Sure, Cleveland had LeBron James (key word being HAD), but neither the state or community loved the Cavaliers. They merely loved James. 

Led by the league's youngest scoring champion ever, Kevin Durant, the Thunder went from being a complete doormat in the NBA to being a legitimate contender. 

Though they don't have a true big that has any kind of experience, they moved in the right direction in the offseason, drafting and signing former Kansas big man Cole Aldrich. Aldrich could be that missing piece that pushes the Thunder over the top. 

Head coach Scott Brooks has all the firepower he needs with Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. He also has an entire plethora of role players that complete every aspect of the Thunder's main four's game. 

Players like Daquan Cook, Eric Maynor, Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison and Morris Peterson all bring skills that are used to spread the floor for Durant and Westbrook to be the monster duo that they are. 

After last season, however, Thunder fever has swept the entire nation, as they have become a fan favorite to watch and root for as they are the underdog to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. 

Also, after "The Decision" made by James, Durant became a fan favorite not only for his loyalty (signing a five-year extension with the Thunder) but by announcing it via his Twitter account and completely avoiding the public eye. 

Durant then led Team USA to it's first FIBA World Championship in over a decade, which not only makes him more of a fan favorite, but throws him even higher into MVP contention. 

As the entire league awaits negotiations for a new CBA contract, the league has three things to look forward to this season: The Lakers' chances at a three-peat, the new-look Miami Heat, and just how loud Durant and the Thunder can roar. 

Chances are there isn't a more exciting team to watch in the NBA than the Thunder, whose length, skill set and overwhelming talent is the only thing they bring to the floor. But their passion as a collective unit is what will not only lift up Oklahoma City, but the entire NBA as well. 

The Thunder are flying high. The question remains if the rest of the NBA is ready for them. 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Now the East is filled with supposed power. The "Super Heat", the aging Celtics, and the reloaded Chicago Bulls. Not once this summer, apart from a few ill-publicized signings has anyone spoken about the Orlando Magic. 

The Magic are a mere two seasons removed from an appearance in the NBA Finals and sprinted to the Eastern Conference Finals last season before falling to the Celtics. 

Led by defensive player of the year Dwight Howard, the Magic has retooled their roster slightly and have fallen into the shadow of the Heat by doing so. 

Resigning JJ Redick was really the priority of the summer but Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson came along for the ride as well. 

The Magic are now deeper and more talented at skill positions that they weren't at last season. Brandon Bass has had a season to adjust to the system, Duhon is a steady back up for Nelson and Richardson's shooting replaces the inconsistency of Matt Barnes. 

The Magic now need stars Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis to revamp their game and lock-down defender Mickael Pietrus to remain healthy. 

Carter was surpassed last season in the playoffs after poor play by Redick who finally has created a role for himself in Stan Van Gundy's rotation. 

Now Carter has to reinvent his game after his noticeable drop in athleticism. Known for his high flying acts in his youth, Carter will now have to transform much like Kobe Bryant has and learn how to consistently finish at the rim by either posting up smaller opponents or taking advantage of the mid-range jump shot. 

Carter still has the talent to do so and with Redick hot on his heels for starting minutes he has the motivation to do so.

The Magic may be the "other" Florida team, but that doesn't mean they're second rate. Howard and company still have all the fire power to reach the NBA Finals again once they choose to do so. 

Van Gundy always brings the best out of his teams defensively and with a dominant center like Howard controlling the paint the Magic will continue to be a defensive power in the NBA. 

However for the Magic to remain an Eastern Conference power, all of their hopes will fall onto the shoulders of Howard, Lewis, Nelson, and Carter. 

The four main options in the high octane offense, the Magic need them to get rolling early and stay focused throughout the season so they are capable of really exploding in the playoffs. 

Carter and Nelson are the key players down the stretch as they will have the ball in their hands when the game is on the line. Nelson proved against the Celtics last year that he can carry the Magic on his shoulders and Carter has historically been a clutch performer. 

If Carter returns to form and becomes the Magic's replacement for Hedo Turkoglu, something he only managed to do on rare occasions last year. 

As long as Howard remains inside however, the Magic will remain on top of the East and a contender for the Eastern Conference crown. 

The Magic haven't left Florida, they are merely hiding in the shadows, waiting for their chance to take control. 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Kobe Bryant's resume reads as follows: Five world championships, two finals Most Valuable Player awards, one regular season MVP award, a twelve time NBA All-Star, two time scoring champion, and a fourteen time All-NBA team player.

Bryant turns 32 this season and for the first time in two years is no longer the clear cut favorite to win the NBA Championship, now that a super trio has formed in the Eastern Conference. 

After LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined forces with Dwayne Wade and GM Pat Riley has appropriately filled the roster with solid role players, Miami looks to be the favorite. 

But you certainly can't count out the West Conference's most dominant team, as the Lakers do happen to have arguably the league's best player. He's also a rested player: Bryant took the summer off to have surgery on his knee and rest his now arthritic finger after playing non-stop since 2008. 

It's also safe to say that even though Bryant may be a half a step slower, he'll probably come back even better next season. 

Bryant is the type of player who would've been in the gym, working, adding and improving his game while James was making his nationally televised "Decision." He already is one of the most (if not the most) complete offensive player in the game today. 

However even with Bryant putting in all that extra work in the gym and weight room, he isn't the key for a Laker three peat this season. 

The Lakers upgraded their bench significantly after resigning Bryant's understudy Shannon Brown and bringing in Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff. 

Lamar Odom and Ratliff will highlight the second unit's front court. We all know how Odom—who is as talented as anyone in the league—is maddeningly inconsistent, but Ratliff is a seasoned veteran and will provide quality minutes for the injury plagued Andrew Bynum. 

Shannon Brown will continue to learn from Bryant and be the explosive open floor threat that he is, and the Lakers upgraded with the addition of Blake who replaced Jordan Farmer. Blake provides solid three point shooting and defense while being a stable point guard who isn't turnover prone. 

Barnes however is key, he brings the same intensity as Artest defensively, and is a better shooter. Barnes will be looked to lock down either the best secondary unit player or the best player. 

Bryant may be the best player but if he wants to win his sixth NBA championship his bench will need to produce; however unlike last season, the Laker head coach Phil Jackson will actually have a consistent second unit to rely on.

With Miami being the favorite in the East, for the Lakers to win it's not going to be on Bryant, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Artest or Bynum. It'll be on which team's bench performs. Now that the Lakers have reloaded and upgraded they can still be considered a favorite to raise their seventeenth championship banner. 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

While the summer buzzed about LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh going to Miami and the reigning two-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers reloading their roster, Kevin Durant signed a five-year extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, legitimizing him as the face of the franchise. 

Durant has done everything he could for the Thunder, from winning Rookie of the Year while playing in Seattle, to becoming the youngest scoring champion in NBA history just last year. 

Durant led the Thunder to a 50-win season, which was a 27-game improvement from his first season in Oklahoma City. 

Now, after the "Decision" made by James, there has been a fallout of sorts from his fanbase after he bolted from Cleveland, leaving many wondering if Durant can become the league's "savior."

A league filled with stars like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Roy, James, Wade, Bosh, etc. and people seem to think it needs saving. The league is filled with unbelievable athletes—why would it need saving? 

Well, while these stars are all in the league, you have to think about something. Jordan, Bird, and Magic all had one thing in common: they played against the best to become the best. 

That is something that has been lost in the league since 2008 when Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen formed a super trio, however a much older one. 

Now that James, Bosh, and Wade have done it, many believe that because of the AAU concept that athletes are now using to win games at a young age. NBA athletes are going to start teaming up to attempt to win a championship, avoiding the thing all the greats have done, beat each other. 

It's like a cheat code used in video games that give you perfect stats and makes you unbeatable. Durant has basically shown his disapproval account towards James's decision via his twitter account and many believe he's just "sucking up" to the media to garner some attention. 

This, however, is hard to prove. If Durant had wanted any kind of media attention, he would've made his contract extension a widely known fact rather then stating that he signed on his twitter and surprising so many people. 

Many will say Durant is not an elite player because he only shot 35 percent from the floor and 28 percent from three, which can only mean that he's not a good shooter. However, this is only true because of the amount of shots he has to take for his team to win. 

He is the main option for this club, the best shooter on the team, and the only one whose got the green light on any and everything he chooses to attempt. 

Durant's running mates are Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook flourishes either in the lane or open floor and Green is a garbage man with a solid jump shot. 

Which makes Durant easily the primary option. He has the complete offensive arsenal, one of the best the league has to offer. 

Now, as he has become the face of team USA, the words are flying that Durant has become an NBA icon, and while he is the face of a franchise and will be the face of the USA when the World Championship begins, Durant has yet to fully become an "icon."

He's 21 years old, and has yet to even scratch the true ability of his potential, and though many will disagree with this, he has all the talent to become a better player than Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. 

But this is to say, it is potential and it's what he makes of it that determines if he'll really become a true NBA elite icon. 

Oklahoma City has the league's brightest young star and now won't be able to surprise anyone, but the Thunder won't have to. Because as long as Durant has that uniform on, they can beat anyone on any given night. After just a taste of the playoffs one of the league's youngest teams will obviously be after more. 

They have the ability to push for home court advantage in the West and even make a run at the Lakers—again, should they face them. 

Durant, as of right now, is just the face of a franchise and he has a way to go to become the face of the NBA. Before that can even happen, he'll have to take away from James or Bryant. But he's probably one of the few that actually could. 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Throughout the past decade in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons have been the most successful team after making two NBA Finals appearances and six straight Eastern Conference Finals. 

The Pistons were led by Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace and trade deadline addition Rasheed Wallace. 

Soon after Big Ben left for Chicago, GM Joe Dumars added Antonio McDyess as his replacement and drafted Billup's so-called heir apparent Rodney Stuckey. 

However, Dumars made a decision only a few games into the 2008-2009 season to trade Billups the man who made the Pistons go for Allen Iverson in an attempt to gain cap space and keep Detroit relevant. 

When it came to relevancy however Dumars failed as Iverson never gained any chemistry with Stuckey, Prince, and Hamilton and didn't even finish out the season as the Pistons were swept out of the first round by top seed Cleveland. 

Dumars then began the rebuilding process signing former UConn stars Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to play along side Stuckey and Will Bynum as the beginning of the youth movement in Detroit. 

However what Dumars has down with his youth he hasn't been able to do with his past, championship layovers Wallace, Prince, and Hamilton still remain on a team that is attempting to be rebuilt. 

Also there are rumors that Dumars is considering signing former scoring champ Tracy McGrady to an already crowded back-court. 

Detroit needs a fresh start and so does Dumars, and signing McGrady would not be a step in the right direction.

However it's a low risk signing for the Pistons which could always open up trade opportunities for Prince and Hamilton. 

Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko, DeJuan Summers, and rookie Greg Monroe are expected to team up with Gordon, Bynum, Stuckey, and Villanueva as the new look Pistons. 

This team however isn't ready to compete for a championships so for players like Hamilton and Prince a trade to a contender at this point in both of their careers would be an honorable discharge for the Pistons to give their former championship foundation.

What the Pistons lack is that defensive presence inside as Dumars has created a team that would thrive in an uptempo offense. 

The lock-down Detroit Pistons or as some referred to them as the "New Era Bad Boys of Motown" era is gone. With a new decade comes a new team and with this new team comes a team that lacks any kind of true identity. 

Dumars destroyed his champions and has yet to find the right combination to rebuild them with, hopefully he'll find the right mix soon. If not, Pistons fans will continue to lose hope in Dumars and maybe in the Pistons themselves. 

A McGrady signing may give them an small shed of identity but it does nothing for their future other than give a player who many consider to be all washed up a chance. 

We all know however, that Dumars isn't afraid of making rash decisions, so what does this upcoming season hold for Piston fans and the team themselves? We'll just have to wait and see, but until then the Pistons will remain in the eastern cellar.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Though the perennial favorites are the two-time world champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Western Conference is not all but won. 

During the past decade, the West has been run by two teams, the historic champion Lakers and the resilient San Antonio Spurs. Both happen to be led by two NBA greats, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. 

The Spurs star is obviously on the decline, but Duncan has continued to prove that the "Big Fundamental" can still reign supreme in the lane as a rebounder, defender, and consistent scorer. 

However, the Spurs have had to count on the likes of lefty Manu Ginobili and speedy floor leader Tony Parker to provide more of an offensive lift while they develop their young talent. 

Though the Spurs' main post options are aging quickly (with Antonio McDyess also quickly moving toward the end his career), the Spurs are quietly getting younger. 

They have continued to steal players in the draft with the second-round choice of De'Juan Blair last year and a first-round steal this year in Big 12 Player of the Year from Oklahoma State, James Anderson. Also, they have finally been able to bring over European star, Tiago Splitter.

Also, they re-signed Richard Jefferson to a three-year deal that potentially saved themselves money. 

Anderson, Splitter, Hill, and Blair provide a solid, young bench that will be taught how to do things the right way by Duncan, Ginobili, McDyess, and Parker, and will build a solid foundation for the team's future.

Anderson enters the league NBA-ready with his range close to limitless and with the ability to get to the rim with either hand. While Splitter dominated Europe, his game is very similar to Duncan's so his adjustment should be minimal as well. 

Hill and Blair have already shown they're ready, with Hill being the driving force in the Dallas series during last season's playoffs, shining as Parker's replacement while he was out with an ankle injury. 

The Lakers, however, have also reloaded by signing Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, and Theo Ratliff while looking to sign their two second-round draft choices, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter. 

Also, you can't forget about Bryant, who is arguably still the league's best player and who will be even more motivated to add another dimension to his game with the superhuman trio that formed out East. 

The Spurs have all the tools to beat the Lakers. Duncan can still play with Gasol and McDyess can get Bynum or Odom into foul trouble. 

Parker and Hill can blow by Fisher and possibly Blake, while Jefferson and Anderson give an aging Artest and the emotional Barnes fits with their different playing styles. 

The one player who will truly have his work cut out for him is Ginobili, who'll have to attempt to guard Bryant and be effective on offense while being guarded by Kobe. 

But to answer the question: Yes, they can knock off the Lakers, but first they have to get to them. The pieces are there for the NBA's version of the Indianapolis Colts as they just keep on plugging, proving to everyone that their so-called "window of opportunity" to win the NBA championship has yet to budge. 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

For the 27 year old Danny Granger, its yet another year wasted in his prime. The lone All Star of the Indiana Pacers has been waiting for GM Larry Bird provide him with some kind of aid ever since he became the face of the franchise. 

Granger is only two years removed from being selected to the NBA All Star team and even though last season was a struggle he still averaged 24 points a game. 

Granger however has been stuck within a situation in Indiana that has been in total chaos since the battle at the Palace. With contract situations like Jermaine O'Neal's, Stephen Jackson's, Ron Artest's, and Jamaal Tinsley's, Bird has been relatively incapable of making any moves in the off-season. 

Granger has been playing along side T.J. Ford, Mike Dunleavy, Jeff Foster, Josh McRoberts, Soloman Jones, and Troy Murphey all of whom's contracts end at the end of next season. 

Granger has been the only bright spot for a Pacers team that features an Up-Tempo offense that you would think should flourish with speedy guard Ford at the helm plus Murphy and Dunleavy running along side. 

Ford however doesn't get along with head coach Jim O'Brien while Dunleavy and Murphy are just talent teases, players who fill up stat sheets but do so inefficiently and have never been winners. 

However the Pacers do have a solid running mate for Granger in former Georgetown center Roy Hibbert who has made legitimate strides since he entered the league. 

Also, Brandon Rush has proved to be a decent role player off the bench and former National Player of the Year and North Carolina Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough has a lot of upside if he returns from last seasons leg injury. 

Also the Pacers made some wise decisions in the draft after signing Paul George and the second round steal in Lance Stephenson. 

George is a prototypical clone of Granger's skill set and Stephenson is young and rare but extremely talented. Both players show a lot of upside for the future if they're developed properly. 

Other than that however the Pacers must wait patiently and hope that their only All-Star does not get disgruntled to the point that he wants to be traded. 

This all rides on Granger's patience and confidence in GM Larry Bird because until next summer he's all indiana's got. 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

What ever happened to the artist formally known as T-Mac? Tracy McGrady has fallen from the graces that once held him as a league scoring champion while putting him in the mix as the heir apparent to Michael Jordan.

McGrady has now suited up for four teams and has completely burned any chances at returning to two of them. His exits from Orlando and Houston have many questioning if he'll be willing to do what he must do as he's entering the twilight of his career: become a role player.

But it's not just his head that terrifies teams away from him—it's also his health. After having micro-fracture surgery in 2009, McGrady has yet to play an entire season, managing to only appear in 30 games last year with the New York Knicks.

McGrady is joined by Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson as former superstars who are now falling out of the NBA's graces. However, McGrady may have a bit more in the tank than his counterparts and, should he accept the his role as a veteran bench player, his phone will begin to blow up. 

As of now, however, he has continued to state that he wishes to "prove himself" to the extent that he can still be an effective starter in the league. Offensively, McGrady might have it, but with his speed and quickness rapidly depleting due to his knee, he could become a serious liability on the defensive end. 

Guards who have yet to enter the true peak of their prime, like Dwayne Wade and Brandon Roy for example, could eat McGrady alive. This is yet another thing that scares teams away from him. 

McGrady, though, never being known as a great leader or mentor, has shown flashes that keep people really curious if he can successfully return to being a reliable player. However, for a team like the Chicago Bulls, whom he recently worked out for, he is seriously unneeded. 

McGrady wants to be given the kind of load and responsibility that he received while playing in Orlando and Houston. Well, he has a few options to consider if they'll give him a chance. 

Cleveland, New Orleans, the Los Angeles Clippers, or even a return to the city that drafted him...Toronto. Almost all these teams are in a rebuilding process, while New Orleans is simply in a remodeling process (as long as they hang onto All-Star Chris Paul). 

Cleveland, however, would be a prime fit for McGrady—a team distraught with the loss of their "savior" could not be driven any farther past disappointment if he were to fail. 

But in all reality, his meter is running empty and T-Mac should either accept it and become a role player or transform into the next Iverson as he attempts to force himself into a starting role. 

The era of "T-Mac to the rack!" is over. The scoring champion he once was is dead and gone. 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Those have been the major headlines of the offseason, and while these have covered every aspect of the journalistic world, the Oklahoma City Thunder continued to improve...quietly. 

Proof of this is Kevin Durant's highly unpublicized signing of a five-year extension with the Thunder, which he formally announced on his Twitter account. 

Now, Durant and teammates Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green highlight the USA roster for the World Championships that are quickly approaching. 

The Thunder were the team whose youth, athleticism, and will nearly pushed the Lakers over the edge. Challenging Bryant's team in every way they could manage to think of, looking for anyway possible to win. 

Now with a taste of the playoffs in their mouths, they can only want more. General manager Sam Presti was more than willing to take a step forward for his team.

An early trade for former three-point champion Daquan Cook and veteran Morris Peterson add range around Durant, while a draft-night trade brought in Kansas big-man Cole Aldrich. 

The Thunder have improved to the extent that they could even push for home-court advantage in the West against powers like Phoenix, Dallas, and Denver. 

The Thunder can only hope not to run into the Lakers in the first round, as they have quietly improved as well. 

Durant, though, has continued to show signs of just how much potential he has, becoming the face of Team USA as they head to the World Championships. 

Given the acquisitions of Aldrich, Cook, and Peterson and the continued developments of Durant, Westbrook, Green, and Serge Ibaka, the Thunder have a legitimate shot to form a young western dynasty that can rival that of Miami's for years to come. 

However, Thunder nation must wait patiently and enjoy watching their young leader and star flourish in the stunning red, white, and blue jersey as he represents our country and all of Oklahoma. 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

James is without a doubt a fantastic athlete, who thrives in the open floor and penetrating the lane while showing a fabulously developed jump shot. This is not intended to knock on the greatness that is James for his time will come soon enough. 

But what James managed to do in six months has, once again, failed to pay off in the postseason. Eliminated by the aging Boston Celtics in six games during the Eastern Conference semifinals, James has shown once again the difference between him and the likes of Kobe Bryant. 

What took James six months to do, Bryant surpassed in merely six weeks. The NBA Playoffs have consistently shown legends are born during them, and Bryant's resume has continued to grow. 

Bryant was known during the regular season as the league's most deadly player in clutch situations, knocking down several game winners and just as he did last season, Bryant has carried his Los Angeles Lakers back to the NBA Finals. 

The Lakers are truly a resilient team led by the league's best player. Yes, Bryant is the league's best basketball player. James is league's best athlete by far, but Bryant has the better skill-set, his game reaching all aspects of the basketball spectrum. 

What James can do, Bryant simply does better. Sure Bryant isn't stacked with triple-doubles, but in all reality he doesn't have to be. He still passes better, dribbles better, shoots better, plays defense better and in reality scores in every way better than James to this point. 

Bryant has developed the best "rise up" shot in the game, as he rises with ease above any and every defender and drills shot after shot after shot. Bryant may not slam everything through the rim like James, but there have been times when James has missed dunks because he just has to power everything in. 

Bryant's main intent is to finish, whether he has to simply lay the ball in, or has the chance to dunk. It doesn't matter to him - he simply wants to score and wants to win. His will to win eerily resembles that of Michael Jordan, so much to the point that many question if he is a better clutch performer than Jordan. 

But this isn't about comparing Jordan to Bryant, it's about showing that Bryant is still the league's best basketball player. 

James, being the athlete he is, uses his ability to get to the rim—and when that's taken away from him—he will rise up for the jumper. His game resembles that of a baseball pitcher with two strong pitches, the fastball and the changeup. No matter what, his opponent knows what's coming. 

Bryant, however, resembles the like of a premiere pitcher who can rotate between his change up, fastball, knuckleball and curve ball to the point where you never know what's coming. He makes sure to keep his opponent uncomfortable. 

With free agency just around the corner for James, he can merely sit and watch as Bryant gets to continue to prove why he's the league's best basketball player. 

We all know just how much Bryant loves vengeance, and now he gets his shot at the team that took away his chance for his fourth title in 2008, the Lakers hated rival Boston. 

Kobe Bryant ladies and gentlemen was once quoted saying "Love me or hate me, its one or the other, always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fade-away, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran, a champion. Hate that, hate it with all your heart. and hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons."

Bryant has once again shown why people both love and hate him, but in reality it doesn't matter. Denying that he's beyond the league's best basketball player is ignorant, because he'll just continue to prove his critics wrong.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com