The NBA Season is just around the corner

i thank the folks at 2K sports for releasing NBA 2K10 to keep me sane during the next week while desperately waiting for my dose of new NBA action. we here at airballmen (or what's left of the airball men) have tried to keep ourselves busy with schoolwork but it's just too tough to concentrate especially when the preseason is being televised, thus giving everybody a preview of what's to come.

i know it's a little too early for predictions, but since i'm as mediocre as one can get, i'll share you my thoughts anyway:

1. LAKERS = they were already a talented team when they won the championship last season, but now they're even more intimidating because of the addition of ron artest (intimidating because ron-ron's a great on-ball defender/stopper AND he's ron artest. 'nuff said.). if ron-ron can keep his cool (and control his lust for kobe, as shown below), if andrew bynum stays healthy and realizes he still needs kareem, if kobe keeps being kobe, i expect the lakers to at least make the conference finals. but of course, a fifth title is still very very possible for these guys. and maybe some ron artest music videos.

PREDICTION: 63-19 (if ron-ron decides to be a good boy) 63-19 (because kobe and phil won't tolerate naughty ron-ron)

nothing's gonna stop kobe and ron from doing more disturbing things than this in the lakers' locker room. it's good to be on top of the world, isn't it?

2. SPURS = old, busted, but still contending as always, the spurs are... well... the spurs. they've been competing for championships (and boring casual fans to death) for 175 years now and they keep replacing their old guys with relatively younger ones to keep their championship window open for at least 2 more years. their 2009-2010 team looks to me like it's capable of winning 55 or more games, and they could give the lakers the toughest competition out west.

PREDICTION: 58-24 (when healthy) 54-28 (when duncan's and ginobili's knees and parker's ankles decide to stage another coup d'etat against them)

we are gonna miss the free
kung-fu lessons by master bruce "lee" bowen.

3. HEAT = d-wade is a beast. he was the reason the heat won 43 games last season and once again threw his name up there in the "who's the best right now" conversations alongside kobe and lebron. unfortunately, his miami heat haven't really done much in the offseason, instead waiting for the 2010 free agency free for all/royal rumble/power struggle to beef up their line-up. their only notable moves were signing carlos arroyo and quentin richardson. it could be another MVP season for dwyane wade but another 40-win season could be upon them. although i'm hoping tim grover's magic worked on jermaine o'neal at least for this season.

PREDICTION: 45-37 (healthy) 41-41 (if jermaine o'neal and michael beasley don't step up)

i still don't know why pat riley was allowed to sign a 12-year old schoolboy on his team.

- COOKIES


- photos from Droppin, Basketbawful, and NBA.com