25 Things to Look Forward to in the 2012 NBA Year

Let's all take a step back and breathe.

Now that we got that out of the way, let me attempt to convey the message that the season isn't already decided five games in.

As impressive as the first five games have been, and how sweet it is to return to normalcy, we can't let a few opening games decide on who's a contender or pretender. It's far too early in the season, so please don't write off the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics because of a slow start.

However, those current teams at the top, you should expect them to stay up there throughout the course of the season.

Currently, the undefeated Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder lead their conferences with both teams winning their first five games. Both teams came extremely close to a title victory last season, but fell at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.

The fact that we're even watching games to begin with is a blessing, since we could still very well be without them. Luckily for us, and anyone else associated with the NBA, we have basketball once again and it's here to stay until the latest CBA agreement reaches its end.

Rather than focusing on more business problems involving the league, we'll just take a look at the 25 things that we'll be looking forward to this season.

More Miami Heat Fast Breaks

It doesn't matter if you love them or hate them, you have to appreciate the talent and athleticism that the Miami Heat put into their fast breaks.

Usually led by Dwyane Wade or LeBron James, these fast breaks might as well be a guaranteed two points because it either ends up in a layup, dunk or a couple of free throws.

It doesn't matter how quality of a defense they're facing, there are only so many teams that have the knowledge and athleticism to defend that sort of attack.

The Heat are too fast in the open court. The only possible way to contain them is to attempt to keep them in a half-court style, while also limiting the turnovers that turn into fast breaks.

We saw it too many times last season, and we've already seen it a few times this season.

The Final Runs of the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics

We're not saying that we're looking forward to the remaining days of superiority of the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics. What I'm attempting to convey is to appreciate the veterans that each of those teams possess, and what they've done for the game of basketball.

Take for instance, the likes of Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Both champions, MVP's, and pioneers with their respective games. They feature extremely different feelings when it comes to playing the game (Duncan's laid-back style and Garnett's in-your-face game), but they both share one common sentiment, and that's being a born leader.

While Garnett had the misfortune of being on a Minnesota Timberwolves team that lacked key pieces, Duncan was lucky enough to be put on the same team as David Robinson and current teammates Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. KG would finally win his first title in 2008 with Boston, while Duncan had already won four titles prior to then.

Joining those two on the list of future Hall of Famers who are set to depart within the next five seasons include Ginobili, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Ginobili was one of the first successful foreign players in the NBA, Pierce has been one of the league's top scorers, and Allen currently holds the record for most three-pointers in a career. These three players, as well as Duncan and Garnett, will be sorely missed when they were gone.

It's best that you begin seeing their last footprints on the face of the NBA before a new crop of veterans takes over in their place.

How the Dwight Howard Saga Comes to an End

Where's Dwight Howard this week?

Is he halfway to New Jersey this time? Are the Los Angeles Lakers still in the mix? Will the Dallas Mavericks pull off a miraculous coup this offseason?

All of it is pure speculation. No one knows where Howard is going, not even Dwight himself. All we know is that he's still a member of an Orlando Magic team that is giving him reason to stay after a hot 4-1 start.

Granted, the wins came against Houston, New Jersey, Charlotte and Toronto, but the Magic are at least beating the teams they need to beat.

As far as we know, Howard demanded a trade, and then rescinded it.

For sanity's sake, we just need to let this lay to rest until the trade-deadline talks heat up again.

All-Star Weekend

Never before will the All-Star break be more anticipated by the players. Due to a congested style that features teams playing four games in six nights and games for three consecutive days, every NBA player will be longing for the break that comes with All-Star weekend.

I'm just saying it now, don't be surprised if a few players rescind their invitations to the game. They might have gotten a few more months off due to the lockout, but the players are still going to be winded due to the congested style taking a toll on their usual resting patterns.

What we'll be looking forward to, however, is the All-Star weekend itself. While some may pass on the Celebrity game, the Shooting Star competition, or the Skills competition, every fan will still have their eyes glued for the three-point shootout, dunk contest, and the actual All-Star game.

We'll also have the always-popular Rookie-Sophomore game. The rookies will most likely feature Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight as their stars. The sophomores, who have an enormous advantage, will be coming out with Blake Griffin, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe.

Many believed that the dunk contest had lost its luster, especially after that dismal 2010 spectacle, but it was revived thanks to the numerous big men that brought it back to life last season.

Serge Ibaka's free throw line dunk, JaVale McGee dunking three basketballs at the same time, or Blake Griffin jumping over the top of a car were all extraordinary sights to see.

Following that, we'll then view the All-Star game itself. Even if it means absolutely nothing and the players are barely trying, there's nothing wrong with seeing two dream teams dunking on each other.

Kobe Bryant Putting the Lakers on His Back

Notorious for putting the weight of the team on his shoulders, Kobe Bryant will be ready to do it once again in order to keep the Los Angeles Lakers atop the Western Conference.

This won't be Bryant lifting up Kwame Brown, Smush Parker and Chris Mihm. Instead, it'll be Bryant lifting up a solid core composed of himself, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum.

This Lakers team is still one of the best in the league, but it's going to take a much larger effort from those three players in order to make a significant championship run.

Because of the loss of Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom, the Lakers bench has been depleted. They currently feature Metta World Peace and Steve Blake as their top contributors with Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy also producing.

Even with a few new pieces to add to the mix, they still lack the versatility Odom brought out, as he could play all five positions whenever called upon.

With young teams like Memphis, Oklahoma City and the L.A. Clippers on the rise, the Lakers are going to need a huge effort from Kobe Bryant in order to reach the highest plateau for the fourth time in five years.

Chris Paul's Chemistry with the Los Angeles Clippers

Like we did with the Miami Heat last season, we got a little too hasty when declaring the Los Angeles Clippers as the team to beat in the West.

They have the pure point guard in Chris Paul, the talent and athleticism in Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, and even the veteran leadership in Chauncey Billups, so why exactly are the Clippers off to a slow 1-2 start?

As you saw with the Heat, it takes more than talent to win games. You need chemistry, cohesion, and the teammates to have a great understanding of each other and their respective games.

Any team could throw some talented pieces together and win games, but it takes a lot more than that if they actually want to go further than making some highlights.

Los Angeles is still Laker town. Love it or hate it, the Lakers are still the reigning kings of L.A.

However, they shouldn't get too comfortable in that position, because Chris Paul will begin leading this team to wins. He's too good of a player and his teammates are too talented for this not to work in the long run.

We saw what Paul could do with an abysmal New Orleans Hornets team, and we'll soon see what he can do with a legitimate roster.

John Wall's Progress

Plain and simple, the Washington Wizards are an awful team. They have the veteran coach in Flip Saunders and the talented roster, but there are so many issues with this team that we don't know where to even begin.

They look like a bunch of guys that were picked up during a pick-up game. They have no understanding of how to play the game the right way at all.

Understood that this is an extremely young team, but they have to buy into what their head coach is attempting to preach and convey to them. They need to show some maturity and some will towards learning in order to win games.

The only winless team left in the NBA, the Wizards are 0-4 with losses to a New Jersey Nets team that played without Brook Lopez, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.

In order for this team to get better, they need to start off with their franchise star in John Wall. The Rookie of the Year runner-up from last season is struggling out of the gate after boasting that he was fully healthy for the first time since early last season.

The fact that he is averaging only 13 points per game on 27 percent shooting isn't even the worst part, but rather the five turnovers to only six assists per game.

Wall may be the quickest and most agile player in the league, but he still has a lot of growing up to do. He throws the ball away too much, with most of the turnovers being unforced.

He has the talent to be an All-Star point guard, but it takes more than some talent and athleticism to become a player of that caliber.

Ricky Rubio

So much for rookie jitters. Ricky Rubio looks like a regular Jason Kidd with the passes he has been putting on display in his first four games.

First off, however, let's get things straight. Rubio isn't an immediate All-Star anyway. He's a crafty player who can pull off some fancy passes, but he has this tendency of attempting flashy passes when there's absolutely no reason to.

Those one-handed passes are special to watch from time to time, but it's too dangerous to do on every single play.

His turnovers are prevalent as well. He had four turnovers with seven assists against Dallas, five turnovers with 12 assists against Miami, and four turnovers with three assists against Milwaukee.

He had a tremendous debut when he dished out six assists and had zero turnovers against the Thunder, but these past three games have been a little troubling.

We won't analyze his passes this time. Instead, just appreciate the artistry that Rubio has on the passes that actually get to their man. A Rookie of the Year award could very well be in his future, but only if he can reduce his turnovers and throw more fundamental passes.

The Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook Relationship

We're not going to get into conspiracy theories here and say that the Oklahoma City Thunder are due for a breakup.

Instead, we'll focus more on what we've head thus far from the Thunder's two stars, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Both of these players are world-class, elite players.

Durant's silky smooth jumper and his astounding athleticism are near the top of the league, and it's already translated to some of the NBA's top moments early on in the 2011-12 season.

As much as he's been criticized, Westbrook has the capability and talent to become a top ten player. He's an unbelievable player on the fast break, can create plays with his shooting and passing, and has more athleticism and strength in a point guard than you'll ever see.

He's just as much an alpha dog as Durant is, and that's exactly where the problem lies.

These are two players who want to lead. They don't want to be second options and they certainly don't want to play sidekick to each other, especially Westbrook since he knows that he is better than being a sidekick.

It's already been stated that these two have gotten into arguments in last year's postseason and in the 2011-12 season, but that doesn't mean the Thunder are in trouble. The only way that they would be in trouble is if this problem persists.

Eventually, they're going to have to settle their differences and one of them (Westbrook) will have to become the second option.

Until then, we'll continue viewing one of the league's most dynamic and electric teams.

Kyrie Irving's Progress with the Cavaliers

Kyrie Irving didn't let a 2-of-12 shooting performance in his debut deter him. Instead, he learned from his mistakes, took better shots and is now a considerably better player than the one we saw only a week ago.

Irving had 14 points and seven assists against Detroit, 20 points and five boards against Indiana, and a 13 points and four assists against New Jersey to make up for a lousy opening day.

The Cleveland Cavaliers now find themselves at 2-2, which is good for a team that's only a year removed from winning 19 out of 82 games as well as dropping 26 in a row.

After a college career where he was only featured in 11 games, Irving was still highly lauded as the best college player to elect to join the draft. Even though there were other point guards who had given more time at the NCAA level, Irving was declared to be NBA-ready by scouts.

It turns out that they may have been right. Irving has played excellent basketball in the past three games, and he has shown great maturity. He's shooting below 40 percent which is a little disappointing, but he's not committing too many turnovers and is running a solid Cavaliers offense.

Irving won't lead the Cavs to the postseason this year, but he will at least have them going in the right direction.

Derrick Rose Defending His Crown

You can argue all you want about LeBron James or Dwight Howard possibly being more deserving of the MVP award, but when it comes down to it, Derrick Rose was the MVP and it was deserved.

There's no reason to argue about it. The award goes to the best player on the best team, and the best team happened to be the 62-20 Chicago Bulls which Rose was on.

Averaging 25 points, eight assists, and four boards per, Rose led the Bulls to a 21 win improvement from the year before and brought them all the way to the Conference Finals.

It was the most success that the Bulls had seen since Michael Jordan's final year with the team in 1998. After years of mediocrity with the likes of Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich, Rose had finally brought the Bulls back to the top of the Eastern Conference and in heavy contention to possibly win an NBA title.

They have the pieces, but they face a tremendous obstacle in the Miami Heat.

If anyone's going to lead the Bulls to a championship appearance, it's got to be Rose. He has the capability to take over games, is one of the game's greatest athletes, and is amongst the league's elite slashers when it comes to finishing around the rim.

Don't let his stature fool you, Rose is as strong and as fast as they come.

After a dismal showing in the Conference Finals last season, Rose will be looking toward redemption. It'll be tough to contend with the likes of the Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder for the league's top record, but we should learn from last year and realize to not doubt the All-Star point guard.

The Dallas Mavericks Defending Their Title

Let's not get too bent out of shape over the Dallas Mavericks' abysmal start to the season.

Don't forget that this team lost a bunch of key players, and are an old team attempting to get their legs underneath them after a lengthy offseason.

Even by adding the likes of Lamar Odom, Delonte West and Vince Carter, the Mavericks still have some big shoes to fill in defensive stoppers like DeShawn Stevenson and Tyson Chandler.

While those two didn't always create big stats in the box scores, they both had tremendous impacts and significant roles on the Mavericks.

Chandler's knowledge of playing defense in the post and Stevenson's perimeter defense were highly underrated, with both players contributing greatly to the Mavericks 2011 NBA championship.

Without those two, the Mavericks find themselves scrambling to find replacement defensive stoppers. The problem is that they lack a defensive stopper under the rim, as well as a frustrating defender at the perimeter.

Chandler and Stevenson may not have been making the highlight reels, but they were doing all the little things to enable the Mavericks to win a title.

Winning a championship will be tough for Dallas this year. They seem more adamant about pursuing Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, rather than building around the current team they have.

Some may argue that they should have continued to built around the current team, but there isn't too much of a point when the majority of the team is above the age of 30.

With no Williams and Howard, the Mavericks will have to make do with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd.

Blake Griffin's Second Year

Not since LeBron James in 2003 has a rookie had so much media attention. The Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin took over the NBA last year thanks in part to his astounding athleticism that allowed him to jump from distances that we had never seen before.

Completing 214 dunks in his rookie year, Griffin won Rookie of the Year after averaging 22 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists per while also leading the Clippers to a 32-50 record, their best since 2007.

He might have been lacking on his range and defense, but it meant nothing to an ecstatic Clippers fanbase who couldn't be more excited that their team may actually be in playoff contention.

Griffin missed out on what was supposed to be his original rookie year due to a stress fracture in his knee that he suffered in the Clippers final preseason game. The injury did nothing to bother him last season as he spent the majority of his time landing on it after a ferocious dunk or an acrobatic layup.

Now with Chris Paul, Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups by his side, Griffin should only see his game improve, as well as his team.

The NBA Postseason

There aren't many postseasons that can compare with the NBA.

It's not like the NFL where there are a few games on the weekend for a few weeks. Instead, there's constant action as 16 teams fight in best-of-seven series in order to take it to the next level for over a month.

There are games nearly every night as the league's top teams and athletes compete to make it to the NBA championship.

Last year, we were subject to one of the best postseasons in a long time. Aside from the epic matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, we were also treated to a terrific run by the Memphis Grizzlies, the rise of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls, and the late-game theatrics of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

We weren't treated to a series as outstanding as the matchup between the Boston Celtics and Bulls from 2010, but we did see a stellar series between the Thunder and Grizzlies that went to seven games and even featured a triple-overtime thriller.

Aside from that series, however, there weren't many others that went down to the wire.

It's a wide-open race this year in both conferences as teams will be looking to compete with the Heat and Bulls in the East and the Thunder in the West.

With dangerous teams like the Indiana Pacers and the Memphis Grizzlies in the West, we should be ready to expect a stellar postseason period that features the most dynamic and electric teams making it to the Finals.

Trade Deadline

The trade deadline couldn't come soon enough. It's not that we're looking forward to seeing franchise players leave and disappoint their teams, but rather that we end some incessant trade talk that has been plaguing the airwaves since the lockout ended at the beginning of December.

Thankfully, Chris Paul was already traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, which means that we won't be subject to anymore rumors of him going to New York or wherever.

Instead, we're treated to whoever lands Orlando Magic's All-Star center Dwight Howard. The MVP runner-up from last year has been at the center of trade rumors since the lockout came to a close as he has been linked to a number of teams, including the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks.

Aside from Howard, there aren't too many other names that have been brought out. Perhaps Monta Ellis and Andre Iguodala may finally be on the move after years of speculation. Until the trade deadline, however, we'll just be subject to more rumors.

The New-Look Golden State Warriors

It's a little too early to decide on if the Golden State Warriors have truly caught on to the philosophy of their rookie head coach Mark Jackson. At 2-2, the Warriors haven't shown us much, but they have showcased an improved defensive outlook on their games.

They gave up 105 and 107 points in their losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, but only gave up 78 and 91 points to wins over the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls.

It's apparent that the Warriors are attempting to instill a new philosophy in the game, especially when you notice that they have yet to score in the triple digits.

As exciting as it sometimes was to watch Warriors basketball, having a coach like Jackson was the best thing that could possibly happen. This is a young team, and as much as they probably enjoyed running and scoring, they needed the guidance of a coach that would teach them how to win games the right way.

It's tough to declare whether Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and Co. have completely bought into Jackson's methods. One thing is for sure, however, and that is defense is actually playing a factor in the way Golden State wins their games.

The Remaining NBA Careers of Grant Hill and Steve Nash

Forget how bad the Phoenix Suns are for a moment, and instead focus on the dwindling careers of two future Hall of Famers in guard/forward Grant Hill and two-time MVP point guard Steve Nash.

Even though only four games have been played, it doesn't appear that this Suns team is going to have enough to be a legitimate playoff contender.

Solid pick-and-roll players like Marcin Gortat and Hakim Warrick have helped to replace the big shoes left behind by Amare Stoudemire, but they certainly don't replace 25 points and nine boards per game.

Despite their team not appearing to be postseason-ready, Hill and Nash seem to care less on whether they win a title. Grant actually had the chance to leave this offseason after his contract ended, but chose to re-sign with Phoenix instead of potentially signing with the New York Knicks.

At 39 years old and after 17 years, Hill chose loyalty to the Suns rather than going ring chasing.

It's not like it would be frowned upon either. Hill deserves a shot at an NBA title after all he's gone through in his injury-plagued NBA career.

Nash is probably the stranger case. The Suns are the same team who let him walk to the Dallas Mavericks after two NBA seasons, but is now showing his loyalty to the team by shooting down any trade rumors and repeatedly declaring his willingness to stay in Phoenix.

Nash could start on 20 NBA teams and wouldn't even have to beat anyone out to take the starting job. At 37 years old, he only has so many years in him and with teams like Miami and New York willing to make a play for him, you have to be surprised that he's so adamant about staying with the Suns.

No matter where he plays, however, the artistry of Nash's passing and shooting will still be at work to its fullest potential.

Three Games in Three Nights

NBA players won't be looking forward to this, but their fans sure will.

The 66-game season is disappointing because we missed out on nearly two months worth of basketball. But it isn't all that bad as a shortened season calls for more games in a shorter time period, which means fewer breaks for each team.

No longer will we be subject to random three- or four-day rests, as it seems that the longest break any team will get is two games.

Thus the reason why these players will be highly anticipating that week off thanks to the All-Star break.

In order to fit in an entire NBA schedule in between the end of December all the way to April, the NBA needed to take drastic measures. The lack of breaks in between games are there, but you'll also happen to notice that there are stretches where teams will play games in three consecutive nights.

The Los Angeles Lakers were the first to complete this as they had three games in the first three days of the NBA season. Despite having a relatively old team with injuries, the Lakers finished 1-2 during their obligatory three-game stretch.

It doesn't matter which team is going to be running these back-to-back-to-back's because it will be equally difficult for any team that attempts to win all three of the games.

New Teams at the Top

With the veteran teams of the league beginning their initial drop-off, it's becoming that time where we see a change amongst the top of each conference.

In the East, no longer do the Detroit Pistons or Boston Celtics rule. Both teams used to be perennial No. 1 seeds, but have let age play too large a factor in their progression.

Because of their age and the overall wear and tear, you're beginning to see more athletic and younger teams taking their spots at the top of the Conference.

On one side of the NBA, you have teams like the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat now at the top. While on the other side of the country, squads such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies begin their ascent to the top.

Dallas, San Antonio and the L.A. Lakers may still hold the top seeds, but they should watch their back as they find the younger teams nipping at their heels.

Among the new teams joining the fray include the Indiana Pacers in the East, and the Grizzlies in the West. The Grizzlies have already proven to us what they're made of in the postseason after a strong 2011 showing, but we will have to wait and see as to what type of noise the new-look Pacers could make at that stage.

Indiana went five games with Chicago in the first round last year, but have since added David West and George Hill. It's still a little too early to decide on who's a contender and who's a pretender, but the Pacers look like the type of team you'd want to avoid in the first or second round.

Where's Deron Williams Going?

Not only do we have the saga of where Dwight Howard could possibly end up, we also have to deal with the ordeal of where New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams could potentially call home by the start of the 2012-13 season.

Numerous reports have surfaced surrounding whether Williams will sign with the New Jersey Nets, but none have proven to be any more legitimate than the other.

However, with the way things are currently going and how bad the team is, it wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone if he ends up bolting at the end of the season.

Without Brook Lopez and starting with four losses in their first five games, the Nets appear to be one of the NBA's worst teams. They've dropped four consecutive games after a comeback win against Washington on opening day, and have lost three games by 16 points or more.

With Williams set to become a free agent next year and playoff teams like the Dallas Mavericks considering on making a push for him, don't be surprised if you end up seeing playing alongside Dwight Howard in a town not named Orlando or New Jersey.

Greg Oden Returns?

Don't get your hopes too high for this, because I'm sure the weight of Portland's hopes and dreams is going to result in the torn ACL of Greg Oden.

With the way he's been getting hurt over the past few seasons, it would appear that Oden has paper skin and glass bones. Since being drafted with the first pick in 2007 over Kevin Durant, Oden has only played in 82 games while already having to sit out two entire seasons.

Missing a third one is now a high possibility as well after word came in that Oden suffered a setback prior to the start of the season.

So far, Oden has spent more time in the emergency room instead of on the basketball court. He's already dealt with a broken wrist, a torn knee that required microfracture surgery, a twisted ankle and a sprained foot.

The 7', 270-pound behemoth has been so injury-prone over his NBA career that we have yet to see if he does have the capability to become an All-Star caliber center.

The Trail Blazers will only wait so much longer before they call it quits on their former No. 1 pick. They only signed him to a one year qualifying offer this offseason, and one more injury or setback may finally convince the Blazers ownership to cut ties with the 23-year-old.

Baron Davis and the New York Knicks

Reported to be at least a month away from resuming his NBA career, Baron Davis is currently waiting out the recovery time that comes with a bulging back disc that was meant to keep him out eight to 10 weeks.

Until then, the New York Knicks will have to continue running with Toney Douglas, Mike Bibby, and Carmelo Anthony as their point guards.

All three players have the capability to run the show, but they're far from what a proven floor general like Chauncey Billups could have provided. "Mr. Big Shot" was let go by the Knicks in the offseason in order to clear cap space so the team could sign Tyson Chandler.

Without a solid point guard on their team, the Knicks elected to take a chance on the 32-year-old Davis.

Coming off a 58-game season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers, Davis struggled and averaged 13 points on 42 percent shooting to go along with seven assists per game.

It's not much different than what he was doing with the Clippers before, as he also happened to struggle mightily with the team for which he left Golden State.

It'll be interesting to see how a shoot-first type of guard like Davis will fare alongside Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. In order for this team to work, they'll need Davis to become more of a facilitator with his passing ability rather than his scoring.

With the Clippers, Davis attempted to make his impact and influence felt with his scoring, when he should have allowed his passing to do the talking during sour stretches.

He'll have to pass the ball if he wants to fit in. The Knicks can't afford a third player that wants to do nothing other than score.

A Star-Studded Free Agency

The 2011 offseason was purely utilized to sign role players in order to prepare for the star-studded affair that would be the 2012 free agency period.

Unlike 2011 which had a tremendous lack of All-Stars, 2012 features a number of veterans that had been to a decade's worth of All-Star games.

Players like Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd all become free agents in what could either be their final years in the NBA, or just with their current team.

One problem with the 2012 offseason, however, is that there are a few too many aged players that will be up for grabs.

As great as any of those aforementioned players are, no team is going to want to build their roster around players that are pushing well above the age of 35. Luckily enough, there are plenty of current All-Stars who will be up for grabs.

Include the likes of current All-Stars in Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, as well as future perennial All-Stars in Eric Gordon and Kevin Love, there will still be plenty to offer for teams that are looking to make a big splash over the summer.

NBA Finals

It's what we're all waiting for and where every team strives to be at the end of the season, this year's NBA Finals should easily triumph over last year's matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.

In a series where we saw LeBron James average only 17 points per game, the Mavericks would take advantage of his struggles and take the series 4-2 for their first-ever NBA championship.

At first, it appeared that they wouldn't be anywhere near a title after losing the first game and facing a 15-point deficit late in Game 2.

However, patience, hard work, and ambition paid off as the Mavericks would come back in order to tie the series at one game apiece.

That unbelievable comeback at the end of Game 2 may have easily saved them the championship as they would go on to lose Game 3, which meant that they could have been down by as much as three games to zero.

Instead it was only 2-1, and it was at that point that Dallas would take over and win the final three games of the series with a nine-point victory in Game 6 in Miami.

Dirk Nowitzki would take home Finals MVP after leading a number of fourth-quarter rallies, while Dwyane Wade would lead all players with 27 points per game on 53 percent shooting.

This year, it'll come as a surprise if we see a rematch. With teams like Chicago contending in the East and a plethora of a young teams like Oklahoma City read to compete in the West, we should be in store for a highly entertaining series between the NBA's top team from each conference.

A Season That Starts on Time

Never before have we been so grateful to have a professional sport that we can view at anytime during a six-month long span.

From October to June, the fan could have been deprived of the sport of basketball thanks to a lengthy NBA lockout that lasted from June to the end of November. A CBA was difficult to reach between the players and owners as basketball-related income played a huge factor in whether there would be a season.

However, the players were willing to come down from 57 percent all the way down to a little above 50 percent so that we could have an actual season.

For a while there, it appeared that there wouldn't be a season at all. Commissioner David Stern continued to follow through on his threats to cancel games, and we were soon without a training camp, preseason, and the original start of the season that was meant for the end of October. It wouldn't be long until games in November were cancelled soon after.

Luckily for the sake of sanity and society, a deal was reached that both sides could agree on and it has allowed us to begin viewing basketball again.

With the deal signed for the long term, we will no longer have to worry about possibly losing a season. That means the 2012-'13 season will start on the date it is meant for, with no pressure to sign a deal that decides revenue shares.

Thank goodness, too. No NBA fan wants to talk about fiscal problems, when they could very well be talking about Kobe Bryant's latest game-winner or LeBron James' latest dunk.