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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.

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• 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

• Vote: What's the impact of all the big trades in the NBA this week?

We'll get back to the actual draft selections in a bit, but frankly, aside from new Timberwolves general manager David Kahn putting Matt Millen and Jon Gruden to shame by stockpiling people who play the same position in a matter of mere minutes, the week's real drama involved players who long since had their moment on the podium with David Stern.

We're talking trades -- and not just mentally talking, as Shaq seems to prefer.

Vince Carter is in Orlando, Richard Jefferson is in San Antonio, Shaquille O'Neal is in Cleveland and Thabo Sefolosha is in Oklahoma City. And if you don't think that last one matters, you've obviously never listened to anyone with an Oklahoma accent.

• A 'Nation of one? Florida almost alone in thinking more of Carter than Shaq.
• Chat wrap: See what Stepehn Curry, Ricky Rubio and others told SportsNation.
• Fan groups: Cleveland Cavaliers fans | Orlando Magic Hoops | San Antonio Spurs

“

I have a feeling [the Magic] aint bringing back turkoglu now.with the money that howard,carter,and lewis are making,I cant imagine them giving him the kind of money he thought he was going to get last week.

” -- nspe33

“

Get ready, Cleveland. [Shaq] willl be fat and out of shape when camp starts, he'll have to play himself into shape, and he'll be injured the first 1 - 1 1/2 months of the season. Just like every other team he has ever played for! Bank it!

” -- THEBOOTGUY

NO. 4: SACRAMENTO KINGS
It seems there's some disagreement about what the Kings should do if a certain Spaniard is still on the board when the Kings pick at No. 4 (no, it's not Inigo Montoya). We'd say trouble in paradise, but this Sacramento we're talking about, after all. The good news is the bar is pretty low on making a good pick when the first-round picks of the last two decades include such luminaries as Pervis Ellison, Lionel Simmons, Bobby Hurley, Francisco Garcia and Quincy Douby.

• Ricky Rubio should be the pick if he's still available.
• Kings draft conversation | Fan groups: Sacramento Kings Fans!!!

“

Face it folks the this organization's future is up in the air bc of the arena issue. If the kings are going to stay in Sac then they have to at least be watchable. They can not afford to think whats best down the road. The only thing the kings can do to control their fate here in sac is to win now. (not the chanmpionship but atleast be competative)

” -- chonged500

NOS. 5, 6: MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The draft marks the beginning of a new era in Timberwolves basketball. Then again, the first case of the bubonic plague in Europe marked the beginning of a new era, too. Whether or not it's a golden era will depend in no small part on the gamble the team took to load up on picks in what many feel isn't an especially strong draft. But if Al Jefferson comes back healthy and the Nos. 5 and 6 picks become the next Paul Pierce and Ray Allen ...

• Curry and Harden are the most popular picks if available.
• Forget moving up to No. 2 if it costs Nos. 5 and 18.
• Obtaining No. 5 pick was worth Mike Miller and Randy Foye.
• Taking over for Kevin McHale isn't career suicide, but it's not pretty.
• Wolves draft conversation | Fan groups: Minnesota Sports Fans

“

Evans/Curry, Evans/Rubio, Evans/Flynn and that's a backcourt with Love and Jefferson I will buy tickets to see. Please for the love of Rashad McCants stay away from DeRozan...

” -- n0tbradpitt

NO. 7: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors have embraced basketball's global spread in their recent drafts. Unfortunately, the globe was just going in for a handshake, leaving everyone standing around feeling awkward. Only three of the team's 10 first-round picks since 2000 have averaged double-digit points per game in their careers.

• California and the 'Nation disagrees on what to do if Jordan Hill is gone.
• Warriors draft conversation | Fan groups: Bay Area Sports Fans | Warrior Hoops Nation

“

Curry IS ready to contribute now, but only as a Jason Terry/Eddie House type of player, players that come off the bench for instant offense( the type of crap we already have). Just imagine a slow, unable to penetrate, below average point guard like Curry leading the fast break that we have become famous for.

” -- Rumpelstilskin07

The Washington Wizards apparently cast their vote on the strength of this year's draft class, reportedly bailing out of the No. 5 spot in a trade with the Timberwolves that landed them Randy Foye and Mike Miller, but is this year's collection of talent really the hoops version of Patti Blagojevich, John Salley and the rest of the "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me out of Here" marooneed C-listers?

At the very least, this year's group of NBA rookies may be no less compelling than their NFL peers. Almost the same percentage of SportsNation deems the basketball rookies to be above average as held the same view about Matthew Stafford, Michael Crabtree and the gridiron newcomers in April.

While Chad Ford, Doug Gottlieb, Jay Bilas and others have their opinions, here's how SportsNation rates the top talents.

1. Blake Griffin (SN predicted pick: No. 1, Clippers)
2. Ricky Rubio (SN predicted pick: No. 3, Thunder)
3. Hasheem Thabeet (SN predicted pick: No. 2, Grizzlies)
4. Stephen Curry (SN predicted pick: No. 8, Knicks)
5. Tyreke Evans (SN predicted pick: No. 6, Timberwolves)
6. James Harden (SN predicted pick: No. 4, Kings)
7. Jonny Flynn (SN predicted pick: No. 10, Bucks)
8. Brandon Jennings (SN predicted pick: No. 13, Pacers)
9. Jordan Hill (SN predicted pick: No. 5, Timberwolves)
10. Jrue Holiday (SN predicted pick: No. 7, Warriors)

• Rank your own top 10 | Fill out a first-round mock draft
• Fan groups: OKC Thunder | Memphis Grizzlies fans | Minnesota Sports Fans

Even as Wimbledon begins without Rafael Nadal, Spain offers up perhaps the biggest certainty and arguably the most compelling uncertainty of the week in sports. Even as SportsNation comes around to the idea that the United States is probably going to lose to Spain in the Confederations Cup, the curious case of Ricky Rubio continues.

Chad Ford's latest mock draft has Rubio going to the Thunder with the third pick in this week's NBA draft. A plurality of SportsNation voters agree he goes third, but that still means 62 percent of them think he's coming off the board before or after that. We don't know if Doug Gottlieb voted, but as the video below suggests, he's hedging his bet on exactly where Rubio goes.

• SportsNation blogger dedalotw2003 is two mocks behind Ford's pace, but we'll excuse it just this once. He adds to the Rubio speculation by suggesting he'll slip to No. 5.
• Is Ricky Rubio not this draft's best bet among guards?

“

This draft is better than people realize. How can you say there won't be any stars? Emeka Okafor, Tyrus Thomas, Marvin Williams, Gred Oden & Michael Beasley were projected to be stars immediately and ALL FIVE have disappointed.

” -- migarvin21

“

This is indeed a weak draft. Beyond the top 3, teams will be banking on a kid being a surprise talent or a role player only. I'm sure that those surprise players will show up, it's just really hard to tell from this year's group of "talent"

” -- kinglywarrior

Sometimes we all need a little extra space to vent. ESPN profiles give fans space to post their own blog entries and go toe-to-toe with commenters.

• Ok-State34: It may not be raining in Baltimore, but it's raining at Bethpage (yes, that's two Counting Crows references). A blogger's take on a rainy opening round.
• buckifan927: The Cubs seem to be getting well against the White Sox, but one fan isn't satisfied. He's not asking for dirt-kicking pyrotechnics out of Lou Piniella, just a few tweaks to the lineup card.
• gator_330: Speaking of the Cubs and White Sox, one fan of the AL team has a quick take on watching his team head north that everyone should be able to identify with.
• AniD89: Perhaps there are worse fates than being cursed like Cleveland fans or downtrodden in Detroit. Like having no pro teams at all. A blogger runs through the top American cities in need of pro franchises.
• brijay103099: There's not a heck of a lot to get excited about in the Baltimore-D.C. beltway at the moment, but at least the Ravens could be good come fall.
• JSchnootz: Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. What do they have in common? They all posted really impressive numbers, and for this fan, that's the clincher in the argument about an era.
• SportsCenter: Robert Flores and Cindy Brunson are in on the blogging. Flores links to interesting takes on the Sammy Sosa situation and a reversal of fortune for the two MLB teams in Texas. Meanwhile, Brunson tackles the twin debates pitting Kobe Bryant against Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson against Red Auerbach.
• More blogs: Check out all the SportsNation blogs.