Nothing has changed

MJ, McGrady, Kobe, Shaq, Vince, and the Answer. They are all back!

After five months of summer leagues, personal trainers, surgeries, and an exhibition season, the NBA tipped off its regular season Tuesday night. Teams that are the "haves" of the league will undoubtedly continue to enjoy success whereas the "have-nots" are merely starting another torturous 82 game schedule.

Since that night in June when Kobe, Phil, and Shaq all had a group hug and raised that trophy, not much has changed. Sure, players have changed addresses, his Airness has returned, and a batch of fresh young draftees have entered the league. Are any of these changes going to significantly alter the balance of power in either conference and the league in general? No way. Seven months from now, the trio of Lakers will again be standing at half-court at the Staples center, gloating over a 3-peat.

But hey, there's still a reason to watch the games. Think of all the times where you've read a book or watched a movie and just knew that the superhero would prevail. You still watched, right? Sure you did. You wanted to know how Batman, or Superman, or whoever else came to be victorious. That is the same thing with the NBA this year. You just know that the Lakers will win, but you need to watch the road they travel and the teams that they crush along the way.

(On a side note, Superman, errrr, Number 23 in that Washington Wizards won't be winning this year.)

Here are some things to watch for on the Lake-crew's road to triumph.

* His Airness will look more like another MJ this time around. Rather than the high-flying antics that we're used to, Jordan will look to be more of a Magic Johnson-type player. He'll bring the ball up, distribute it to teammates, and score only if his team needs him to. For the exception of maybe Stockton and Kidd, Jordan will be the best floor general in the league. Too bad his troops are either to poor or young to enter into battle.

* Orlando will be fun to watch this year with the return of Grant Hill to a team led by Tracy McGrady. T-Mac is clearly one of the top five players in the league, and Hill used to be one. If Hill's ankle can hold up, the Magic can make a serious run in the Eastern Conference. Mike Miller's early season injury could hurt them a bit though.

* Philly is hurting and Larry Brown is nuts. Eric Snow and Allen Iverson are dinged up at the start of the season. Snow can be replaced, but Iverson is priceless. The man is the heart and soul of the team, and if he's hurting at the start of the year, how is he going to feel at the end of it. And what in the world is Larry Brown thinking? His philosophy is to build a winning team that believes in hard work and a team concept. Obviously Derrick Coleman exudes those qualities. NOT!

* Milwaukee still has no big men and that will hurt them dearly. Ervin Johnson and Jason Caffey at the four and five spots? Certainly not going to win anything of significance with that tandem. Granted, they have great scorers in Cassell, Allen, Big Dog, and Tim Thomas, but jump shooters can get cold.

* Toronto has Vince, but who else is going to step up? Well, they have the Dream now, but at this stage, don't expect much "dream shaking". Antonio Davis is a pretty darn good player at the four. They overpaid to keep Alvin Williams, and Mo Peterson is still too young.

* In the west, San Antonio might still be LA's biggest roadblock. The twin towers has been reduced to merely 1.5 towers now, with David Robinson dealing with issues of age, and deterioration in his offensive game. Antonio Daniels running the offense seems implausible, but Steve Smith was a fine acquisition.

* Sacramento might not be as fun to watch with the trade with flashy Jason Williams for a more conservative Mike Bibby, but they'll win more games. He'll control the flow the game and make sound decisions. Might meet the Lakers in the conference finals if all goes well.

* Finally, the Mavs might be ready to do some damage. Their big three of Nash, Finley, and Nowitzki is one of the best in the league, and they've got good talent up front with Bradley and Juwan Howard. The addition of Tim Hardaway as a backup to Nash was vital. With last year's playoff experience under their belts, these guys are ready to play in late May and early June.

So there are certainly some intriguing teams out there. Most of the contenders got better, but in the end, it just won't matter. Kobe and Shaq are the two best players in the game. They happen to be on the same team with the best coach. Sorry to the rest of the NBA, but wait til next year. In fact, you'll probably have to wait until either one retires.

As for the Golden State's, Memphis', and Chicago's of the world, you can look forward to that draft lottery in June.