Finally, the brand new NBA season is here.

And while most of us are still probably engrossed with all the football action we’ve been having in what is turning out to be one weird season in the NFL, the brand new 2008-09 NBA basketball season debuts this Tuesday with a three-game schedule you probably can’t afford to miss. (Unless you’re a Colts fan still reeling from a loss to Tennessee last Monday night…)

NBA basketball is back and it will jumpstart the brand new season with a bang on Tuesday night with a three game schedule at hand. First game of hoops action will feature the ring ceremony of the 2008 NBA champions, Boston Celtics, before playing LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. Yep, the celebratory mood in Boston just might fade in a heartbeat with King James in town.

‘The Big Three,’ that’s Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, should be pumped up to follow up on a championship season and open the new one with a huge win over a legitimate Eastern Conference contender.

And while the Celtics probably have a re-peat planned for this year, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have other things in mind now that they managed to get LeBron James a new sidekick looking to help him on the offensive side of the ball.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got Maurice Williams from the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason and will be patrolling the offense this year while looking to get some of the burden off LeBron’s shoulders. Maurice Williams is a big distributor AND a proven scorer for the Milwaukee Bucks last season, averaging 17.2 ppg and 6.3 apg. Williams brings leadership to a Cavaliers team lacking a floor leader during their playoff run last season.

Will it work? A win against the defending champs will put the Cavs on track for that one.

The second game of the triple header will be the game between the Chicago Bulls and Mo Williams’ former team, the Milwaukee Bucks. The overall No.1 draft pick Derrick Rose will run the show for the new-look Bulls, a team that will also have a new head coach this year in Vinny Del Negro.

But while the Chicago Bulls went through a major overhaul, the Milwaukee Bucks have also made some key moves themselves.

They let Mo Williams go to Cleveland and got Richard Jefferson from New Jersey. They also signed Scott Skiles as their new head coach and its quite ironic that Skiles’ first game with Milwaukee will have to be against the same team that fired him last season, the Bulls.

Can the Milwaukee Bucks spoil Derrick Rose’s regular season debut and give their new head coach some sense of redemption after getting his ass fired from the Windy City?

The last game of the season opener features a Western Conference showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers. Greg Oden will finally be able to start his rookie season after injuries postponed it for a year last October. Led by a young core of players like Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, the young Blazers have high aspirations for the brand new season.

The only problem is, they have to play the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom will all be there looking to get back to the NBA Finals after the Celtics got them back down to earth a few months ago. And what’s worse than playing an agitated team that missed out on the championship title?

A faster and more agile Andrew Bynum is back. Jeezus…

Who will win the 2009 NBA Finals? Bodog sportsbook has the odds.

Boston Celtics 4.00

Los Angeles Lakers 4.50

Detroit Pistons 9.00

San Antonio Spurs 9.00

Want more odds? Visit Bodog for more basketball betting odds. Want to watch the NBA live? Get NBA tickets online now.

2008-09 NBA Season Fantasy Basketball