What, no more football? No sweat. The NBA is ready to take center stage, and with a new look this season at the top of the standings. The Boston Celtics are clinging to first in the East, and the Phoenix Suns are a half-game up on the New Orleans Hornets (!) for first in the West.

The big story this week, though, is the significant trade that sent Pau Gasol to the L.A. Lakers. Going the other way is a relatively modest package including Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and a pair of first-round picks. The Lakers added a star player without touching their core assets; they’ll win plenty of games with Gasol, and when Andrew Bynum comes back – yikes.

The defending champion Spurs look like they’re out of gas, and the Suns are too thin to avoid the wear and tear of the playoff grind. How about a Lakers-Hornets Western final?