If you know me, you know that I’m a huge Dallas Mavericks fan. But I’m also a realist. I love my team, but even more importantly, I love the sport of basketball and the NBA. Because so many critic-deemed “superstars” are on about three teams this year, this NBA season breaks my heart.

Let me get my boo-hooing out about the Mavs first. We lost Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Ian Mahinmi and more this summer. I almost cried when I saw the Jet score five three-pointers in a row for the Boston Celtics during a preseason game. On top of that there is the fact that Dallas’s favorite seven-foot German, Dirk Nowitzki, is recovering from knee surgery and won’t be returning for a couple of weeks.

Now on to the rest of the league. The media and fans have termed Miami, Boston and Los Angeles to be the teams to beat this year. Why is that?

Well, the Lakers have some serious superstar talent on their roster right now. They already have Kobe Bryant (five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, yadda, yadda, yadda) and Pau Gasol who have amazing chemistry on the court. This season, L.A.’s main free-agent additions turned them into a new and improved powerhouse team. NBA veteran Steve Nash joined the Lakers, but it seems that Coach Mike Brown hasn’t really figured out how to use him. Bringing in Dwight Howard was also big talk for the Lakers. Not that they needed height or girth but they got it in Howard. Needless to say, everyone’s a little confused as to why the Lakers went 0-8 in the preseason. They did worse than the Charlotte Bobcats in the preseason. Oh, and the Mavericks beat them in their first regular season game. Just sayin’.

Next on the fully-stacked teams list is the Boston Celtics. This team has always been a top contender for a championship, even since the retirement of Larry Bird. Coach Doc Rivers is one of the most talented coaches in the league. Even though the Celtics lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat last season, there seems to be no slowing down in sight for this team. Even with the loss of Ray Allen to the Heat, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Paul Pierce are still leading this team on a rampage.

I saved my least favorite for last, the Miami Heat. Here’s the deal: as a Dallas native, it is in my blood to hate the Heat. There’s no changing that, but I do understand the ridiculous amount of talent that resides in South Beach. It kind of makes me want to vomit. Here are the notable players of this insanely talented team: Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Ray Allen and Chris Bosh. Not to mention they still have their good bench players like Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier. They might even be a more well-rounded team now that it isn’t just about “the big three.” Yes, I did cringe when I wrote that and my fingers are on fire from even typing it. There’s really no doubt that this team is going to the finals again. Also, if you aren’t a bandwagon Heat fan, I applaud you. Really. There are too many of them out there these days.

It seems that the media has forgotten about many of the other teams in the NBA just because this trifecta of team talent has taken over. Don’t dismiss the other teams that exhibit great teamwork and don’t necessarily have the “right” amount of superstars. Once Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love are back on the court together, the Minnesota Timberwolves are bound to have a great season. Of course I can’t forget about the San Antonio Spurs. They didn’t do much trading or buying up of many players over the summer so, there is a chance that they will be the strong veteran team that they were last season.

I can’t end this article without talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the fountain of youth for that team. Their passion for the game of basketball spills onto the court when they play. Whether it’s KD’s silent but deadly stare, or Westbrook’s rage-yells on the court, they are always a great team to watch.