Five stories to watch in 2009

1. The Finals collision course. If the anticipation over the Lakers-Celtics Christmas Day game is any indication, this rivalry has fully returned. Boston and L.A. are, once again, the class of their respective conferences, and the teams are, once again, social microcosms of their respective towns — the hard-working, blue-collar Bostonians, and the run-run-run finesse-oriented Lakers. A June rematch looks inevitable.

2. LeBron rising. After the Celtics, the next-best team in the East is far and away the Cavaliers. But it's actually not such a great team — Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are the starting big men, Mo Williams and Delonte West the starting guards and there's not much bench behind them. The difference, of course, is that the Cavs have LeBron James, the leading MVP candidate.

3. 2010: The posturing continues. Speaking of James, just about everyone plans to take a shot at the guy when he becomes a free agent in 2010. Teams have been falling all over themselves to create room to sign James, but it's worth the risk, because even if you strike out on James, look at the consolation prizes: Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki and Tracy McGrady.

4. The Blazers arrive. Guard Brandon Roy is quietly taking his place among the today's best players, and he is bringing the team with him. If you're talking about championship contenders over the next 10 years, you have to start with Portland, where Roy has been surrounded by immensely talented young big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden, as well as bench phenom Rudy Fernandez.

Special feature Free agent class of 2010 A look at the many superstars that will be hitting the free agent market. NBCSports.com

5. Mr. Stern and the meltdown. It's still hard to say how the failing economy will hit different sports leagues, and David Stern was wise to spread the league's sphere of influence as far around the globe as possible — it provides some cushioning for economic hits, sort of like diversifying your portfolio. But the NBA does seem to have some vulnerable flanks. Can already teetering franchises in Charlotte, Memphis and elsewhere survive a battered economy? Might the league be spread to thin globally? What happens in a situation where already signed contracts keep growing while the salary cap shrinks?

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