Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesNormally, making bold predictions on behalf of the 2011 NBA Playoff picture don make a lick of sense whatsoever. Generally, I would be inclined to agree.Unlike past years, the free agency deals and other transactions to boot turned a usually boring offseason into the Oakland Raiders jersey
legendary California Gold Rush combining star powers with the likes of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James on the same team.Danny Ainge Boston Celtics appeared to diminish following the 2010 NBA Finals. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen attractive free agent status no doubt had suitable buyers ready to acquire their services when the market opened up. The future of head coach Doc Rivers unequivocally had Boston fanbase incredibly nervous.Mr. Ainge must have been bluffing in the high stakes game of Texas Holdem. Thanks to a royal flush, franchise leader Paul Pierce re-signed and with that, Ray Allen fell in line as well. Rivers created more fanatical buzz announcing his decision to stick around. Little time altered Rasheed Wallaces mindset to remain a Celtic instead of prematurely retiring for good.On the shoreline of Southern California, the Los Angeles Lakers took the aggressive approach when Phil Jackson felt the desire to add a twelfth NBA Championship ring to his personal shrine of colossal achievements. Adding to the mix, past enemy and balls to the wall defender Matt Barnes left the Orlando Magic for purple and gold pastures.Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks is fully aware the brainwaves functioning in each individual player have shifted into overdrive. Don assume recovering from a last second loss at the hands of Pau Gasol and the Lakers have eased out of the minds of the Thunder one bit.Beginning with Kevin Durant, the process of eliminating any obvious fatal flaws top the list of priorities for Oklahoma City. Lockdown defender Royal Ivey, acquired rookie via New Orleans in Cole Aldrich, thwarts the Thunder team defense to a whole new level.Confident in another return to the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder are pressing forward still holding the crude memory of a painful exit from last year playoffs close at hand.Leaving nothing to chance, the Miami Heat added yet another major scoring threat to an already scary roster. Former Celtics guard Eddie House brings a dead aim three point shooting arsenal to South Beach (with LeBron talents). Known as a fan favorite in Boston, House will easily earn the same fan reception from Heat followers as he did from the Bean Town crowd.Refusing to be outdone in piling up noteworthy player services, the Boston Celtics brought in 6-11 veteran Jermaine ONeal from Miami. The frustrating injury endured by Kendrick Perkins hurt the C taking the chance of winning the 2010 NBA Title with it. Philadelphia Eagles jersey
Perkins presence all around demonstrated his maturity while rearranging opposing coaches game plan when it came to post play. Knowing good and well the injury to Perkins will keep him sidelined at least halfway through the regular season; Doc Rivers felt another move was necessary.Breaking sports headlines yesterday, Rivers flew to Orlando to personally extend the invite for Shaquille ONeal to join the Celtics even though the best financial offer shapes into the league minimum for veteran players.Because the 2010 NBA offseason offered bizarre player unions and atrociously self-centered I bigger than the game state of mind moments, the intrigue to follow all of the high profile player relocations kept everyone from abandoning the trade and free agent market moves altogether.The Western Conference depth heightens the difficulty in predicting which team will represent their respected half of the NBA. Until any other Western Conference team knocks the Los Angeles Lakers around without costly retaliation, Kobe Lakers will claim the #1 seed in the 2011 NBA Western Conference Playoffs. LA core is back with no sense of complacency, but their sense of urgency continues to sky rocket as long as health issues refrain from catastrophic mass injury.Standing in their way, the Oklahoma City Thunder will no doubt win more than 50 games, as they did the season before. In fact, it not inconceivable to believe the Thunder can snag the #2 seed out west. If that were the case, a rematch wouldn play out until the Western Conference Finals.Gotta love the drama.For the third consecutive year, the Los Angeles Lakers hold serve sending them back to the 2011 NBA Finals.Controversy swirled around the Eastern Conference well before the 2010 playoffs even tipped off. Miami Thrice owned much of the controversy issues resulting in harsh criticism from both the general public and old school Hall of Famers. Glancing at the Heat roster on paper, its borderline impossible to dismiss the team as the frontrunner to win it all.Bean Town has every reason to believe the Larry OBrien Trophy will find its way into the trophy case nestled safely inside the TD Garden in downtown Boston. Newest Celtic, Shaquille ONeal, wants at least one more Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
championship ring. He may have picked the right place.An instant firepower packed roster, driven to win up to eight titles as advertised by the King himself, still lacks a certain whatchamacallit. Boston and Los Angeles are pure carbon copies of each other, which is the reason for another Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals rematch.Shaq and Jermaine moved to Boston at the right time. Coach Rivers leads the charge solidifying his own place in C historic existence. Red Auerbach is going to fully enjoy the upcoming 2010-2011 season. Boston Celtics: 2010-2011 NBA World Champions
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