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The NBA season is beginning to heat up as the temperatures outside begin cool off considerably.  The 2012-13 season is the first full length season after a strike shortened 2011-12 regular season.  It feels good to get back to a full 82 game season.  Last year just felt weird.  Especially the All-Star game.  In a condensed season the All-Star game almost seemed irrelevant when so few games had been played.  This year we can get back to status quo.  Although things are a little different this year when it comes to the All-Star voting.

2013 NBA All-Star Game -February 24, 2013

The NBA All-Star game will be played in Houston, TX this year.  The All-Star game will make its second appearance at the Toyota Center.  The last All-Star game in Houston was in 2006 and the host city featured 2 Rockets in the starting lineup for the West All-Stars.  Forward Tracy McGrady and center Yao Ming starting on an All-Star roster seems like an ancient memory.  Makes me think of the Little Texas song "What Might Have Been".  Sad memories for Rockets fans.  Sorry Houston.  LeBron James was the MVP of that All-Star game with 29 points and T-Mac lead all scorers with 36.

This week the NBA regular season began with several early season marquis match-ups.  It is a little too early for much meaning to come from these games but the bottom line is the NBA has returned.  It is becoming increasingly more obvious that there will be no NHL season so the NBA will have the undivided attention of most sports fans.  Of course the NFL is only half done but NBA doesn't really interfere with football.  Which is perfect for a sports nut like myself.

So let me welcome back the NBA with brief guide to the 2013 regular season.  There is a lot oh hype going around several teams this year and I'm here to clear up a few things and let you know the real story when it comes to NBA basketball in 2012-13.  Follow the bullet points to all the answers for your upcoming NBA season.

• The OKC Thunder trade was necessary and will help them in the long run
• James Harden will produce but the Rockets will not
• The Lakers will not win the West or make it to the Finals
• Steve Nash will average less then 9 assists per game
• At least 1 Star will be traded this season (LaMarcus Aldridge?)
• Derrick Rose should not play this year
• The new All-Star Game voting is unfair
• San Antonio will defy age yet again with another #1 seed
• Kevin Durant will win 4th straight scoring title
• Miami Heat will go back-to-back
• Knicks will fire their head coach again
• Anthony Davis will win ROY
• Tom Thibodeau will scream a lot
• LeBron James wins MVP #4

This season is sure to be full of excitement and drama.  The good news is we won't have to listen to Dwight Howard drama all season long.  Or will we??  I sure hope not.  He did already mention that he wishes the trade to the Nets would have worked out.  Really Dwight?  Just be quiet.  In the end I think he will happily stay in Los Angeles.  Big market, big money, and lots of history.  Lets just hope the Lakers don't tank and bring up Howard drama 2.0.

Heat vs. Thunder......  LeBron vs. Durant......  Wade vs. Harden......  Folks we got ourselves one heck of a talent filled Finals this year.  Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals kicks off tonight in Oklahoma City at 9:00 P.M. (ET) on ESPN ABC.  Before I get into some numbers and what I think they mean, here is a quick look at the schedule for the NBA Finals.

Game 2 - June 14:  Heat @ Thunder - 9:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC
Game 3 - June 17:  Thunder @ Heat - 8:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC
Game 4 - June 19:  Thunder @ Heat - 9:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC
Game 5 - June 21:  Thunder @ Heat - 9:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC  *
Game 6 - June 24:  Heat @ Thunder - 8:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC  *
Game 7 - June 26:  Heat @ Thunder - 9:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC  *

* if necessary

Just when it seemed like the NBA season was lost the players and owners came to an agreement on a new CBA.  Both sides of this battle took a stand at several points during the negotiations over the last few months.  In the beginning both sides were asking way too much and by the end of it the owners wound up compromising the most.  In the new deal the players will still receive over half the money.  With many teams struggling financially, something had to be done with the money and salary distribution.  For now everyone is happy but it will take some time to discover whether or not enough changes were made to the old CBA to ensure economic stability in the NBA.

On June 30 the NBA decided to follow suit with the NFL and locked out their players.  Since the NFL is the most lucrative and popular of the four major sports, the media has been all over the NFL Lockout announcing even the most minute details like the color of tie that Roger Goodell wore to each "Secret Meeting".  Note to the media and the NFL:  If everyone knows about the meeting it just slightly rips the meaning of secret right out of the concept.

The Mavericks & the Heat will be facing off in the Finals beginning on May 31. These two teams had previously met in the 2006 Finals. Led by the Heat's Lebron James and the Maverick's Dirk Nowitzki, this will be an intense and competitive series.