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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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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

This is what happens when the best point guard in town resides in the mayor's office. With Kevin Johnson worrying about budgets and unavailable to come out of retirement, a lot of people seem to think the Sacramento Kings need to take a guard in Thursday's draft. Which guard seems to be the source of a good, old fashioned draft feud.

Tom (Sactown)

I heard the Kings' Jerry Reynolds called you a "tool" on Kings radio after you went on the air and said the Kings should draft Rubio

Chad Ford

Yeah, I heard that too. Hey if you're going to be insulted about being a poor judge of talent, at least get insulted by the Director of Player Personnel for the WORST team in the league. Full transcript.

We like to think that somewhere, in whatever afterlife, reincarnation, biodegradable scenario you choose to believe in, we will all be held accountable for our mock drafts. Let's just say that if you don't get at least 10 picks right, you're coming back as a Clippers fan.

With that out of the way, let's take a spin around SportsNation's mocks.

• Things take a quick turn for the different in TheGodOf6thGear's mock, with the Thunder passing on both Ricky Rubio and James Harden to get Kevin Durant some frontcourt help.
• Things are a tad more conventional in manny24435's take on things, although even Duke alum Grant Hill didn't have Gerald Henderson going this high in ESPN The Magazine's mock draft.
• The top 10 is all codywin25 concerns himself with (come on, Michael Jordan could use all the help he can get), but that's enough time to find an interesting home for Stephen Curry.
• Blogger GOBIIIGCOUGS dispenses with the first round and goes right to lobbying on behalf of Washington State guard Taylor Rochestie as a second-round sleeper. Too much time in the Palouse may have gone to his head.

Join in lottery conversations: No. 1 Clippers | No. 2 Grizzlies | No. 3 Thunder | No. 4 Kings | Nos. 5, 6 Timberwolves | No. 7 Warriors | No. 8 Knicks | No. 9 Raptors | No. 10 Bucks | No. 11 Nets | No. 12 Bobcats | No. 13 Pacers | No. 14 Suns

“

If God cares about Blake Griffin, he will compel the Clippers to trade the #1 pick to OKC.

” -- bman5780

“

This is a very important week for the Wolves, lets hope Khan doesn't jack it up. Thursday: Draft. Friday: Find a head coach. Saturday: Apologize to Al and the remaining players on the team who didn't get traded away Thursday night. Sunday: Send out email to season ticket holders and potentials kissing their butt. Big week Khan. Big week.

” -- n0tbradpitt

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

While the Washington Nationals prepare for a summer of exchanging pleasantries with Scott Boras (because summer in a city built on a swamp isn't excruciating enough as it is), SportsNation gets to talk to the potential No. 1 pick who really has the power to bring change. Former Oklahoma star and possible future Clippers star Blake Griffin stops by to chat at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Although it's not set in stone quite yet, everyone expects the explosive post player to come off the board first in the NBA draft. That includes mock drafts from SportsNation bloggers dedalotw2003 (who also has an intriguing trade at No. 2) and bball4life578 (who also has a trade at No. 2 ... what does everyone have against Memphis?). Chat with Blake at 3:30!