With almost three months until the most highly-anticipated season in recent memory, the NBA has released their full schedule of regular season games.

As with every season, there are some games on the schedule that fans everywhere have circled as must-see. Not to anyone’s surprise, most of these games include the back-to-back defending NBA Champion Lakers and the NBA’s new Villains, the Miami Heat, who will meet on Christmas Day in possibly the most anticipated regular season game in recent history.

The Lakers and Heat aren’t the only teams in marquee games, so let’s take a look at the ten most anticipated games in the NBA this season:

10. Mar. 23, 2011 – Washington Wizards @ Los Angeles Clippers

Okay so we start the list off with a game that is more anticipated for the players in it than the result of the game itself. John Wall and Blake Griffin are the two co-favorites for Rookie of the Year, and both should be playing at a high level when their teams meet.

While their squads might be out of the playoff hunt by the time they meet, the thought of Wall and Griffin meeting at the rim on a fast-break is enough for people to tune into this game.

9. Oct. 27, 2010 – Chicago Bulls @ Oklahoma City Thunder

In what could possibly be a 2013 NBA Finals preview, the NBA’s two best young and rising teams open the season against each other. Defending scoring champion Kevin Durant and his Thunder will be looking to start off a season in which many analysts have them pegged to jump from the eight-seed last season to a top-three seed in the West this season.

The Bulls will be unveiling their new and improved line-up as they try and show that they are one of the top four teams in the East. There are some great individual match-ups in this game as well as two of the best young point guards in the league go head-to-head when Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook go at it.

8. Dec. 2, 2010 – Miami Heat @ Cleveland Cavaliers

In possibly the most anticipated basketball game in Cavs history, Lebron James returns to Cleveland as quite possibly the most hated man in the history of the city. While I don’t agree with how Lebron left, the fact is it was his right to leave Cleveland, and Cavs fans still haven’t come to grips with it yet.

The type of reaction is not what is in question, as much as how vicious will it be. James will be booed, heavily, probably every time he touches the ball, but the hope is that no fan tries to take it too far. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert will probably take this as an opportunity to get himself some media attention, but at least there will probably be a good promo night for when the King returns as the Villain.

7. Jan. 15, 2011 – Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls

Since “The Decision” debacle on ESPN, reports have leaked that Lebron James ultimately knocked the Bulls off his list because Chicago star Derrick Rose never called him to make a recruiting pitch. After that report leaked, Rose took to a Chicago sports radio station to let it be known that he would be staying in Chicago for his entire career, and that he didn’t feel the need recruit any other stars because his squad was good enough to take the East now.

Well the Bulls will get their chance to prove that Rose was right and they belong in the East’s elite when the travelling circus that is the Heat make their way to Chicago at the turn of the calendar year. Heat star Dwyane Wade will also feel the wrath of the Chicago crowd as many feel he and Chris Bosh used the home-town Bulls as a pawn to show Lebron they were going to be a package deal by having very public negotiations with the Bulls together. This game should bring us some playoff intensity earlier than usual.

6. Dec. 10, 2010 – Los Angeles Lakers @ Chicago Bulls

In the second game of a seven-game road trip, the defending Champs visit a hungry Bulls squad looking to prove they belong in the conversation of NBA elites. The Lakers will be looking to start their road trip off the right way, as they have used long trips the last two season to kick start their title drives. The Bulls will be looking for a big home win against the Champs in their campaign to prove they are a title contender.

The last time these two teams met in Chicago, Kobe Bryant went off for 20+ in the first quarter alone. Every time Kobe laces em up in Chicago something special happens. Derrick Rose will also be looking to make a statement in this game as he should have a decided advantage over the Lakers point guards in this one. And with Rose and Shannon Brown in the same building, there is a great chance we’ll have some great fast-break highlights.

5. Jan. 17, 2011 – Oklahoma City Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers

In a rematch of last season’s first round series, the Thunder return to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers. While it was a 1 vs. 8 match-up last year, this game could be a potential Western Conference Finals preview. The Thunder should make a vast improvement now that they have more experience and this game will be a great measuring stick for them against the best of the best in the West.

Another subplot of this game will be the MVP race that should just be starting to take form around the turn of the calendar. With Lebron James and Dwyane Wade effectively taking themselves out of the MVP race by teaming up, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant will most likely be the top two favorites for the award as the season wears on. This game could establish the order of balance in the West and the MVP race.

4. Nov. 24, 2010 – Miami Heat @ Orlando Magic

While this won’t be the first meeting between these two teams, it will be the first time to really measure where they stand against each other. The Magic and Heat meet in Miami’s home opener, but the Magic will be on the second game of a back-to-back and the Heat will still be getting accustomed to each other. This November meeting should give us a little more insight into which team might have the upper-hand in their Southeast Division race.

Orlando still strongly believes it is the best team in Florida after their roster changes, regardless of what Miami did in the off-season. The Heat are looking to prove those wrong who say they’re biggest weakness and potential fatal flaw is a lack of an inside presence, and stopping Dwight Howard would be a giant step in disproving that theory. Bragging rights in this in-state rivalry will be on the line when these two teams meet.

3. Oct. 26, 2010 – Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics

In the NBA’s opening night gift to the fans, the new Big Three takes on the reigning Big Three as the Heat head to Boston to take on the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics. This is probably one of the most anticipated season openers in NBA history, and a very good measuring stick for the Heat right away by taking on an experienced, veteran squad in Boston that they will almost assuredly have to beat if they are to get to the Finals.

Boston has sat back and made some under-the-radar moves this summer while, just like last season, all the hype and praise has been heaped on another team. The Celtics are quietly confident they are the team to beat in the East and an opening night win against Miami could be a big statement for the Celtics and a wake-up call for Miami. The flip-side of that is what a win for the Heat could do for Miami’s confidence the rest of the season, and how a win could make them the favorites in the East for the rest of the season.

2. Jan. 30, 2011 – Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers

If it was possible for this rivalry to get any more interesting after the Lakers epic seven game Finals win over the Celtics (how I love reminding everyone about that), this rivalry may be even more interesting now that the Celtics have added former Laker great Shaquille O’neal. Since his departure from L.A. Shaq has been one of the most hated players by most Laker fans, and him coming back to Staples Center in Celtic green will not make that hatred go away any time soon.

But this rematch is about more than just Shaq coming to town as a Celtic. You have Ron Artest and Paul Pierce going at it again. Kobe Bryant trying to guard Rajon Rondo. The entire Celtics team trying to guard Kobe. Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett clashing, Doc Rivers against Phil Jackson, and on and on. This is one regular season game that has a Finals atmosphere every time these two teams take the court, and this game will be no different.

1. Dec. 25, 2010 – Miami Heat @ Los Angeles Lakers

Would any other game be number one on this list? In what could legitimately be called the most anticipated regular season game in NBA history, alongside Michael Jordans first comeback and Shaq vs. Kobe part 1, the defending Champs welcome the Heat to Staples Center. While it is just a regular season game, the fact of the matter is everyone involved is looking forward to this possible Finals preview.

Lebron/D-Wade/CB4 vs. Kobe/LO/Pau/Bynum/Artest (advantage Lakers by the way) in a game full of unique match-ups. This game will give us our first look at many questions people have about these two teams going against each other. Can the pure talent of the Miami trio outweigh the Lakers size advantage inside? Is the Lakers top-to-bottom depth enough to beat a Miami team with three superstars? While it’s only one game in the regular season, this will be a game that everyone looks forward to, and will allow one of these teams to take early control of the race for home-court in the NBA Finals.

While there are a lot of great games on the schedule this season, these ten stand out more than the rest. The fact that most of them include the Lakers/Heat/Magic and Celtics should tell you where the power in the NBA most likely will be this season. Regardless, there will be some amazing games in the NBA this year and I can’t wait until October 26!

What games are you looking forward to this season?

Just for fun, 5 games you won’t be watching this year:

5. Jan. 1, 2011 – New Jersey Nets @ Minnesota Timberwolves

4. Oct. 29, 2010 – Cleveland Cavaliers @ Toronto Raptors

3. Nov. 13, 2010 – Indiana Pacers @ Cleveland Cavaliers

2. Apr. 1, 2011 – New Jersey Nets @ Philadelphia 76ers

1. Apr. 11, 2011 – Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers

When Lebron James officially made “The Decision”, my first impulse was to write an article blasting “King” James for copping out and taking what seems like a short-cut in a career that many expect to be one of the greatest of all-time.

However, out of respect for my readers and knowing that you were about to get 654 articles like that on Friday, I decided to sit back for the weekend and fully analyze the ramifications of what had just happened. I truly wanted to sit back and figure out exactly why Lebron chose Miami, why he chose to announce his “Decision” the way he did, and why exactly the reaction outside of South Beach was so harsh to James.

Like every decision any human being makes, there are pros and cons to what James did. We know one of the biggest pros is playing with Wade/Bosh and competing for titles the rest of the decade. We also know one of the biggest cons is that James will probably never peacefully return to Cleveland and instantly became one of, if not the most, hated players in the league. But what other factors play into the pros and cons of this decision?

First, let me start this off by saying that I completely agree 100% that every player has the right to sign a contract wherever he wants, and that Lebron signing with Miami, while being controversial, is in no way wrong. He went where he thought that he could win the most championships and was still able to get a lot of money and he will be happy in Miami. That was his decision and I will in no way bash him doing what he thinks is best for himself and his family.

That being said, like everyone else I was shocked by his choice of the Heat. Sure, we had heard sources for days saying that James was leaning towards signing with Miami, that he wanted to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and that the choice of the Heat was imminent, but “I’m taking my talents to South Beach” was still one of the most shocking moments in recent sports memory.

My immediate reaction was “What the hell? What a cop-out, is this dude serious?” and while those feelings might still be in my mind, after a couple of days of thought, I understand why Lebron did what he did, sort of.

Keep in mind that I am in no way a Lebron James fan. While I think he is one of the most physically gifted players we have ever seen, I still believe he is a work in progress who may never develop a jump-shot that will make him a threat to score when his explosiveness is gone. But, this is a special situation and not a time to make rash judgments, which everyone seems to have been doing the past couple of days.

So what exactly are the pros of this decision for James?

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that James will now be playing on a sure-fire title contender for at least the length of his contract with Miami. Despite his brilliance on the Cavs, that’s not something you could say he would have done in Cleveland, especially with a deteriorating supporting cast around him. Basketball-wise, the decision makes a lot of sense because there is no way the Cavs could have provided him with a supporting cast as good as the one he will have in Miami once it fills out.

Secondly, James will no longer need to be perfect for his team to have a chance at winning. While he did have talent around him during his tenure in Cleveland, the fact of the matter is Bron needed to average a 30-8-7 for the Cavs to compete. Guys like Mo Williams and Andersen Varejao are great role players, but they aren’t exactly championship-caliber guys. Nights when Lebron were off the Cavs were just an average team, and the wear and tear from a season of having to be great could be seen once the playoffs came around, which lead to recent earlier-than-expected exits.

Thirdly, Lebron will get to go back to his high-school days in a sense. Anyone who has seen the documentary, “More Than a Game”, which follows James and his high school best-friends/teammates as they grow up and become national champions, knows that there is nothing more important to James than being a part of something special. He is a guy who is loyal to his friends through and through, even if means he is being loyal to a fault. With Wade and Bosh, Lebron will be playing with two of his best friends in the league and get to have that fun factor that he had in high-school once again, albeit this time with much wealthier, more talented friends.

You can’t underestimate the effect this had on James choosing the Heat over the Cavs or Knicks or Bulls or any other team pursuing him. Whether we want to accept it or not, Lebron is more concerned with enjoying himself while playing basketball than he is with becoming the great player we all expect him to be. For the past seven years, he has been the franchise savior who was expected to lead the Cavs back to relevance. Basketball became a burden, not a game he could play, and this undoubtedly played into James decision to flee for the bright lights of Miami.

Now, Lebron can play his game and enjoy himself, while being able to be around not only talented players capable of leading when he is off, but guys that for once, he can lean on to carry the load. To an extent, it seems that James is thinking that basketball will be fun again now that he is playing with his friends.

But that exact point is what leads us into some of the cons about Bron choosing to play for the Heat. Yeah, James will get to spend the next six years playing with his buddies in South Beach, possibly winning multiple championships and becoming the greatest trio to ever play the game, but what is it going to cost his legacy? And an even more important question, does Lebron even care? If his choice was any indication, not in the least bit. I’ve been saying for weeks that the way to become one of the greatest ever is to consistently beat your top rivals.

Magic Johnson became legendary not just for his passing skills and unbelievable talent or even his five championship rings, but also because he had a rivalry with two of his best friends in Larry Bird and Isaiah Thomas that was as competitive as anything we’ve ever seen. Would we look at Magic the same way if he had left the Lakers to team up with Bird for a chance at some rings?

We all know that Michael Jordan would have preferred to play basketball after lighting himself on fire before he would have signed with his biggest rivals, no matter how good of friends they were. Do you think Jordan ever would have signed with the Spurs to chase one or two more rings at the end of his career?

Or what about the man we compare to James the most, two-time defending and five-time NBA Champion Kobe Bryant? My main sticking point in any Kobe/Bron argument has always been that no matter how much more talent Lebron has than Kobe, he will never match his competitive nature or his work ethic.

Kobe not only wants to destroy everyone who is compared to him, he wants to make sure that when we all look back on comparisons we wonder how we ever made them to begin with. Remember when Kobe was first compared to Vince Carter? Or what about Tracy McGrady? Sure maybe it was cool to make the comparisons for a year or two, but Kobe blew them out of the water, and it was because he knew they were his biggest rivals. Can we ever legitemately make the Lebron-Kobe comparison again after James move to Miami?

There’s a reason that a video of Jordan recently popped up saying that Kobe was the best player in the NBA and not James, and it’s not because Kobe has more talent than Lebron, it’s because he wants to lead his team to the top of the mountain by beating every great player in his way, not by teaming up with them.

While I can’t say I agree with his tactics (or font choice) following Lebron’s departure, one thing that stood out to me in Cavs owner Dan Gilbert’s letter to Cavs fans was the quote, “Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.”

You can argue all you want about whether or not Lebron should have gone to Miami, and in the end it’s not our place to say he was right or wrong, but the fact of the matter there is no doubt he chose the easier route with the Heat. There is no debating that.

No matter how many titles Lebron may win in Miami, he will always be looked at as the Robin to D-Wade’s Batman, and that is not because he is less talented or a worse player, but because the Heat are Wade’s team, and Miami is his city. Wade has the ring, the Finals MVP and the undying loyalty of the fans in Miami, and Lebron knows this. While people in Miami are happy to have James, in the back of their minds there is no doubt skepticism and the question most of us are asking ourselves,

“If he can leave Cleveland behind and act like it has no affect on him, then how long until he bails on Miami when things get rough?”

Just remember, there is an early termination option on his contract, as well as Wade and Bosh’s, after three seasons. Who knows what to expect if we have to go through another Lebron Bonanza.

Like Rob is always telling us on twitter and in articles, Lebron fits the Magic Johnson mold much more than he fits the Michael Jordan mold, and that fact should be on full display in Miami. But the reason that you hear (or at least heard before this move) the MJ comparisons is because with his immense talent and unbelievable blend of size, strength and speed, we expected Lebron to become one of the greatest players of all-time and push Jordan as the G.O.A.T. no matter what his skill-set was telling us. But the fact is, whether he played like Magic or MJ, he was expected to be an all-timer who lead his team to titles.

Now that he has decided that he would rather be a part of a great trio of players rather than a great leader on a championship team, James has ensured that he will never be in the conversation of greatest player of all-time. While to him that may not necessarily be a con, to basketball fans all around it is definitely a sad thing. Many of us, myself included, expected to see James lead teams into contention for the rest of his career and looked forward to seeing him go head-to-head with his closest competition for best player in the NBA.

Now that he has teamed up with his closest rival, we won’t see any more great games with Wade and James going at it unlike any two players in the league we’ve seen in a while.

Love him or hate him, Lebron has always been a great player to watch because of the way he dominated games from start to finish. Now that he has “joined forces” as he termed it, with Wade and Bosh, those dominating performances will be much harder to come by. To him, that is a huge pro, to us NBA fans it is definitely a con. But if this situation has taught us anything it is that players don’t necessarily care what fans want.

To be blunt, James didn’t really give a damn what any fan thought when he made his decision to go to Miami, nor should he have because once again it is his decision. But players seem to under-estimate how much of an effect they have on people nation-wide when they make these decisions. It is definitely something that seemed to have slipped by James as he was telling Mike Wilbon all the great things he did for the Cavs while completely ignoring everything the organization and fans did for him.

Which takes me to the last, and perhaps biggest con of this whole situation for James. The fact that Lebron left the Cavs, while shocking, was not something that was unexpected from Cavs fans. They have some of the worst luck in the NBA, and all of sports for that matter, and seemed to be expecting the worst from this whole situation. What has caught the ire of most fans and turned James into possibly the most hated player in the league is the way he left the entire state of Ohio.

Again, there is nothing wrong with Lebron leaving the Cavs for the Heat, that is his choice and for the tenth time I nor anyone else can tell a man what he thought was best for himself and his family was the wrong decision. What is wrong however, is to not give the organization that has paid him for the past seven years, that has listened to every demand and suggestion he has made, and helped to brand him as the star he is today, any type of indication that he was leaving before he announced it on national television.

Sure, his camp tried leaking reports that Lebron “100% wasn’t returning to the Cavs” and that he was “leaning towards signing with the Heat”, but he never outright told the Cavaliers organization he was going to leave. Until the words came out of his mouth, it was all speculation similar to what we had been hearing for weeks. The Cavs didn’t find out Lebron was gone at the exact same second that you, me and everyone else found out he was gone. And after waiting hand and foot on Lebron’s every demand and desire, the Cavs deserved better than that.

Nearly every player who leaves a team to sign with another let’s his former team know before announcing it to the public. Lebron decided that he didn’t want to do that, and in the process spit on the entire Cavaliers organization, every one of his fans in Cleveland and the state of Ohio all at the same time, and in prime-time on ESPN of all places. It’s hard to explain the equivalent of this to Cavs fans, most of us will never understand what it’s like to lose our best player in his prime. Even more importantly, most of us will never know what it’s like to lose the only hope our city has had at a championship in the past 50 years. While Lebron had every right to leave, he could and should have shown more class in doing so.

Instead his free agency turned into a show unlike anything we have seen. And in his haste to be the center of everyone’s attention, Lebron lost his charm and loveable nature that made him the most popular player in the NBA. By allowing his “team” as he called them so many times to control every aspect of his free agency, Lebron lost himself.

You could see doubt in his face at times during “The Decision” that not many people are used to seeing. When James announced he would be “taking my talents to South Beach” he had a smile on his face, until he realized that nobody in the crowd was cheering his decision. Go look at the video, there is definitely a moment of awkwardness after that because so many people were shocked by the decision.

Even during his me-first, Cleveland-last interview with Wilbon and crew immediately after, you could see a look of pain on James face for a split-second when Wilbon showed him video of Cavs fans burning his jersey. Although he was able to catch himself and regain composure, for that one second all of us saw exactly the kind of pain that we wanted Lebron to express from the beginning. Yes, it was a tough decision. Yes, you had to do what was best for you and your family. But the fans that have supported you in Cleveland deserved more than they were given when you unceremoniously left town.

And while James may win rings for the next decade and retire as one of the best to ever do it, nobody will ever forget what happened on July 8, 2010. That night, James re-energized a dwindling fan base in Miami, at the expense of a legacy he had created in Cleveland since he was a middle-school kid just playing ball with his friends. Now that James has chosen playing ball with his friends again, he has gone from savior and fan-favorite to public enemy number one. For Lebrons sake, I hope the reward is worth the risk.

The Summer of LeBron takes another wild turn.  This time we are getting news that LeBron will announce the winner of the Bron Sweepstakes in (brace yourselves) a live, one-hour special on ESPN this Thursday at 9 ET!  WHAT?!

According to ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard:

“LeBron James is planning to announce the team with which he will sign during a one-hour special on ESPN Thursday night”

and:

“[S]ources said that James’ representatives requested they be allowed to sell sponsorship for the one-hour special”

Seriously folks, this is getting out of control.  First we are subjected to LeBron interviews on Larry King, trying to upstage one of the greatest NBA Finals in recent history.

Follow that up with about a million rumors of LeBron leaning towards the Knicks, then the Bulls, then the Heat, then the Nets, back to the Bulls, then the Cavs, back to the Knicks again … and now maybe/possibly/sort of the Cavs.

Then came the most controversial Twitter account of all time earlier today.  Is it really his?  Will he tweet?  How come he isn’t following anyone?  OH GOD, HE TWEETED, QUICK — EVERYONE RETWEET!!!!  ESPN was sending breaking news alerts to let everyone know that it was indeed LeBron’s account (they asked his publicist) and that everyone needed to check it ASAP!

And as if turning the entire NBA into a circus where hype means more than on-court success (remember when ESPN used to only report on games?), now LeBron wants a one-hour special to announce what team he’s going to sign with?  Is he really trying to relive high school?  If LeBron wanted to go through the recruiting process this badly, he should have just gone to college.

He is making a mockery of the NBA, and you know every other player in the league is taking notice of what’s going on.  You don’t think Kobe is sitting back laughing at the fact that a guy with zero rings is getting press conferences to announce where he’s signing?

What about D-Wade, who has suddenly become the B-list star of the free agent class, even though he is arguably the second-best closer in the NBA today (ahead of LeBron and Melo, behind Kobe)?

I guarantee you that no matter where he signs, Bron will be carrying a huge target on his back next season.  Other NBA players see this and laugh; does Bron realize how ridiculous he’s become?

This LeBron “special” has to make you ask a few questions:

1. How the hell will this take up an hour?  Is he slowly going to eliminate each team until he’s down to the final two and make his pick at 9:59?

2. Where will the special take place?  Because if it’s in Ohio, I guarantee you he isn’t leaving the Cavs.

3. Will we finally learn what hyping up a guy since his junior year in high school can do to the human brain?  The man is calling himself the King, announcing his free agency decision on ESPN and controlling everything sports, upstaging Wimbledon and the World Cup, after having won NOTHING.

I hope he enjoys the courtship and the Prom King crown he’s about to get, because unless he starts winning rings fast, we’re going to remember this summer as one of the most ridiculous in NBA history, where teams courted a great talent who was more about the hype than anything he ever did on the court.

A few days into free agency, and who knew we would all be wrong about the biggest story? Sure Lebron and Wade and Bosh are still the headlines, but to me and many people I’ve talked to the biggest story has been the ridiculous contracts teams are signing players to.

The Bucks/Grizzlies/T-Wolves/Raptors/Hawks have all made expensive, long-term investments in players that haven’t really done anything to justify the amount of money they’re about to make.

But the question is, which first-day signing was the absolute worst? While the Bulls/Cavs/Knicks/Nets/Heat spend their time fretting over how to get the big name free agents for the big bucks, let’s rate how bad the other teams did in signing the no-name free agents to salary-cap killing contracts. After each contract we’ll have a “Stupid Signing Scale” that will rate how bad the move was on a scale of 1-10.

1. Bucks sign Drew Gooden for 5 years, $32 million

My first reaction to this was, “oh that’s cool, ESPN is adding some humor to free agency.” Then I kept reading and realized this was serious. So you’re telling me that after trading for Corey Maggette and Chris Douglas-Roberts, who are by all accounts team cancers, the Bucks went out and signed Gooden to this contract? The same Drew Gooden who has played for eight teams in eight years? To me it looks like they’re trying to ruin Branden Jennings career.

There’s a reason a player like Gooden bounces around so much. He’s productive sure, but he’s not someone you want on your team. Just ask any of the other eight teams who have carried him and then were willing to get rid of him each time. Knowing all this, the Bucks just gave him over $6 million a season for five years? Seriously, this one just hurts my brain to think about.

Stupid Signing Scale: 9/10

2. Timberwolves sign Darko Milicic for 4 years, $20 million

When I heard this, I thought the same thing that my man Rob was thinking, Darko is still in the league? Next thought was and David Kahn still has a job? After drafting three (3!) point guards in the first round last year, Kahn went out and drafted nothin but small forwards this year, then said his number one priority was signing Darko. It’s like he’s trying to see if he can be worse than Mike Dunleavy was with the Clippers. The funny thing is, he’s probably going to have his job for a couple more years too.

Darko is one of the biggest draft busts of all time, period. While it’s not entirely his fault that the Pistons drafted him over Melo/Bosh/Wade and placed insane expectations on him, he hasn’t exactly done anything of note since being drafted. He definitely hasn’t done anything to justify getting $5 million a year for the next four years. Can’t fault him for signing an over-paying contract, he’ll gladly take the money with him back to Europe when he’s out of the NBA in four years.

Stupid Signing Scale: 7/10

3. Grizzlies sign Rudy Gay for 5 years, $80 million -

Heading into the off-season, I was pretty sure that whatever contract Rudy Gay got it was going to be way too much. He is looked at as a guy who deserves near max money and for the life of me I can’t figure out why. He’s got decent range, plays okay defense and doesn’t make his teammates better. Sure, he gives us the occasional highlight-reel dunk and makes it on SportsCenter, but really, he can’t take over a game like a guy making $16 million (on average) a season should.

Most people (myself included) agree that Gay isn’t even the most promising player on the Grizzlies. I would take OJ Mayo and even Marc Gasol as building blocks for my team before I would take Rudy. This is a contract the Grizzlies will definitely come to regret, while Knicks and Clippers fans everywhere are just glad he’s off the market so their teams can’t offer him a max contract.

Stupid Signing Scale: 8.5/10

4. Hawks sign Joe Johnson for 6 years, $119 million -

Throughout last season, we heard Johnson’s name continuously thrown in with Lebron and D-Wade and CB4 when talking about guys who will command max money this off-season. But then the second round of the NBA playoffs happened and Johnson (12 pts, 29% shooting, one post-game tantrum per) and his Hawks were swept out of the second round by the Magic. Instantly it became clear to everyone that Johnson was not a max guy and he couldn’t be the best player on a championship team.

Then the first day of free agency comes along and word spreads that the Hawks were prepared to offer Johnson the max….WHAT?!? It seems like the Hawks are content to be swept out of the second round every season. When people are laughing at the contract the second word comes out, it’s probably a bad sign. When the salary of a player in the first year of his contract is too much (and only increasing every year) you know you have one of the worst free agent contracts of all time.

Stupid Signing Scale 9.5/10

5. Raptors sign Amir Johnson for 5 years, $34 million -

Go ahead and re-read that 15 times, still makes zero sense right? When I heard about this contract I thought it was one of those jokes people were telling to lighten the mood of all the stress free agency seems to be bringing. But turns out the Raptors, one year removed from giving Hedo Turkoglu six years and $60 million, feel that Johnson is their replacement for Chris Bosh. The same Johnson who 50% of those following the NBA didn’t know existed, is now going to be making $7 million a year for accomplishing absolutely nothing.

This is a contract that will tie up the Raptors cap-space, meaning they will have a starting front-court of Hedo, Johnson and Andrea Bargnani, all tied up for 4-5 more years, along with the contracts of Jose Calderon and Jarret Jack. I already feel bad for Raptors fans for when they have to trade away Demar Derozen just to get someone to help them clear cap-space in a couple of years. I’d keep going but I don’t want any Raptor fans to kill themselves.

Stupid Signing Scale: 150/10

All these bad signing, kind of gives Richard Jefferson hope huh?

With NBA free agency officially hitting yesterday, the rumor mill is going crazy with all types of predictions, scenarios for sign-and-trades and will he or won’t he storylines. Some sources are solid and give you information that you can confidently accept. Others, not so much.

Stephen A. Smith kicked off the madness a couple of weeks ago by saying Lebron James was leaning towards signing with the Knicks, but apparently changed his mind a couple of days ago and is now claiming that Lebron-Bosh-Wade trio is a done deal in Miami. Not only that, but he’s willing to put everything on it, not sure what everything is but that sounds convincing!

With that being said, Stephen A. isn’t the only one with sources, so I’m going to let you all in on some inside scoops I’ve gotten, but keep it quiet!

My sources tell me that… as part of his contract demands, Lebron James demands that whatever team he signs with officially change their name to the Lebrons and move to Akron.

My sources tell me that… Dwyane Wade is going to shock everyone by retiring and becoming a professional squash player.

My sources tell me that… Chris Bosh is leaning towards signing with the Clippers, because when he becomes the next Jermaine O’Neal he prefers that a team curse is blamed.

My sources tell me that… they are better than Stephen A. Smith’s sources.

My sources tell me that… once Lebron signs with a team he will immediately demand a trade to make sure attention doesn’t shift away from him.

My sources tell me that… Paul Pierce is demanding a clause in his contract that stipulates that he “ain’t goin back to LA.” to avoid any embarrassment.

My sources tell me that… by trading for Corey Maggette and signing Drew Gooden, the Bucks are quietly trying to destroy Branden Jennings career.

My sources tell me that… Richard Jefferson has spent way too much time smoking weed since the Spurs were swept, how else do you explain him opting out?

My sources tell me that… the Nets are going to sign Drake and Kid Cudi to tell Lebron he can have teammates he actually likes.

My sources tell me that… the Knicks are considering moving to Switzerland to avoid any embarrassment if they miss out on the Big Three.

My sources tell me that… Jordan Farmar still actually thinks he can lead a team, and the Knicks are interested in over-paying him to prove he can’t.

My sources tell me that… the Hawks are so intrigued at becoming the first team to be swept out of eight straight second rounds they felt they had to offer Joe Johnson the max.

My sources tell me… Rashard Lewis is still giddy about his contract.

My sources tell me… so is Darko Milicic.

My sources tell me… the Bulls are prepared to hide Michael Jordan’s statue, take down their championship banner and ban all Jordan apparell from their arena so that Lebron doesn’t feel intimidated at all.

My sources tell me… if the Knicks can’t sign any of their targets, they will spend all of their cap space on Larry Johnson and Grandmama.

My sources tell me… Amar’e Stoudemire is considering signing with the Knicks, but only if they agree to trade for Steve Nash once his numbers drop.

My sources tell me… the Cavs are willing to offer Lebron a minority ownership, in the entire state of Ohio.

My sources tell me… if Lebron leaves, the Cavs back-up plan is to cry themselves to sleep every night, because there is no back-up plan.

My sources tell me… Dwyane Wade will only re-sign with the Heat if they get Charles Barkley off his Fave 5.

My sources tell me… Stephon Marbury is interested in returning to the NBA, his only contract demand is an iPhone 4 and that’s about it.

My sources tell me… Lebron is mad that I haven’t mentioned him enough in this article and that World Wide Wes is telling me I should watch my back.

My sources tell me… it would be wise to mention right now that Lebron is a free agent and you should all care!

My sources tell me… Lebron is considering an offer to play for the Monstars, or they will take all of his basketball skills.

My sources tell me… the Lakers are not concerned with what happens in free agency, because they will still walk away with the best player in the game today.

My sources tell me… don’t believe anything that you read or hear until someone officially signs a contract!

July 1, 2010. Depending on who you ask, it is either the beginning of something beautiful or the end of a franchise as we know it. It’s a day that teams have spent two years fantasizing about, two years creating cap-space for, and two years telling their fans that it would be the day they turned their franchise around.

Once that day finally hits, where will Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and others be headed? While we can’t predict the future, we can see which teams are the best fit for these free-agents-to-be.

The biggest free agent prize of them all this summer, and maybe even the biggest free agent prize of all-time, is of course Lebron James. The once-in-a-lifetime forward is the crown jewel in a treasure chest of free agents. There have been thousands of articles written about where James will end up, but I’m not here to Stephen A. Smith you with my sources, let’s just take a look at the five teams most likely to win the Lebron Sweepstakes.

New Jersey Nets:

The first team on our list is the first team that will get a sit down interview with Lebron, the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets. Can a team fresh off of a 70-loss season, 49 games behind James’ Cavs team of last season, really be in the running for the best free agent out there? If the order of teams meeting with James is any indication, definitely.

Pros:

With a team that just finished as bad as the Nets did, it’s hard to find many pros that would sway a free-agent of James caliber to sign with New Jersey. However, this is not your average 70-loss team. The Nets had 11 losses by five points or less, and were one of the youngest squads in the NBA. However, they already have young cornerstones at almost every position in the starting line-up. Devin Harris at the point, Courtney Lee at the off-guard, newly-drafted Derrick Favors at the power forward and young stud Brook Lopez at the center. All that is missing from that line-up is a small forward, which just happens to be Bron’s position.

However the one thing working in the Nets favor the most might not be who will take the court with James, but who will be signing his check. The Nets ownership is one of the most intriguing things about all of this. Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has just taking ownership of the team and has not only predicted a championship within five years, but said he will do what it takes to win. His biggest advantage? A minority owner by the name of Jay-Z, who just happens to be very good friends with James. While the roster may not be the best Lebron can join, the ownership just may be enough to sway his decision.

Cons:

Where do we start? First off, we are talking about the Nets, a team that has never won anything and has only been to the NBA Finals a grand total of two times. The Nets are also viewed by almost everyone as being in the shadow of the Knicks. While signing James would help the Nets overtake New York as the most popular team in the tri-state area, the fact is that the Knicks are a few signings away from being the favored team once again.

However, the biggest obstacle the Nets are facing? The relative youth and inexperience of their roster. The reality is that James will not be able to compete for a championship for at least a couple of years should he sign with the Nets. If titles are really the most important thing to James, which he has been claiming, then he will have a hard time justifying signing with a team who is a couple of years away from contention.

Odds of Signing:

50/50: Based purely on roster, the odds are against the Nets, but ownership gives them an edge not many other teams have. While they may be a long-shot, it would not be a complete shock to see James take his services to New Jersey.

New York Knicks:

Next up are the Knicks, otherwise known as the team who started this whole sweepstakes. New York has been hoarding cap space for nearly two full years in anticipation of this off-season, getting far enough under the cap to sign two max-free agents. They’re plan all along has been to sign James and a side-kick to help revitalize basketball in the Big Apple, so can they do it?

Pros:

First and foremost, we’re talking about playing basketball at the Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden. Despite being a cellar-dwelling team for the past couple of seasons, the Knicks have been able to consistently sell out their home games. There is a history and an aura around Madison Square Garden that causes players like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant to love playing there, it’s a place that creates legends, and James knows this.

Another key draw of New York is, well, New York. Should Lebron sign with the Knicks, any success the team has will be exponentially bigger because of where it is taking place. Lebron will instantly become a global icon, something he has acknowledge as important to him in his career. James will also have the opportunity to revive one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, and to allow his legend to grow to new heights.

Cons:

Once again, New York is, well, New York. Expectations in this city are beyond huge, fail and you will be criticized to the extreme, regardless of if your name is Lebron, Kobe or Michael Jordan. The downside of this risk is should Lebron fail to win championships, yes multiple, it will be much more magnified because of where he is, as opposed to say not doing it in Cleveland.

Another problem is despite the fact that Mike D’Antoni’s offense could allow James to average a triple-double for a season, the fact is that it is not tailored to win championships because it doesn’t focus on defense. Throw in a roster that is questionable at best, and suddenly New York might not be so attractive. Even if James is able to get Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade to join him in New York, it does not necessarily mean he will have a better chance at winning a title than he would in any other city.

Odds of Signing:

40/60: The closer and closer we get to July 1st, the less and less likely it seems that James will sign with the Knicks. While they have enough money to sign him and another superstar, it does not seem like they have a great shot at getting the King to the Big Apple.

Miami Heat:

The wildcard of all the teams that James can sign with has to be the Heat. It’s no secret that Dwyane Wade is more than likely to stay in Miami, so will James team up with him and form possibly the most potent duo of all-time? The Heat is the only team out there who can pair James with not one but two superstar teammates because of their cap-space, so will he head south?

Pros:

The first thing about this that makes sense for James is that he will be paired up with Wade and possibly a big such as Bosh/Amare Stoudemire/Carlos Boozer to form a Giant Three, because Big Three would not be appropriate. There would automatically be less pressure on James and he would be able to go out and play his game without worrying about having to carry a team for an entire season.

James would finally be able to just play his game and not have to be the serial-killer that many pundits have been trying to force him to be. When a game is on the line, he can defer to Wade, who has shown more of a killer instinct, and allow him to go to work. Less pressure on James means that he will be able to do what he does best and accentuate his skills as a great teammate.

Cons:

If James goes to Miami, he will automatically becomes the Scottie Pippen to Wade’s Michael Jordan. Wade is already the big man on campus so to speak in Miami, having won a ring and gained the love and respect of the city. James will be the newcomer, and despite the fact that he may be the better talent, he will not be looked at as the leader of the team.

Another drawback is that James will not be considered the man, and if you’re not considered the go-to guy on your team you can’t be compared to the greatest players to ever grace the game. In close games, Wade will be the player taking the last shot, Wade will be the guy with the ball in his hands to decide what to do, Wade will get to make the final decision. If James truly is as great as we have all hyped him to be, then there is no way he can be on a team where he will have to defer to another player to that extent.

Odd of Signing:

60/40: Despite Stephen A. Smith basically guaranteeing this will go down, it’s difficult to see James signing on with Miami and joining forces with Wade. There is just too much ego there for that to end well, and James himself has to know that better than anyone.

Chicago Bulls:

If there is one team as likely to gain James services as the one he has spent his whole career with, it has to be the Bulls. The Bulls are expected to complete a deal with the Wizards that will send Kirk Hinrich and his contract to Washington and allow Chicago to have enough cap room to sign two max guys. Could pairing up with a player of Bosh’s caliber with young guns like Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah be enough to lure Lebron away?

Pros:

Easily, easily, easily the best roster of any team pursuing James. Chicago can offer Lebron a young, talented, playoff-experienced team that is ready to follow his lead. In Rose, James will get the most talented teammate he has ever played with. The third-year guard out of Memphis is already one of the top five point guards in the NBA and he has the potential to grow into the best. Add in Joakim Noah, one of the best rebounding bigs in the league, and James has two very talented, young teammates to build with. That’s before even mentioning Luol Deng and what he can bring to the table.

That’s all before you get to the fact that Chicago can sign Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire or Dwyane Wade or basically any other free agent that is willing to come to the Windy City. Add one of those players to the aforementioned three, and you will have as good a starting line-up as any the NBA has to offer. This squad automatically becomes the favorites in the East and on par with the talent level of the Lakers.

Cons:

It’s not all good for James though should he sign with the Bulls. While they have some great young talents to pair with James, they are untested outside of the first round of the playoffs. They are also exactly what it says above, young. James would be the most seasoned veteran on the team, and that youth could come back to hurt the Bulls once the playoffs roll around. And we’ve all seen what happens in the playoffs when a team depends too much on Lebron.

However, that is something that can be fixed with some big-game experience. Something that James can’t adjust is what will be forever fixated on him should he sign with the Bulls, the shadow of His Airness, Michael Jordan. Lebron can win a title or two or even three, and he will still not be able to shake the expectations that Jordan left behind. Even more greatly than in New York, expectations will be at a premium should Lebron join Chicago, anything less than a dynasty and he will be considered a failure.

Odds of Signing:

75/25: If Lebron leaves the Cavs, it will be to sign with the Bulls. If he is serious about wanting to only win championships, there is no better situation for him to join than the one waiting in Chicago.

Cleveland Cavaliers:

Almost forgot about them, didn’t you? Perhaps the most over-looked team in the Lebron frenzy that free agency has created is the one he has spent his entire seven-year career with, the Cavs. Lost in all the hype of what how he could potentially turn around any franchise he joins is the fact that James has turned around the Cleveland organization, and is a title away from completing the mission. Is his loyalty enough to keep James in Cleveland?

Pros:

Familiarity is the one card the Cavs hold that no other team does. Lebron was raised in Akron, he knows exactly what he means to this city, organization and fan base. If James leaves the Cavs it will have a devastating effect on not just the team, but the entire state. Cleveland is a tormented sports city, and having grown up in it James knows this better than anyone. Should he stay and lead this team to a championship he will go down in history as a man who turned around an entire the sports fortune of an entire state.

The entire Cavaliers organization has been built around James. The roster was basically hand-picked by Lebron, and ownership has bent over backwards to keep him happy at all times, even if it has hindered the team. The irony here is that if Lebron leaves it will be because of what he did in pushing for certain teammates and trying to mold what he thinks is a title team. But the fact that ownership is willing to do whatever it takes to keep James happy and that they have done that his entire stay in Cleveland shows him that they are committed to him.

Cons:

The only real con of staying at home in Cleveland is that James will not have the young teammates or the cap room to work with that some of the other squads he can sign with will have. Once again, that is mostly of his own doing. James pushed hard for the Cavs to bring in Antawn Jamison and his contract will tie up cap-space the Cavs could desperately use.

The roster is basically set for Cleveland, they will need to make some trades and move some undesirable pieces to really upgrade at all, and it will be much more difficult for them than most other teams.

Odds of Signing:

75/25: Lebron knows that the entire city of Cleveland is holding their breath to see what he does.  Leave and devastate an entire generation of sports fans. Stay and have the opportunity to become the biggest star in the history of Cleveland sports.

After seven incredible games of a highly intensive series, the NBA Finals have now come to an end and the Los Angeles Lakers are your NBA Champions for the second consecutive year.

The buzzer of Game 7 and the wild celebration it set off in Los Angeles after Thursday night signified the end of all basketball games until October. A sombering reality for basketball fans all over the nation.

So like most NBA fans, I was left wondering, well now what? Fortunately for me and you, we are heading into what could be the most landscape changing summer of free agency in NBA history.

While it is impossible to know for sure what free agents such as Lebron James and Dwyane Wade will do once July 1st hits, one can always make some “educated” guesses. With that I present to you 10 things I guarantee will maybe possibly happen this off-season:

1. Dwyane Wade will be the first super-free agent to sign with a team, and that team will be the Miami Heat

The first domino to fall this summer should be the most expected move, and that is Wade re-upping with his Heat squad. Miami has the money to re-sign Wade while also signing a max free agent and another high-priced free agent on top of that. But for Miami to be able to seriously attract some of the top free agents they need to have their top pitch-man, and that is Wade.

With Wade on board, Miami will be a power player in free agency. Guys like Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer will have to pay attention to what a guy with championship credentials like D-Wade has to say when he comes calling for back-up.

2. World Wide Wes will be a name everyone knows by the end of the summer

If you don’t know who “Uncle Wes” as players affectionately call him is yet, you will by the time Lebron James signs somewhere. Already in the few weeks since Lebron was eliminated from the playoffs we have heard his name in reports of where Bron will end up. A couple weeks back, there were reports that Wes was saying Lebron was leaning heavily towards signing with the Bulls.

As of yesterday, the latest word in NBA rumor circles, as reported on this website, is that Wes is letting teams know that if they trade for superstar Chris Paul they will have a much greater chance of landing James. While the likelihood of this actually happening is unknown, the fact is that we are days away from July 1st and World Wide Wes is already dictating how teams go about their business this off-season.

3. Chris Paul will not be traded, but we’ll hear his name a lot this off-season

One of the quietest rumors floating around is that Hornets owner George Shinn will be willing to listen to offers for his superstar point guard before he officially completes the sale of his Hornets. The idea that the Hornets would ship out the only star they have is something that will definitely cause fans to question their commitment to winning. Which is exactly why it is so difficult to see New Orleans sending Paul anywhere.

This won’t stop the rumor mill from going full-throttle with Paul rumors. CP3 is one of the top three, if not the top, point guards in the league, not exactly a player you come across everyday. With the Hornets struggling the past couple of seasons and Paul dealing with injuries, it makes sense that rumors would start swirling about his future. Just don’t expect Paul to suit up in anything but a Hornets uniform next season.

4. Joe Johnson will be overpaid by a team who misses out on Lebron and D-Wade

While Joe Johnson has been one of the more underrated players in the league for the past couple of seasons, the past seasons playoff exit by the Hawks highlighted the doubts GM’s all across the league have about Johnson’s ability to lead a team in the postseason. After yet another stellar regular season, Johnson bombed his way out against the Magic as the Hawks were swept in the second round for the second consecutive season.

Despite the fact that Johnson is not on the same level as Wade/James/Chris Bosh, he will receive max-contract money from a team that misses out on those free agents. The team that will sign Johnson to this contract will be a team who’s fan-base has some very high expectations heading into this off-season, the New York Knicks. Why the Knicks? Well because…

5. Lebron James will not sign with the New York Knicks, regardless of what Stephen A. Smith tells you

Smith was recently heard saying that his “sources” tell him James is leaning towards signing with the Knicks, which is exactly what New York fans everywhere want to hear. Sadly for those Knicks fans, I don’t think James will be heading to the Big Apple this off-season. While you will hear the Heat, Nets, Wizards, and Knicks as possible destinations for James, the two teams most likely to sign him will be the Chicago Bulls and his home-town Cleveland Cavs.

The Knicks will spend all of their money on free-agents this off-season, however it won’t be on the players their fans have waited two years for. Sorry Spike, but this off-season will be more depressing and devastating to the state of Knicks fans everywhere than anything that Isaiah Thomas did in his Knicks tenure once Lebron signs elsewhere, that is until…

6. Chris Bosh will sign with the Knicks as the unquestioned leader of the team

Knicks fans everywhere will be shaken at missing out on Lebron James, but will ultimately be calmed by the arrival of Bosh, arguably the best power forward in the game today. While many people have penciled in Bosh as joining forces with Wade in Miami or even with James via sign-and-trade in Chicago, the fact is CB4 has consistently stated that he wants to be the main star on whatever team he goes to.

Once James is off the market the Knicks will move quickly to sign Johnson, who as mentioned above is a great player, but not someone who can be your number one on a championship caliber team. Insert Bosh, who will team with Johnson for one of the best inside/out combos in the NBA and who will undoubtedly be the top dog of that Knicks squad.

7. The Clippers will be a dark-horse candidate to sign Lebron, but will ultimately settle on over-paying Rudy Gay

Clippers fans everywhere have been hoping that this off-season changes the fortunes of their downtrodden organization. With young guns like Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin, along with veterans like Chris Kaman and Baron Davis, as well as life in Los Angeles, the Clippers should be a desirable destination for all free agents.

However, we are talking about the Clippers after all. Which means they will break the hearts of their fans by flirting with James before ultimately losing out on him. In a mad scramble to spend their free agent money on someone who can help, they will settle for trying to sign restricted free-agent Rudy Gay away from the Grizzlies. Because Memphis will match nearly any offer for him, the Clippers will offer Gay the max, a contract too rich for the Grizzlies, and ultimately leave free agency with the most overpaid player.

8. Amar’e Stoudemire will opt out of his contract and leave the Suns in the dust to sign with Wade in Miami, and it will end badly for everyone involved

While Stoudemire is one of the biggest names on the market, there’s a reason that not many people see him as a max free agent type of player. Stoudemire just finished a Western Conference Finals in which he averaged only six rebounds per game, even worse than the 6.6 boards he averaged in the postseason. This was as the only rebounding big on his squad with “center” Channing Frye residing mostly outside the paint.

However it is well noted that him and Suns management have not had the best relationship, and Miami will move quickly to sign Stoudemire away from Phoenix to team with Wade. Most people might see this as a good move, however most people fail to realize that Steve Nash is the main reason Stoudemire gets the stats he does. In Miami, Stoudemire will underachieve and make Wade wonder why exactly he stuck around with the Heat. Phoenix will lose their only serviceable big and drop off greatly from their Conference Finals appearance last season, and people will start to appreciate Steve Nash even more.

9. Dirk Nowitzki will cause Mark Cuban some heart palpitations, but ultimately re-sign with the Mavs

When it was announced that Nowitzki intended to opt out of his contract and enter the free agent bonanza of 2010, Mavs fans everywhere were faced with the prospect of losing their franchise player and adding insult to injury after being eliminated in the first round of the post-season. It is unlikely Nowitzki will head anywhere else, but his opting out is a clear message to Cuban and Dallas management that the Mavs need to make some roster moves to get themselves back into the championship picture.

Nowitzki has expressed a willingness to sign for less money if it means bringing in more help, and with the trade chips that Dallas has they just may be able to do that. They will be a dark-horse team to get Lebron in a sign-and-trade before ultimately missing out on him and settling for a lesser star. While it is unlikely, the Mavs could push for a trade with the Hornets to bring in CP3 to push their high-powered offense to another level.

10. The summer of Lebron will be full of suspense, but ultimately James will end up signing with the team that makes the most sense, the Cleveland Cavaliers

There is no fan-base living under as much uncertainty as the Cleveland Cavaliers fans. This off-season will shape their franchise for the next decade, and in each scenario the effect is extreme. Should James jump town and sign elsewhere, the Cavs will get nothing in return and be stuck with an aging group of players with big contracts (Antawn Jamison anyone?). Should James stay, the Cavs will be contenders for the NBA championship for years to come.

While James will be wined-and-dined by teams and thrown rallies by fan bases everywhere, at the end of the day his heart is in Cleveland, and he is a loyal person. James grew up in Cleveland, he understands better than anyone what will happen to this city, this fan-base, this community if he leaves them in the dust for greener pastures. The pending loss of James will push the Cavs to make quick decisions regarding their roster, including trading guys like Mo Williams and upgrading the team in hopes of bringing back James. When training camps open this fall, the Cavs will indeed have a roster that doesn’t resemble last seasons, but James will still be their centerpiece.

Since Tuesday nights Game 6 win, any discussion surrounding the Lakers in Game 7 tends to revert back to what this game means for Kobe Bryant’s legacy. Although Bryant has already cemented himself as one of the greatest to ever play the game, Game 7 may shape forever how people in the future remember him.

As mentioned in many articles before, Game 7 will affect the legacies and futures of all involved, including Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers, Ron Artest and the Big Three. However none will be scrutinized or praised more depending on the outcome of this game than Kobe.

What will a win tonight do for Bryant’s legacy? What about a loss? Let’s take a look at what’s at stake in the biggest game of Kobe Bean Bryant’s career.

A loss tonight to the Celtics would allow Laker and Kobe haters everywhere to rejoice. Despite winning four titles during his career, Kobe has been unable to shake the idea that the first three rings were because of Shaq only.

While saying that Kobe needed Shaq and Shaq didn’t need Kobe to win is ridiculous, the fact is it is a common argument used by people who don’t believe Bryant belongs in the discussion of upper echelon greats. All one really needs to do to see what Kobe brought to the Lakers during that three-peat is check the box score, but the fact of the matter is that Shaq took home the Finals MVP’s and thus gets the lions share of credit.

A loss tonight would drop Bryant to 1-2 in the NBA Finals since the Lakers became his team, further pushing the argument that he can’t lead a team when it matters most. While an NBA title last year should have dispelled this notion, many people believe that the Lakers would not have won that title had the Celtics been healthy. A loss tonight wouldn’t prove that point, but it would definitely strengthen the argument.

Lastly, a Lakers defeat tonight would almost automatically put to rest any arguments about whether or not Kobe should be included in the debate for best player of all-time. He will drop to 4-3 for his career in the Finals, and stay two short of the six that Michael Jordan won.

A win tonight would have the opposite effect on his legacy. First the obvious, it would give Kobe his fifth ring. Title number five would tie Kobe with Magic Johnson, and most likely propel Kobe ahead of Magic in the argument about who the greatest Laker of all-time is. While the number of rings is equal, the fact that Kobe was able to do it with two completely different groups of players and add a repeat to his first three-peat would edge him ahead of Magic. At the worst, everyone would remember Kobe as 1 or 1A for greatest Laker ever.

Most importantly, a fifth title will put him one short of MJ, and with three more years with the same core of this Laker team, put Kobe in a position where he could possibly surpass MJ by reaching seven rings.

A fifth title also pushes the argument that Kobe has reached Jordan’s level. While it’s hard to put Kobe ahead of MJ, you would have to put him into the discussion with a win tonight.

I’ll pause while most of you cuss out your computers and rant about how Kobe isn’t even close to being on that level……done? Perfect.

Something we always hear about is the Kobe-Lebron debate, and then people will flip out when you mention a Kobe-MJ debate. To me this makes absolutely no sense. While Lebron is a great player, he isn’t on Kobe’s level. In fact, he isn’t even close to Kobe’s level, as these playoffs have proven to everyone, there’s a huge difference between regular season dominance and playoff dominance.

All season long people talked about Lebron’s greatness, his MVP credentials and how he was the best player in the league. Then James got knocked out in the second round and is now watching Kobe head towards another ring and another Finals MVP. People are quick to make what I see as a disrespectful comparison to what Kobe has accomplished by putting a ring-less Lebron on his level, but the second you mention Kobe-MJ there is an uproar.

I won’t even make the argument, I’ll allow a former Jordan teammate to do it for me. As reported by ESPN:

But some coaches, executives and scouts within the league believe that Kobe is equal to if not better than Jordan. They say he’s a better shooter and ball handler. One of Jordan’s former teammates once strongly implied to me that Kobe was MJ’s superior.

“All I know is Mike never scored 81 points in a game,” he said. “And believe me, he tried.”

The fact is, Kobe is the closest thing we’ve seen to Jordan, and a win tonight not only puts him ahead of Magic as the greatest Laker of all-time, but launches him into the discussion for greatest player of all-time. Now I’m in no way saying I would put Kobe ahead of Jordan right now, but with a win tonight you could definitely make the case that Bryant can reach that level before it’s all said and done.

If the Lakers win tonight they will have 16 rings, one shy of their only real NBA rival, the Boston Celtics. If Kobe wins tonight he will have five rings, one shy of his only real NBA rival, Michael Jordan.

ALERT! Have you seen this man?

Missing: NBA Champion, 7-footer Pau Gasol of Spain. Last seen at the TD Garden in Boston, MA. Anyone with information please contact the Los Angeles Lakers at:

Staples Center
1111 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015

Dramatic? A little sure, but after consecutive losses to the Celtics in Boston the question has got to be asked, where did Pau Gasol go?

After dominating the post in the first two games, Gasol went back to his 2008 form and was pushed around and bullied by the Celtics in the middle three games. Just take a look at the numbers:

Games 1-2: 15-24 shooting, 18-23 ft’s, 22 rebounds, 9 blocks, 48 points
Games 3-5: 16-36 shooting, 14-19 ft’s, 28 rebounds, 4 blocks, 46 points

While Gasol’s numbers for the middle three games don’t look all that bad, they are a bit inflated. In Game 4 Gasol had 21 points thanks to 9-10 free throw shooting. In Game 5 Gasol finished with 12 points and 12 rebonds, but three of those points and three of those rebounds came in what amounted to garbage time in the last 45 seconds.

So what exactly has gone wrong with the Spaniard? Well for one, his new-found toughness that was on full display in Games 1-2 completely disappeared as soon as the Lakers landed in Boston. Gasol was physically dominated by Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins in the middle three games, something Laker fans remember all too well from the last time these teams met in the Finals.

But Gasol’s issues on the court are not all his fault. The Lakers perimeter players have had quick triggers the past two games, not posting up Gasol as often as they should and at times taking him completely out of the game. The biggest offenders of this are Ron Artest and Jordan Farmar, two guys that jack up threes with no hesitation instead of posting up Gasol inside.

So how exactly does Pau fix these problems before the Lakers get KO’ed by Boston? First, he has to be just as physical with Garnett and Perkins as they are with him. Despite the fact that Gasol’s 15-17 foot jumper is money when he’s open, he can’t keep bailing his defender out by settling for it. Pau has to attack Perkins and Garnett by facing up and driving at them. Perkins is a foul-prone big who is physical inside, but slow on his feet. Gasol must take advantage of the fact that he is the best footwork in the post of any big man in the NBA and use that to abuse Perkins.

When the ball stops coming inside Gasol has to demand it. Shrugging his shoulders in frustration when a bad shot goes up is not going to get you the ball in the post more. Pau has got to be a vocal leader who demands the ball in the post and delivers once he gets it. They key to winning these final two games in LA is winning the battle inside. Gasol has to dominate the paint and the boards for the Lakers to have a chance.

But what’s the most important thing for Gasol to do? Man the hell up. Period. No more complaining to the refs, no more looking for foul calls that aren’t coming your way, just man up and go to work inside. For two years Gasol has been called soft, blamed for the Lakers loss in 2008 and labeled as a player who backs down when he gets pushed around.

If Gasol wants to dispel those notions and cement himself as the best big man in the game, he needs to do it in Game 6 then again in Game 7. It’s time for Pau to re-affirm his star status, to show everyone that not only is he tough enough, but he’s good enough to adjust to any type of play inside. It’s time to prove once and for all that that the 7-footer with fancy footwork who can finish with either hand inside is not only the best big on the defending NBA champions, but the best big in the league.

It’s time for some Boom Boom Pau, otherwise the Lakers will have to spend another summer wondering what happened against the Celtics.

Belal Abdelfattah is BSO’s newest writer and comes from a long background in sports writing at the Sports Authority Blog and The Block Radio. You can follow Belal on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/belal_a

Three games into the NBA Finals and we know a couple things for sure:

- Derek Fisher is still a stone-cold killer when it matters most
- Home-court advantage means absolutely nothing in this series
- Despite his poor offense, Ron Artest is a huge upgrade over Trevor Ariza

The time has finally come to end the debate over who the Lakers would have been better off with starting at small forward. The fact of the matter is despite a drop-off in offensive production, the Lakers are a much better team overall this season than they were during their title run last year.

Artest’s defense has been unbelievable to this point in the playoffs. Take a look at the regular season and playoff numbers of Kevin Durant, who Artest blanketed in the first round.

Regular Season:
30.1 Points Per Game, 47.6% shooting, 36.5% from three, 3.3 turnovers per game

First Round vs. Lakers:
25.0 Points Per Game, 35% shooting, 28.6% from three, 3.67 turnovers per game

Artest was single-handedly responsible for Durant’s dip in production. The fact that he was able to single-cover KD35 all series long was the exact reason the Lakers were able to adjust and double Russell Westbrook every time he went to the basket.

During the regular season, Durant became the youngest scoring champion ever, looking like a superstar and scoring basically at will as teams were keying in on him with single and double-teams. One round with Artest and Durant looked like a third-year player struggling to score.

In the second round against Utah, Artest was usually matched up with Kyle Korver or someone who didn’t really have great numbers to begin with so his defensive presence wasn’t really felt except the few times he matched up with Deron Williams.

In the Conference Finals against Phoenix, Artest was matched up with either Grant Hill or Jason Richardson. Again his defensive presence wasn’t really felt, although Richardson averaged nearly six points less per game against the Lakers than he did in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

But let’s get to the one round that matters the most to Laker fans, and that is the NBA Finals. The Lakers have been matched up with the last team to beat them in a playoff series, the Celtics. Everyone remembers that series for the embarrassing finish the Lakers had to endure and also for how Paul Pierce had his way with guys like Luke Walton and Vlad Radmanovic en route to a Finals MVP performance.

The difference between this years Finals and those of 2008 has been Artest, who has locked down Pierce to such an extreme degree that Pierce has the same look on his face that you see on most victims from Law and Order: SVU. By simply comparing Pierce’s numbers in the regular season to those in the Finals, it doesn’t seem like there has been much of a fall off:

Regular Season:
18.3 points, 47.2% FG, 41.4% three point shooting

Finals vs. Lakers:
16.3 points, 36% shooting, 37.5% three point shooting

While his scoring and field goal percentage numbers are down, his three-point shooting is still respectable right? While the numbers look good, they are deceptive. Take a look at Pierce’s averages for Games 2 and 3.

Game 2: 2-11 shooting, 6-6 free throws, 10 points
Game 3: 5-12 shooting, 2-3 free throws, 15 points

In those two games he average 12.5 points on 7-23 shooting. Further more, of the 5 field goals Pierce hit in Game 3, two were in the final minute with the game already decided.

Game 1 is one that many Celtic/Pierce fans will cite as proof that Pierce can score and has just had a couple off games. The argument is that Pierce had 24 points in the game and shot a respectable percentage. Those are both good points, but something that goes unnoticed is how many free throws Pierce shot in that game, many coming on questionable calls but who am I to nitpick.

Game 1: 6-13 shooting, 12-13 free throws, 24 points

As was the case with Game 3, three of Pierce’s baskets came in the final two minutes with the game already decided. So for the three games this series Pierce has hit 13 shots, and five of them were when the game was in garbage time or already decided. It has been clear to anyone who has watched the series that Artest has gotten into Pierce’s head by now.

This of course hasn’t stopped Pierce from talking the talk of an MVP all series long. Pierce was seen jawing with the crowd and talking trash to Laker players frequently in the first two games in Los Angeles, all while not doing much on the court. But that is exactly what Artest has limited Pierce too, a running mouth.

The most noticeable sequence came in Game 2 when Pierce announced to the Staples crowd that “We ain’t coming back to LA!”, the same Paul Pierce who made two field goals for that entire game and is now praying we come back to LA, otherwise the Lakers will be leaving Boston as NBA Champions for the second year in a row.

And despite his whacky ways, his inconsistent offense and hilarious quotes in interviews, Ron Artest stands as one of the main reasons the Lakers are half way to yet another championship. If the Lakers do end up taking home the championship, all Laker fans world-wide will just have to do one thing:

SAY QUEENSBRIDGE!