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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

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

Just hours after the celebrated arrival of Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland (where the big man proclaimed he'd "win a ring for the King"), Ron Artest one-upped the Big Aristotle and announced he would be signing a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

If his word is golden, it means that Artest and Kobe Bryant will be amicably (we think) sharing the same court. What does this mean to SportsNation? Well, before today, you had LeShaq and the Cleveland Cavaliers as your favorite to win the 2010 NBA finals. But perhaps things have changed? Cast your vote below.

• Where did Ron Artest rank against the other 2009 free agents? Find out »


“

This is terrible. Ariza is a much better choice than Artest. Artest may be more skilled, but Ariza is a team player who can play well with Kobe (and not many can play well with Kobe). I really thought the Lakers had a chance to repeat, but with this move, I'm not sure at all anymore. Artest is actually a downgrade in many aspects.

” -- rfg56fd2



“

Brilliant move by the Lakers. I was hoping this would happen. Man, the Rockets have completely imploded.

” -- bwpbruce

We've already noted that SportsNation is optimistic it hasn't seen the last of Yao Ming in the NBA (although that begs the question whether Nets fans would like to be optimistic they have seen the last of Yi Jianlian). But even if Yao makes it back, he could be one of the great what-if players of all time. Our five candidates for the top spot.

Sam Bowie: Essentially a seven-foot punchline at this point, Bowie was doomed the minute he was picked ahead of Michael Jordan. But as Marc Stein recounted, leg injuries -- not Jordan -- were what cost him a chance to make a name for himself.

Bo Jackson: What highlights are more iconic than Jackson running up a wall on the baseball diamond or over Brian Bosworth on the football field? He was 28 when he suffered his hip injury, which isn't young for a running back, but he didn't have a lot of NFL miles on his legs.

Mark Prior: He may not be technically done, but Prior's days as a Cooperstown lock are long gone. At 22, he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA and 245 strikeouts in 211 innings. Slowed by countless injuries, he's won just 18 games since that season.

Sterling Sharpe: He still ranks in the top 50 all time in NFL receptions and never played a game after the age of 29 because of a neck injury. Imagine his numbers with six or seven more seasons with Brett Favre in the quarterback's prime.

Bill Walton: One of the greatest college players of all time, Walton wasn't exactly Bowie in the pros, leading the Trail Blazers to a title in 1977 and winning MVP in 1978, but chronic injuries robbed him of most of his prime years.

• Yao is just one more name in a long list of really tall guys whose bodies seemed to break down under the grind of professional basketball. Other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and maybe Mark Eaton, the list is short when you get above 7-foot-2 or 7-foot-3. But when it comes to height, SportsNation says teams will always gamble.

“

Take another lesson from Bill Walton, Yao. Don't try to come back just because you feel guilty or responsible. Let that thing heal. And come off the bench like Walton or take every other game off like Shaq if you need to. Everybody criticized Kareem for taking it easy, jogging up and down the floor. Well the guy was 7'3" and his body lasted 20 years in the league.

” -- thechendaddy

“

The NBA with its hardwood floors and 82 game seasons are just not meant for 7 and a half footers. Shaq is probably the best example in this era of longevity for people 7 feet and beyond, and he is 7'1. On top of that Yao also has Olympic priorities with China!!!

” -- trunkmonkey1980