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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.

More fan blogs

Bulls preview | Cavaliers preview | Celtics-Cavaliers | Cuban best owner in sports | Eastern Conference predictions | Jordan among untouchables | Jordan memories | Letter to LeBron | Magic preview | NBA questions | No worries in Lakerland | Remember the Bulls? | Teams to watch | Traveling rule | Western Conference predictions | Wizards' issues

Fan pictures

Kickoff couldn't come soon enough for SportsNation, including Purdue fans like slim83. The Boilermakers open with the Toledo Rockets.

These are our favorite photos uploaded this week. If any of the images stir you to sing your school's fight song, click on them to view a larger picture and to comment. If you have a great picture or saw one you think the world should see, leave a brief description and a link in the Conversation section below.

• Rank: Put your own spin on the draft by ranking the classes

SportsNation is not impressed with Rodrique Beaubois or Ahmad Nivins. The former is a French point guard and the latter a 6-foot-9 forward from Saint Joseph's who averaged better than 19 points a game as a senior. They're also the only members of the Mavericks' draft class that SportsNation voters ranked behind that of the Magic. The only problem? The Magic didn't make any picks Thursday night. Now that's a tough crowd.

• Draft Winners: Wolves and Spurs. Voters decisively shouted down concerns about the Wolves taking back-to-back point guards, ranking the team's effort behind only that of the Clippers. The Spurs didn't pick until the second round, but landing DeJuan Blair moved them all the way to fourth in SportsNation's rankings.
• The Nation thinks both Rubio and Flynn start; Minnesota not so sure.
• Draft Losers: Nets and Raptors. Fans panned the Nets for taking Terrence Williams. The No. 11 pick netted the team a ranking of No. 20 on the night. That was still better than the Raptors, who turned No. 9 pick DeMar DeRozan into a No. 22 ranking from De-voters. Curiously, neither was viewed as the biggest lottery reach.
• The good news is there may be a team worse than the Nets next season.

• 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

Chad Ford didn't get to as many questions as normal in Tuesday's chat, but give the guy a break; it's two days before the draft and he's working the phones like a crazed American Idol fan. Plus, he gave chatters something just as valuable as answers -- a scoop! Ford opened with the report that the Spurs and Bucks had agreed in principle on a trade sending Richard Jefferson to San Antonio for essentially salary cap relief.

SportsNation's verdict came swiftly on the still unfinalized deal; the Lakers are still the overwhelming favorites in the West (all right, so that part wasn't that exciting).

• Fan groups: LA Laker Haters | San Antonio Spurs Posse | San Antonio Spurs
• As for the other big NBA rumor du jour? Rajon Rondo had a breakout postseason, but that apparently doesn't make him untouchable. Whether or not he was offered as part of a deal to the Pistons, more than half of SportsNation says the Celtics should at least explore his value. And another handful say trade him now for sure.