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• Your Rankings: Is Rajon Rondo one of the NBA's five best point guards?
• Your Power Rankings: Will the Celtics hold down No. 1 for another week?
• Chats: Chad Ford's Tuesday wrap | David Thorpe chats Wednesday, 12 ET

It's a point guard's job to make everyone around him better. It was former point guard Danny Ainge's job to figure out if everyone around Rajon Rondo made him look better. Guess we have our $55 million answer.

After a summer in which the Celtics seemed to take some curiously public shots at their playoff triple-double machine, a big chunk of money smoothed everything over before this week's deadline for an extension. Back during the summer, SportsNation said it preferred Rondo to all of the top picks in his draft class, with the obvious exception of Brandon Roy. But when it comes to whether he's a top-five point guard, fewer than half voted in the affirmative last week. So where does he rank?

“

Playing with three HOFers that are perfect matches game wise will make anyone look great. Pure shooter, slasher scorer and post player, all of whom have complete games including great passing and leadership. Put Rondo on the nets for Harris and tell me that's not the worst team in the league. Rondo is good but not $11 milli good. more like that 7 mill look.

” -- RJW42

“

Rondo defends as well as any PG in the league, rebounds, and gets to the hole and and line on a regular basis. Most importantly, he was an integral piece in helping the Celtics win a championship. I'm a Spurs fan and I remember when Parker didn't shoot too well either. Now he's one of the best midrange shooters on the team. Shooting can be taught and worked on.

” -- JoeRod72

Fan bloggers pick the Boston Celtics to be one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference this season.

"Boston climbs back into world-beater status with a healthy [Kevin] Garnett," blogs orionben666, one of three posters expecting Boston to play in the conference championship game. "Philly [76ers] and Toronto [Raptors] will be fighting for second all year and a playoff spot."

If there are doubts about this team, they are voiced by bloggers such as stupid546, who think age will catch up with the Celtics this season.

Below are fan predictions for the NBA season. Click through to respond. If you don't already have an ESPN profile, create one now and start posting your own thoughts about the Celtics.

Lakers fans are understandably excited about the new season, and the defending champs are a popular choice to repeat among bloggers in the ESPN.com community.

"I've never been more excited for the opening of any season, any sport," blogs kurtnaphansen. "The combination of being on the heels of the Lakers winning the NBA championship, of all the trash talk from Cavs, Celtics, Magic, Spurs and even Blazers fans, and of a very new interesting development with the addition of Sheed to Boston, Shaq to Cleveland and Artest to LA."

Below are fan blogs and predictions about the season, which tipped off this week. Click through to respond. If you don't already have an ESPN profile, create one now and start blogging.

More fan blogs

Fan pictures

Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd have finalized their rosters and hung the bunting for "SportsNation" TV.

Argue the hot topics of the day and vote on the biggest stories from the world of sports. The show airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).

Are the Celtics going to win the NBA title?
Boston started well with a win in Cleveland against the Cavs, who have their own title aspirations. Is the first game predictive of the entire season?

Are the Phillies being disrespected heading into the World Series?
Only one of the experts on ESPN.com is picking Philadelphia to win. National sentiment, including in Vegas, favors the Yankees over the defending champs.

Is it time for fans of bad teams to root for better draft positioning?
The Titans, Rams and Bucs are winless. Seven others have one or two wins. Miracles happen, but a high draft pick is more likely than a playoff spot.

What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

• Vote: What's your take on the season's opening night?
• Beyond the Nation: Cleveland Plain Dealer on Shaq's assesment.
• Chats: NBA Insider David Thorpe, 12 ET | Chad Ford's Tuesday wrap

Posting his NBA predictions minutes before the season's opening tip, SportsNation blogger Dukeyanks1515 pegged the Cavaliers as the best of the Eastern Conference, two spots ahead of the Celtics. Oops. (We'll cut him some slack; he also had the Wizards No. 5 in the East and the Mavericks No. 7 in the West, predictions which look downright prescient after Gilbert Arenas torched Mark Cuban's team in a 102-91 win).

As Tuesday debuts go, Shaquille O'Neal's was rather less successful than, say, the new Michael Jackson movie. Actually, it was less successful than Randy Foye's first game with the Wizards. O'Neal put up 10 points, 10 rebounds and one block in 29 minutes, and the Cavaliers dropped a 95-89 decision to the Celtics. But whether Shaq actually improves the Cavaliers is just one question we've got after the first night of games. Also on the agenda:

• Is Gilbert Arenas one the five best players in the league when healthy? Vote
• Would you rather have Andrew Bynum or Greg Oden for the next decade? Vote
• Did Ron Artest or Rasheed Wallace look like a better fit in victory? Vote

“

C's have the better bench now, which is why it was a relatively easy win tonight. When is Cleveland going to bring in a real PG for Lebron? Mo Williams is garbage; an undersized SG pretending to play PG. He can't set up his teammates, he gets exposed defensively, and if his shot isn't going down, then what's his value?

” -- dinosaurworld

“

It's one game and according to Celtic's fans they have already won the NBA championship. They fail to realize that two of our starters are new to the system and it will take them awhile to get acquainted. There was some sloppy play by the Cavs that will be corrected as time goes on.

” -- eatthegator

• Your team-by-team predictions: Eastern Conference | Western Conference
• More predictions: Pick each division, conference and overall champion | Award winners
• Your Power Rankings: Which teams start the season in your top 10?

We understand it's going to take most of SportsNation some time to warm up to the long NBA season -- only a third of voters are more interested in tonight's opener between the Cavaliers and Celtics than Wednesday's World Series opener. But there are some people for whom today is more or a less a national holiday.

For SportsNation blogger bonafide, tonight's showdown in Cleveland is a good chance to see the two teams undeservedly stealing the spotlight from the Magic. And Chad Ford agrees. Did he mention he's on Twitter?

• "Consider that Orlando has improved drastically at PG (Nelson for Alston), and SG (Carter for Lee) and has added additional defensive toughness in Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass, and Jason Williams to a team that was already #1 in the league at defensive efficiency while stealing sharp shooter Ryan Anderson in the Carter deal.

  The only thing that can slow the Magic down is injuries. With the talent and coaching on this team they are my overwhelming favorites to win the Larry O'Brien trophy come June.

  Maybe, just maybe, they will finally get some respect then." Read bonafide's full post.

Terry Finisterre (Castries, St Lucia)

I like your Twitterdiciton - Magic over Lakers for the chip. Is ORL really MORE flexible than last season?

Chad Ford

I think they got much deeper. I think VC is an upgrade over Turkoglu but the addition of Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson and a healthy Jameer Nelson makes them, in my opinion, the most dangerous team in the league ... not only for this season, but for a long, long time. Full transcript.

Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd will be waving their pennants on "SportsNation" TV.

Argue the hot topics of the day and vote on the biggest stories from the world of sports. The show airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. and midnight ET.

Note: Broadcast voting results as of this afternoon (ET).

If Terrelle Pryor could choose again, where would you tell him to go?
Ohio State's quarterback has been in the news all week. Would he have been better off going to Michigan out of high school?

What do you think of NBA players fighting in the preseason?
The Celtics and Cavs, warming up for their battle in the East this season, brawled in their final preseason game.

What do you think of Richard Seymour's Raiders playoffs prediction?
Oakland is 2-4 but only one game out of the wild-card chase. Despite the coach and quarterback turmoil, Seymour is confident in his teammates.

What do you think of a showy two-point conversion in a blowout?
QB Will Briscoe completed a behind-the-back pass for a two-point conversion against Zachary in a 58-0 romp in Louisiana high school football.

What is "SportsNation" TV, and how do you make your voice heard? Read about the new ESPN show that features fan opinions with calls, tweets, polls, rankers and more.

Do you have something to say about sports? Then say it! From the start of the NBA and NHL seasons to Bill Belichick analysis, Top 25 lists and whatever else crosses your idle mind, ESPN blogs gives you the space to share your opinion and analysis.

Engage other fans by commenting on stories, blogging and uploading photos. Your contributions to the community could be featured on SportsNation.

Below are entries from New England sports fans just like you. To respond, sign in or create a profile and start posting.

Fan blogs

Trying to be OK with it:
"It was just sad to see the Red Sox swept out like that. Especially when Papelbon blew it for us in the last inning. It's disappointing to watch or listen or get caught up for 162 games and have your season taken out from underneath ya, with what seemed like way too quick. Also, to have to do it with your colleague sitting next to ya as a Yankee fan, practically laughing his spit right in your face. I took it with class and am praying the Yankees go down. What are ya going to do? I will still be a fan next year." -- azorean milli

Pats running up the score? Whaaat?:
"That term was invented by the sportscasters from the record-breaking, undefeated '07 Pats just doing their job. When you pull Brady after such a dousing vs. the Titans, or anyone for that matter, it's not running up the score. When you go for it on a fourth down no matter what the score, it's called effort and practice in real life. Stop whining!" -- JeffBW

Photo galleries

Say cheese, Boston! Have a great photo of yourself cheering at a Celtics game or posing in your best Bruins sweater? Post it to your profile and share it with other fans.

Message boards

Can't talk enough about your teams? ESPN message boards are the place for you.

Pros: Bruins | Celtics | Patriots | Red Sox
Colleges: Boston College | Boston U | Harvard | UMass

Widgets

ESPN Widgets are portable applications that you can place on Facebook, Myspace, your iGoogle home page and many of the other most popular sites on the Internet. Stay up-to-date with breaking stories and the latest scores and stats on your favorite teams.

Pros: Bruins | Celtics | Patriots | Red Sox
Colleges: Boston College | Boston U | Harvard | UMass

Sports Passport

Chronicle all the sports venues and events you've attended (good and bad). We make it easy by providing a calendar with the games. You add the notes and pictures and rate the experience. Start tracking your games.

In the immediate aftermath of the team's most recent championship, SportsNation was split as to whether or not the Lakers were favorites to repeat. But when the Cavaliers made their big move, literally, by adding Shaquille O'Neal to the mix, popular support swung in favor of LeBron James' team.

So what impact does Ron Artest have on things? Well, voters still think Artest would fit better alongside LeBron and Shaq, but it's no longer a contest for the top spot.

By a better than 2-to-1 margin, it's the Lakers for two.

And Artest's combustible past aside, voters not only think Dennis Rodman was more of a handful for Phil Jackson; they think a current member of the Lakers is more of a chore.

• It was a relatively quiet long weekend, although Hedo Turkoglu did his best to create some dramatic fireworks. SportsNation isn't buying that Toronto's Turkish community or Turkoglu's comfort level with the Eastern Conference had much to do with his apparent reversal after reaching a verbal agreement to sign with the Blazers. They also aren't convinced pairing Turkoglu with Chris Bosh makes the Raptors a playoff team.

• Vote: Jason Kidd's decision to stay and Rasheed Wallace's relocation
• Groups: LA Laker Haters | Celtic Pride CHAMPIONS! | Portland Trail Blazers Nation

“

Great job hedo you went from playing for an elite team in the east to nearly playing for an up & coming portland squad to playing for a lottery team? The raptors will flirt with .500 at best and hedo can watch the playoffs from his cosmopolitan house enjoying the extra $$$ he has accepted for losing!

” -- bos411

“

well i think the hedo deal was worth it for toranto yeah they have no shot at winning the whole thing but they are trying to put fans in the seats making the playoffs do that and hedo proved he is a playoff performer against the CAVS but when it comes down to it great pick up by the raptors

” -- blackmatt86