The NBA season is only a week and a half young yet some things are already quite noticeable and permanent trends are starting to take shape...

The Boston Celtics are not playing down to their competition and are out to prove that they are the best team in the league. Their 14.7 average win margin is evidence of this. Rajon Rondo is second in the league in assists, first in steals, and is easily among the top five PGs in the league. The additions of Shelden Williams, Marquis Daniels, and Rasheed Wallace make the C's a better and more athletic team than their 2008 championship squad that had James Posey, P.J. Brown, and Sam Cassell. They will easily have the best record in the East this year...

The Cleveland Cavaliers are mediocre and I'm not sold, making last year even more of a fluke. Their coaching is horrendous. Mike Brown should be fired. TNT's Charles Barkley has called him out albeit indirectly, saying "I don't know why they don't listen to me," referring to the Cavs' lack of an offensive system suited to their players' talents. They're extremely boring to watch, Lebron James goes 1-on-5 every time, and they acquire talented players like Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker but don't know how to incorporate them...

Meanwhile, Shaquille O'Neal is proving that he is no longer relevant in this league. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Phoenix Suns are all of a sudden 10 times better without Shaq. As I've always maintained, O'Neal slows down an offense and his poor defense on the pick-and-roll is a total liability. He will not average 10 rebounds. He will never shoot well from the line. He doesn't have a go-to move in the low post. And if Mike Brown knew anything at all, he'd have O'Neal come off the bench whether The Big Freeze liked it or not. But of course, Brown doesn't have the balls to do something like that...

Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat are impressing me thus far. They have five players averaging double figures, and Quentin Richardson is proving to be a great fit for their style of play. The maturing Marion Chalmers is averaging over 2 steals per game, Michael Beasley seems to be more comfortable on the court this year, and Udonis Haslem is a double-double machine. Who needs Shaq?...

The battle for the Southeast Division between Orlando, Miami, and Atlanta is going to be something to watch...

Although the Denver Nuggets have started strong, I still expect the Portland Trailblazers to win the Northwest Division because Greg Oden looks really good and Denver has no one to contend with him once he becomes a beast. Plus Portland's depth will bode well for them as the season prolongs, whereas Denver's lack of bench play will ultimately wear on their ability to keep pace.

Are the Phoenix Suns for real? Don't get too excited Suns fans because all it takes is for Steve Nash's back to flare up again before Phoenix is back to mediocrity. Nash had plenty of rest this summer as did the rest of the team, which explains why the Suns are fresh and seemingly runnin' and gunnin' just like the old days. But I have a strong hunch they won't be able to keep this up...

The most disappointing team in the league is New Orleans. Not too long ago, people were talking about the Hornets as championship contenders. At the pace they're going, they're lottery bound. I've always maintained that the no-defense playing three-point shooting one-dimensional Peja Stojakovic has killed this team night in and night out the last two years. His inability to do other things on the court besides shoot threes hurts them tremendously. I can understand if he's making long range shots like he did in Sactown but those days are long gone just as Vladimir Radmanovic's Seattle days. L.A. traded Radmanovic to Charlotte and instantly improved. Coach Byron Scott needs to ship Peja out of town and do the same...

Really scary thought: The Lakers are 5-1 without Pau Gasol, their second best player and arguably the most complete big man in the world. Which is allowing the emerging Andrew Bynum to develop into an All-Star, which he will be this year. Ron Artest is beginning to show why the Lakers wanted him instead of Trevor Ariza. He is averaging 13 ppg, 5.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals. His all-around play, physicality, and ability to post up smaller defenders are all things Ariza has yet to develop and it is already evident after 6 games...

Meanwhile, Lamar Odom is leading the team in three offensive categories (rebounds, assists, blocks), and you can see his championship swagger all over his body and face. He's as confident and tough as ever, and I will never call him Odumb ever again. Odom is arguably the most valuable player on this Lakers team. With the Kardashian's now in attendance at Lakers home games, Odom is playing with emotion every game and is as consistent as ever...

Most disappointing Laker and candidate to be traded away by the deadline: Sasha Vujacic. It's obvious that this machine has a tag that says "Batteries not included". Unfortunately, we've already seen the best of Sasha and his days are numbered.

The REAL MVP Kobe Bryant: Leading the league in scoring at 34.7 ppg, second in the NBA in steals at just under 3 per game, and still unstoppable from anywhere on the court. Lebron who? The beat goes on...

There is a strong possibility the Lakers can send four players to the All-Star Game in February. Bryant,Gasol, and Bynum are pretty much locks to play. Artest has an excellent chance considering 'Melo, Kevin Durant, and Rudy Gay are the only other legitimate All-Stars at the small forward position in the west. Odom has an outside chance to make it as well. The last time the Lakers sent four players to the All-Star game was in '98 when Kobe, Shaq, Nick Van Exel, and Eddie Jones all played in MSG... 

My early season prediction on how the East and West will be seeded come playoff time: EAST - 1. Boston 2. Orlando 3. Miami 4. Cleveland 5. Atlanta 6. Chicago 7. Toronto 8. Charlotte, WEST - 1. Lakers 2. Portland 3. San Antonio 4. Denver 5. Dallas 6. Phoenix 7. Utah 8. Houston

East Finals - Boston over Orlando, West Finals - Lakers over San Antonio

NBA Finals - Lakers over Boston in six.