The NBA season is just 17 days away, and fans are impatiently waiting for the season to begin. Many changes have occurred since the end of last season. I am excited to see NBA basketball after the long wait. Here is a list (in no specific order), of the reasons why i am excited for the start of the NBA season.

1. The Debut of Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo: Michael Beasley had a very good year in college, putting up great statistics. It should be interesting to see him with Dwayne Wade and Shawn Marion. Rose was the first pick of the draft and has to live up to the hype that surrounds him. I can’t wait to see how he fairs in the NBA. Mayo has been hyped up since his freshman year in High School. Scouts thought he could have made an immediate impact in the NBA while he was in High School. It should be interesting to see how these three dynamic rookies start off their NBA careers.

2. Outdoor Pre-season game: On October 11th, the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets will play a pre-season game that will be held outside. It is going to be in Palm Springs, California at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Maybe the future holds outdoor regular season games?

3. Elton Brand on the Sixers: The Philadelphia Sixers should be a very good team this year. They will be competing for top the spot in the Eastern Conference the entire year. Brand is having a spectacular pre-season, and will look to carry the Sixers deep into the playoffs.

4. Greg Oden’s Debut: After a disappointing injury, last years top pick had to sit out his rookie season. Oden looks great in training camp and in the pre-season games. Look for Oden to have a big year. With his big game and personality, NBA fans are in for a treat.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder: The Seattle Supersonics are no longer an NBA team. The franchise has become the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant will lead the team, along with second year player Jeff Green. The Thunder will not have a great year, but it will be fun to witness the Thunder’s progress.

6. New Uniforms: The Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Hornets all got new uniforms. They look very cool. It’s always fun to see teams with new gear. Go to NBA.com to view the jerseys.

7. New Coaches: The new season brings many new coaches. First time head coach, Vinny Del Negro will take charge of the Chicago Bulls. Another first time head coach for the Detroit Pistons will be Michael Curry. Also the Miami Heat are continuing the rookie head coach faze by hiring, Erik Spoelstra. Lastly, the Minnesota Timberwolves hired Randy Wittman to his first ever head coaching job, and the Sacramento Kings signed Reggie Theus to his first ever NBA head coaching job. Many new coaches have appeared, and they all have the opportunity to prove themselves worthy.

8 . Larry Brown: I am also very excited about Larry Brown being the new head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. Watch for the Bobcats to have a good year.

9. Chris Paul: Arguably the best player in the entire NBA, Paul will have another great season. He may even lead his team to the NBA Finals. Paul is also being chosen in most fantasy basketball leagues as the number one overall pick. Paul is always exciting, and is great for the NBA and it’s fans.

10. The Defending Champs: Will the Celtics repeat? The Celtics are coming back after there historical season with much fire. The team is determined to win again. With the big three back, the Celtics have to be a favorite to win the championship.

11. Amare Stoudemire: Look for Amare to have a huge season. He claims he is healthier than ever, and his knee is feeling great. We have only witnessed Amare unhealthy, imagine him healthy.

12. Sun Yue: The man referred to as the “Chinese Magic Johnson,” begins his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Yue played very well in the Olympics in Beijing this past summer. Yue will now add to the many great international players in the NBA.

13. Jermaine O’neal and Chris Bosh: The Toronto Raptors made a big move in the off-season. They acquired Jermaine O’neal from the Pacers. Now with O’neal and Bosh the Raptors will look to do some real damage. Also, Jose Calderon looks great. The Raptors are going to suprise many fans this year.

14. Ron Artest: Artest looks to move on with the Rockets after being unhappy with his conditions in Sacramento. Artest and has already trashed his new teammate Yao Ming. Will Artest behave himself? The Rockets have a good opportunity to win if Artest fulfills his role.

15. Baron Davis in LA: Davis is one of my favorite players and has such great talent. After being ditched by Golden State, Baron will prove how good he still is. Look for him to have a career year, while he leads the Clippers back to the playoffs.

16. Danilo Gallinari: Did the Knicks make the right move? Gallinari is now another international hyped player. After performing well in Italy fans will look to see if new President Donnie Walsh made the right move.

17. Rudy Gay: The up in coming star for the Memphis Grizzlies will continue his rampage and have an even better year. Gay is an electric player with monster dunks. He is becoming the superstar all Grizzly fans wanted. Now with Mayo, Gay will have the Grizlzlies contending for the playoffs in years to come.

18. The Lopez Twins: After the twins put on a show at Standford, Brook and Robin will look to continue basketball success in the NBA. Brook will be playing for the Nets meanwhile Robin will be playing for the Suns. The twins are separated at last. It will be fun to watch the brothers start their NBA careers.

19. Rookie Joe Alexander: One of my favorite college players last year was Joe Alexander. I felt he had the highest basketball IQ out of anybody in the draft. Joe ended his college career on a high note in West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers deep into the tournament. Alexander will prove to be one of the best rookies at the end of the season.

20. 2009 All-Star Game: The All-Star game will be held in Phoenix this year. The festivities are supposed to be remarkable. After watching Dwight Howard’s great performance on YouTube a couple weeks ago i have regained the itch to see more.

21. Playoffs: Nothing is better than playoff basketball. All the players play with a high intensity and every game is meaningful. The playoffs can bring out the best in some players, while also bringing the worst out of others. Chris Paul proved to be the superstar he is, carying the Hornets through the playoffs. All the games are extremely exciting.

These are my 21 reasons for why I am excited for the upcoming NBA season. Each year the NBA season brings me much excitement. Every year is pleasing, but this year I feel that the season will be far better than previous years.