The NBA's 10 Biggest Stories

e all know the outcome of this story is still almost two years away, but the public and media attention it receives will just not die. Many people consider LeBron to be the greatest showman, and perhaps best player, to come into the game since Jordan.

But LeBron is not helping the situation by showing his affinity for all things "NYC". For a city like Cleveland that has not won a major sports title in what must seem like forever, this has to be torture.

Still, the story is compelling, and no matter what speculation the media or fans want to serve up, we will all have to wait and see what the King does.

 

The Rise of Superman

Kobe, LeBron, CP3, KG, and the Big Fundamental. These are the names of the NBA elite.

Well, now you can add the name of Dwight “Superman” Howard. DH is the most dominant low-post presence since Shaq in his prime. He rebounds as well as anyone since Rodman, his post moves have improved dramatically with some help from Coach Patrick Ewing, and he is one heck of a showman to top it off.

He is no longer the young raw talent with gobs of potential; he is now the best center in the league and will compete with the rest of the NBA elite for world titles.

 

The Setting Suns of Phoenix

This story began last year with the trade for Shaquille O'Neal and the departure of Mike “I Can't Spell Defense” D’Antoni. It continued with the trade of Raja Bell (one of Steve Nash’s best friends) for Jason Richardson.

The result? Steve Nash looks almost morbid, Stoudemire is completely unhappy, and, as a whole, the team is a huge disappointment.

Steve Kerr (no matter how many 3’s he knocked down for the Bulls) will have some explaining to do if he can’t turn it all around and fast. He took the most fun and entertaining team in the NBA and turned it into a second-rate soap opera.

Poor Nash.

 

The Los Angeles Lakers

Andrew Bynum was back, now he's gone. Lamar Odom's coming off the bench, Sasha Vujacic can’t get off the bench. Pau Gasol is soft, Coach Phil Jackson is coming down hard. I haven’t even mentioned Kobe yet, and, already, there is a plethora of topics to discuss.

Now, every NBA team has its own plots and story lines, but the attention the Lakers receive from the media and fans in general is immense and, as of late, has no equal. When there is a national poll on a website, the Lakers almost always come out on top. When NBA TV lets fans vote on which game will be shown on Tuesdays, the Lakers are a sure bet to win.

Kobe's 61 points at the Garden, Phil’s Zen-like wisdom. It all adds up to the NBA's most watched and popular team. Whether it’s the Cavs, Celtics, or Magic representing the East, the league and its TV sponsors are all better off with the Lakers representing the West.

 

Celtics Championship Defense

These Boston Celtics remind me of a previous championship team defending their crown, the 1995 Houston Rockets. Both teams were coming off tremendous runs, but were a bit long in the tooth and wary of the honeymoon period.

The difference? The Rockets cruised through the season, not even achieving one of the top four seeds. The Celtics, led by team captain Garnett, have been relentless in their title defense. The passion and energy the Celtics have played with is both inspiring and risky.

After the Christmas Day loss to the Lakers, the team seemed to crash both emotionally and physically. But since then, they have gotten it back together and are back to their winning ways.

But the question has to be asked, will the Celtics replicate the 1995 Rockets' finish, which saw them retain their crown? Will the Celts still have enough left in the tank to take down the likes of the Cavs, Magic, Spurs, and Lakers?

 

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?