NBA Heats Up

The NBA Season is over a month into action and some of the off-season storylines that were expected to dominate the headlines have indeed been the topic of water cooler and sports talk airwaves.  Here is my list of the five (5) biggest stories leading into the 2010-11 season, and my top five (5) stories that have now become the biggest developments of this new season.

1. Can the Los Angeles Lakers win the vaunted “3-Peat” for the second time under Head Coach Phil Jackson?  With there full starting five intact and boasting the best pound-for-pound basketball player on the planet – Kobe Bryant- the “City of Angels” likes the chances for tying Boston with 17 NBA World Championships.
2. Speaking of Boston can they get back to the finals for the third time in four years?  They have assembled the best veteran laden roster in the league.  The question is can Head Coach Doc Rivers keep everyone healthy and happy?  With over 50 years of combined playoff experience the Celtics look poised to be the cream of the crop in the East.
3. The heat is on in South Beach, Florida.  Literally!  Miami Heat team President Pat Riley landed perhaps the greatest collection of any free agent class in signing LeBron James (Cleveland), Chris Bosh (Toronto), Mike Miller (Washington), and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cleveland) to name a few. The pressure to produce the second Championship in the organization’s history has now become a “championship or bust” mantra.  Most assume that the Heat have all the pieces in place to challenge the Lakers greatness but see item #2 on this list.
4. Can Kevin Durant continue his epic rise to superstar status this year?  He and his Oklahoma City Thunder are no longer the leagues best kept secret.  They will now go from the hunter to the hunted and the expectations that will be placed on them will show if Durant, Russell Westbrook and company are up to the challenge.  If this past summers world championships are any indication expect Durant to have an MVP season.
5. Will this past summer of free agency moves be the team changing signings that many teams have invested hundreds-of-millions into?  Amar’e Stoudemire in NY, Carlos Boozer in Chicago, and the already mentioned James/Bosh tandem in Miami, NBA General Managers will no doubt feel tremendous amounts of pressure for their teams to win and win now.

The top 5 stories in my opinion as I write this are;

1. Can anyone dethrone the Lakers who at this point are 8-1?  They look to be on pace for another championship run.
2. The Boston Celtics are showing that there is no substitute for experience as they have jumped out to an 8-2 start.
3. “Who Dat?”  Sorry wrong sport but the New Orleans Hornets are quickly putting together a formidable team to challenge the Lakers in the Western Conference.  They have been the surprise team and only undefeated one at 8-0.
4. The Miami Heats off-season spending spree has shown signs of life and an exciting brand of basketball in South Florida.  However, there lack of a first tier point guard and size on the block may derail the “3 Kings.”
5. Carmelo Anthony has become one of the games brightest stars but he has also become an ongoing soap opera in Denver.  Will he stay or go?  That will be the question that many fans in the Mile High city will ponder all the way up until the trade deadline of December 12 comes and goes.

With so many questions and so little answers the remainder of the season should be fast paced and exciting.

Lake Lewis is President and CEO of the Sports Journey Broadcast Network and their daily drive-time radio host.  He also is a credentialed member of the media by the Washington Redskins.