The State of the NBA and much more...

So it's off season time, the players and their families are soaking up much needed r&r and well people like myself are here late one night writing mindless dribble about how much we love/hate things about the league and its players. Here's a few thoughts brewing in my mind currently.

1. I'm excited at what next season will bring for Kobe and LeBron. Who's team will dominate the most? Which will suffer that one key injury first? Who will be MVP?

2. I'm going out on a limb and predicting the following:

MVP = Wade - just because the voters will believe it's his turn to win the damn thing. I hate this award. Kobe will never win one again, even though he should have 4 by now.

The Lakers win 68 games.
The Cavs win 63
The Spurs win 62
The Celtics win 60

Kevin Durant will go nuts. He will be 2nd in scoring behind Wade, and become a bona fide stud.

Portland will take a step backward, slightly.

Dallas will surprise more people than was to be expected.

Greg Oden will still suck.

Allen Iverson will have a great year and be a good boy.

and Kobe will average 28ppg, 5, 5, 1.5, 85%, 46% and play all 82.

The Lakers win the ship over Cleveland in 6.

3. While the owners and players union discuss a new collective bargaining agreement, here are a few items I would change in the process.

a. Raise the age minimum to 20. I know most disagree with me on this one and in a way they do have some great examples of players who have made the leap at 18 (ie. Kobe and LeBron), but my point is this, most players at that age are yes physically capable of playing in the big time, but most lack the requisite intelligence to grasp the competitive NBA game. There's a reason why veteran teams win in the NBA and why young ones don't, it all comes down to games smarts. Also I hate seeing so many teams pay these young players exorbitant amounts of money based on potential. It ruins the league and destroys teams for years if said player doesn't amount to the money they're being paid.

b. Guaranteed contracts should be lowered to 5 years. And all players in their first 5 seasons in the league should have team options only per season. This would help eliminate all the crap young players in the league as well as shorten the length of any horrible contract. The fact that Gilbert Arenas received over 100 mil for 6 years on a bum knee is beyond me. Or how Rashard Lewis makes more than Dwight is another.

that's enough for now. more later.