5 Ways to Cope with the Dog Days of the NBA Calendar

The arenas are empty. The courts are silent. And, the draft, Summer League and Summer Olympics are already all but distant memories.

What's a hoops junkie to do?

Whatever you do, don't panic. Though there may not be support groups for this kind of condition, there are like-minded fans who feel your pain. Reaching out to said fans may be the first step to coping.

But, it certainly shouldn't be the last.

Until the season officially kicks off on October 30, deprived legions of NBA faithful will have to find some other ways to occupy their time. Don't worry—they needn't involve the kind of hobbies that count as distractions rather than legitimate sources of basketball enjoyment.

There will be no cleaning, gardening or hobbies amidst these recommendations.

Here are some alternatives to wasting away for the next couple of months.

Plan Your Fantasy Basketball Teams

Sure, deciding who to take with the first or second pick in your fantasy draft may not be a stiff challenge, but there's no guarantee you'll be so lucky. 

The hard questions are what to do in all the other draft positions, and it's never too soon to start planning.

Would you take Rajon Rondo with a top-five pick? Where does an aging star like Paul Pierce go? 

Oh yeah, if you haven't made plans already, you should probably join a fantasy league first. Be careful not to overdo it. Multiple teams should only be reserved for the truly determined enthusiast—or people with plenty of time on their hands.

From there, some early planning is an excuse to review statistics exhaustively while also accounting for injuries, roster moves and other factors that may affect future numbers. You can kill countless hours doing this kind of research, and you'll become a certified expert.

Just be careful who you go bragging about to.

Pre-Order Your Copy of NBA 2K13

OK, so pre-ordering a video game doesn't take that long, but you should still get it in the mail almost a full month before the regular season gets underway.

NBA 2K13 is scheduled to arrive for Playstation and XBox gamers on October 2 and will feature Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose on the cover.

Of course, there are sure to be all sorts of other new goodies too, from tweaks to "Association Mode" (the junkie's true pastime) to improved graphics and gameplay. Word is that hip-hop icon Jay-Z produced the soundtrack and included the likes of Kanye West and Daft Punk.

If video games aren't your style, you might want to change your mind. The 2K franchise has perfected the art of simulating hoops. 

Alright, maybe it isn't quite perfected just yet, but we've come a long way since the days of Genesis' Bulls vs. Lakers.

Play an Actual Game of Basketball

If you can't watch Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving, you can always pretend to be them in your very own game of pick-up hoops.

Just don't actually tell anyone you're pretending to be an NBA star. In fact, you probably shouldn't tell anyone you pretend to do anything unless you're four years old (in which case, my writing is just about right for your grade level).

Aside from the numerous health benefits associated with getting on the court, it's always a nice reminder of just how good the pros really are. The next time you want to strangle your team's biggest under-performer, just remember when you missed that all-important game-winner.

Unless you're Carmelo Anthony, who says he's never lost a game of one-on-one.

Now, there's an idea for the Knicks. They can just start asking teams if they want to "settle this the old fashioned way," and let 'Melo take on their best player to decide the game.

Not sure what NBA rules would say about such a proposal, but it's got to be worth a try.

Get Your Fan Gear Ready

Getting ready to go out to the game, but forgot to make a massive cardboard cutout of Russell Westbrook's head?

It happens to the best of us. With the excitement of the season (or postseason) already upon you, it's easier to forget even the most pressing priorities.

That's why you should have massive cardboard cutouts of your favorite star's head ready to go long before October 30.

And don't stop with the cardboard heads. You'll also want signs for every occasion: face paint, ridiculous outfits, appropriately colored towels (or other items to wave around) and all the other junk that fans collect.

Will your pad start to look like a special crossover episode of Hoarders and My Strange Addiction?

Possibly.

Will it be worth it?

Absolutely.

Start Making Predictions

Look, everyone knows that it won't matter that your favorite team wins the championship unless you actually called it.

If you're a real fan, you can't look surprised by how well your team is playing. By that same token, though, no one will take you seriously if you're always predicting that your team will come out on top. That doesn't obviate the need to make some kind of predictions, though. 

Otherwise, you'll never be able to say those all-important three words that every woman wants to here.

Told you so.

So, if you're a Minnesota Timberwolves fan, just stop before you make the same mistake you've made for the last 15 years. Instead, make some predictions about individual players. Allow me to demonstrate:

"You see that guy big guy in the paint, Andre Drummond? He's gonna' be really good someday."

Boom, you're golden.

The beauty of it is that if he's never actually good, no one will remember you said a word. It's one thing to draft Darko Milicic. It's another to casually spitball that he's going to be "really good someday" to someone who's only half-listening anyway.

If the prediction does come to fruition, you can brag about it and feel great about yourself. It's a win-win situation.