Christmas play ball

preseason plus the tiny matter of lockout are done, and in two days' time the 2011-12 season of NBA finally begins.

truth be told, i haven't followed NBA for a few years now. my last clear memory of a champion was Celtics in 2008. and maybe my following dropped as my dreaded Lakers dominated the next two finals.

well oh well. ive NBA TV on cable, and im at ESPN now, and suddenly NBA's returned to my life. the upcoming season, probably as exciting as any, now seems more exciting to me.

a quick preview of the season by teams:

the contenders:

Dallas Mavericks

you can never write off the champs, but in this case, you almost can. they were old last season, and they're older now. the departure of Tyson Chandler will hurt them, since superstar Dirk Nowitzki will have to take on big-man duties. still, with a roster of Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, the evergreen Jason Kidd and new boys Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, the Mavs are star-studded.

Miami Heat

everyone knows the Big Three. and this could be their year. LeBron James and Chris Bosh have settled in, and together with former champ Dwyane Wade, Miami are their own enemies.

LA Lakers

some writers list teams by their rankings, but for me the biggest franchise must come next -- for the wrong reasons. all is not well in Hollywood. Odom is gone, so Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol will be a weaker force. what does that leave you? a one-man show expected of Kobe Bryant (again). they still have Metta World Peace, but the player formerly known as Ron Artest or Mr Troublemaker is nowhere near his best.

LA Clippers
no wait, all is well in Hollywood. the other half, that is. All-Star point guard Chris Paul couldn't sign for Lakers, and in a twisted outcome did for Clippers. fading clutch cager Chauncey Billups was released by his former employers, and suddenly the Clippers are a force to be reckoned with. that's due to the small reason they also have DeAndre Jordan, former All-Star Caron Butler and monster slam-dunk rookie Blake Griffin.

Chicago Bulls

will it be Chicago's year, or OKC's? i like the Bulls more, so let's talk about them first. boasting the MVP is no small deal, and Derrick Rose is only 23, who knows what he's capable of becoming. and Chicago were so good last season because they had an exceptional supporting cast. Team USA's Carlos Boozer remains the second big name, but Frenchman Joakim Noah is fast becoming his equal. Luol Deng seems to be peaking, and new acquisition Richard Hamilton should be a significant albeit old component.

Oklahoma City Thunder

the name's not illustrious nor synonymous with NBA success, but OKC are one of the biggest teams around today and you better believe it. at just 23, franchise superstar Kevin Durant is already twice the league's scoring champ. he is ably supported by Russell Westbrook, one of NBA's best point guards. they of course also possess the colossal Serge Ibaka and no-longer-overweight Kendrick Perkins.

New York Knicks

Manhattan's got a new skyscraper. Chandler is strangely traded here, freeing up Amare Stoudamire's burden, and suddenly the Knickerbockers have a real shot at the last-four. with Carmelo Anthony settled, and former All-Star Baron Davis, star rookie Iman Shumpert in the squad, NBA's glam underachiever may be in for good times.

Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs

the two aging teams remain in the running, especially with a shortened calendar... but only just.

the Big Four of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo haven't looked the same since they took the title in 2008. KG is on an irreversible decline, and with 'The Truth' and Allen, are at least 34 years young. in my opinion, this is their last shot.

to be honest, Spurs look worse. multi-hyphenate Tim Duncan is long past his prime, Tony Parker will be praying his post-Eva Longoria form returns to the pre- kind, while Manu Ginobili probably has just that bit of gas left. still, their 61 wins last term aren't a fluke. if they work out how to use the squad optimally, they're in with a shout.

the pretenders:

Atlanta Hawks

this unassuming team can only improve, but they're still a visible distance from touching the contenders. with five-time All-Star Joe Johnson calling the shots, a lot will be expected of the talented duo of Al Horford and Josh Smith. then there is Tracy McGrady. the former superstar is the bit-part guy now, but game-winning ability/mentality is permanent. 

Memphis Grizzlies

from perennial no-hopers to dangerous banana skins within a year, can the Grizzlies keep this up? Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol again will star as one of the most effective frontcourt in the league, and for better or worse, franchise headliner Rudy Gay is back.

Indiana Pacers

with the coaching position sorted out, Indiana will believe things are on the up. most importantly, Danny Granger's scoring burden is eased by David West's arrival, a player even bigger than the current franchise star. but interim coaches sometimes enjoy much luck; a first full season for Frank Vogel can expose a lot more flaws.

Minnesota Timberwolves

this will be an exciting year for the T-Wolves. rebounding king Kevin Love is joined by an impressive new lineup of Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams and JJ Barea, therefore i reckon Minnesota are the ones who will dislodge one of last year's playoff teams. but the biggest difference lies in not a player, but Rick Adelman, the successful former Kings coach who just took over.

Golden State Warriors
the dark horse among the rest, if GS can toughen up their defence, their game should be more all-rounded. former no.1 pick Kwame Brown is the notable reinforcement to rebound leader David Lee and a talented backcourt of Stephen Curry-Monta Ellis.

Orlando Magic

the very reason i held off writing this piece is this team... or rather, Dwight Howard. he is a distraction simply because he is such a massive player. i am assuming 'Superman' will be here on Christmas tipoff, and the Magic have an outside chance. lose him, and they're finished. the other notable players will be Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson and the new Glen Davis, while JJ Redick as always is the sniper on the bench.

the no-hopers:

Milwaukee Bucks

Andrew Bogut hasnt become the superstar many thought he would, but he's still good and the Bucks rely heavily on the league's no.1 blocker. the team can defend, but they cant score, so hopefully the addition of the volatile former champ Stephen Jackson helps.

Denver Nuggets
im gonna plunge for Denver to fail this season, even though they performed admirably after Melo left them. Danilo Gallinari and Nene have done well, and a very old Andre Miller can still contribute, but players like Kenyon Martin are only returning in March. the Nuggets simply have too little star power. 

Detroit Pistons

this is a messed-up franchise in transition. since their glory years of 2004, 2005, Detroit have declined badly. alumnus of that vintage Tayshaun Prince is their key small forward now. the rest of the starters are all extremely talented, but need to perform night in night out to fire the Pistons forward. the great new hope is Brandon Knight, who was a college phenom. there's Ben Wallace on the bench too, but he's quite a joke these days.

New Jersey Nets

with only Deron Williams, albeit an All-Star go-to man, the Nets will find the going tough.

Washington Wizards

as the franchise lost its headliners, its fortunes have tumbled. today, only John Wall remains. tipped as a future All-Star, the sophomore will carry a lot on his shoulders. the Wizards now look like the Clippers last year, a team depending on one young dude.

Sacramento Kings

they dont look like getting out of their regal slumber anytime soon. in DeMarcus Cousins they have a leading center, while Marcus Thornton can rack up a scary amount of baskets, but that's about it.

Toronto Raptors

with Jose Calderon expected to pull the strings, the man to watch is former no.1 pick Andrea Bargnani. the Italian will be stronger this time round in the power forward position and some have already called him the new Dirk. on the bench Toronto have one of the best sixth-man around, Leandro Barbosa.

Philadelphia 76ers

a pathetic opening last season offset by a credible showing as the year wore on, the roster has largely stayed the same. Elton Brand continues to lead the names, while the coach must decide between two good shooting guards in Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner.

Phoenix Suns

if you're a romantic, two-time MVP Steve Nash and NBA great Grant Hill are your men. but they're 37 and 39 respectively and Phoenix dont have younger guys better than them... 'nuff said.

Utah Jazz

this is a team in transition, and it's nowhere more obvious than having a coach who isnt called Jerry Sloan. there is also no D-Will and Andrei Kirilenko in town anymore. the leadership in this fractured team now lies in Al Jefferson and Devin Harris, who has to fill Williams' big shoes.

Houston Rockets

the small problem at Houston is they tried to trade their top two players Kevin Martin and Luis Scola away but failed. so two unwanted/unhappy stars reported for training and are now gonna start for the franchise. the larger-than-life Yao Ming has also retired, without a visible replacement.

Portland Trail Blazers

it's never easy to lose your franchise star, to say the least. Brandon Roy has retired at just 27, and now all the weight of the city is on LeMarcus Aldridge's shoulders. Portland do have good players, and they'll all need to stand up and be counted this transitional season. look out for NBA's top sixth-man Jamal Crawford off the bench.

Cleveland Cavaliers

the Cavs went from being a top Eastern Conference team to 63 losses last term. and whether they wanna admit it, it's because of LeBron. Antawn Jamison's the big name now, but he cant go it alone. the rebuilding no doubt starts with star rookie Kyrie Irving, yet he's no LeBron.

New Orleans Hornets

expect 'The Big Easy' to no longer be a playoff team. they've lost not just CP3, but fellow All-Star West. to be frank, this season the only player i would watch them for is college star Eric Gordon.

Charlotte Bobcats

they have one highly rated rookie in Kemba Walker. and that's it. end of story. the exciting part is, if owner Michael Jordan wanted Walker so badly, we are in for something special.