portland Trail Blazers

Dallas has always seemed to be at the top, but the Lakers are always there in the way. Even with perennial stars such as Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, their offense and defense is never enough.

On the other end, Portland has been busy all season.  As the team acquired Gerald Wallace from Charlotte, their offense reached new levels, allowing key players such as Brandon Roy to come off the bench, and Rudy Fernandez to step up his game as well. Portland has great potential to win and most likely will against the struggling Mavs.

4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 5 Denver Nuggets

This series will be one of the most interesting series of the playoffs. Oklahoma City and Denver have both been influenced greatly after the trade deadline. After acquiring big man Kendrick Perkins from the Celtics, the Thunder have also went out and inked other key presences  like Nazr Mohammed.

Denver on the other hand traded away star forward Carmelo Anthony and guard Chauncy Billups, while recieving much young talent like Raymond Felton and Danilo Gallinari. Since Denver the blockbuster deal, they have done great, scoring more points with their current lineup than they had before.

Arguably the most difficult series to call in all of the playoffs, this series will not fail to impress fans of the NBA.

No I am not talking about Lakers-Celtics, nor the exciting Sacramento Kings LA Clippers match up (that would be a poor attempt at humor). I’m talking Mavs-Spurs baby.

It’s funny how things work out, and I was just talking to Jon about this. There are six teams in the NBA; three in each conference, that stand above the rest. I’m talking about the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and the newly revitalized Orlando Magic in the east (honorable mentions to Chicago and New York) and the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks in the wild west (shot outs to Utah and Oklahoma City Thunder). The symmetry expands as there are also two pairs of state rivalries with the atmosphere of a college game.

The Spurs and Mavericks are Duke and UNC of the NBA. These teams hate each other, – like really hate each other.  Whether it was the Josh Howard flagrant foul on Bruce Bowen a couple years ago, or Edwardo droppin’ flagrant fouls like crazy during last year’s playoffs – it is heated.

“I hate the Spurs. No, I mean I hate the Spurs. I have a hard time being civil to [Spurs owner] Peter Holt at the board of governors meetings and he has a hard time being civil to me even though we both like each other. It’s what it represents.” – Mark Cuban told the Huffington Post.

The point I am trying to make is this match up is huge. Keys to consider:

-Dirk Nowitzki will be inactive tonight due to the injury he sustained two games against OKC - Duncan is coming off a career low two points. Prepare for the Spurs to capitalize.

-Duncan may be tall for a Power Forward, but the 6’7 Blair is short for a Center. Be prepared for the 6’7 swing-man Shawn Marion to get the start in place of Dirk and guard Blair so that Defensive stopper Tyson Chandler can guard Duncan.

-Jason Terry has been much in the clutch lately – look for him to have the ball in the fourth quarter if the game is close for the Mavs.

-Tony Parker has thrown some amazing passes recently, look for this to spark either Jefferson or Ginobli who was obviously too tired to make shots of his own after doing a stellar job contesting Kobe.

-Watch the Spurs bench rotation among big men. Coach Popovich it will be interesting to see who he delegates backup minutes to between Bonner, McDyess and Splitter. Not all three will be able to log 15+ minutes against Dallas – I am predicting Bonner and Splitter, but I have been wrong before.

-Look for veteran play-maker Jason Kidd to feed swing-man Caron Butler in the first quarter.

Greenspan, out!

-Tiger Woods admitted to “transgressions” concerning his family life, and made his first official statement acknowledging this.  In relation to this, Nike and several other sponsors announced they will not drop Woods as their respective spokesman.

-The New Jersey Nets set an NBA record for starting a season with consecutive losses, dropping their 18th straight overall to the Dallas Mavericks at home by a score of 117-101.

-Allen Iverson finalized a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, making his triumphant return for the first time since being traded to the Nuggets.  He will make his debut next Monday against those same Nuggets.

-In an odd story, Ron Artest confessed to drinking alcohol often during halftime of games he played while with the Chicago Bulls.  Artest played for the team from 1999-2002.

-Floyd Mayweather gave his formal permission to finalize a 2010 fight against Manny Pacquiao.  It is rumored that the fight could be held at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

If anything else major breaks, be sure to check SportsFullCircle!

The Phoenix Suns made a big re-signing Monday, signing star point guard Steve Nash to a $22 million extension. Nash was inked through this upcoming season, and will now be in Phoenix for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons.

Nash finished last season averaging 15.7 points per game, 9.7 assists per game, 0.7 steals per game, and 3.1 rebounds per game. He shot .503 from the field, and shot .439 from behind the three-point line. Nash was also a career best .933 shooting free throws.

Nash has been in the NBA since 1996, when he was picked 15th overall by the Suns. Nash played for the Suns from ’96 to 1998, and was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He played for the Mavs until after the 2003-2004 season, and was signed the following year by the Suns.

Nash has won two league MVP awards, winning the award in the first two seasons of his second stint with the Suns. He was the third point guard to ever win the MVP, and the first ever Canadian-born player to accomplish the feat. Nash is also a six-time All Star, a three-time member of the All-NBA First Team, a one-time member of the All-NBA Second Team, and a two-time member of the All-NBA Third Team.

Nash is 35 years old. He is heading into his fourteenth NBA season and eighth with the Suns.