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Here are my random observations on the first week of NBA action:



---I picked the Cavs to win the East, but I'm starting to reconsider. The Fighting LeBrons are fresh off two consecutive wins against the lowly T'Wolves and Bobcats, but Cleveland's flaws were seriously exposed in their first two games against the Celtics and Raptors. The additions of Shaquille O'Neal and Anthony Parker are supposed to give LeBron adequate help, but King James was all alone in losses to Boston and Toronto. As of this writing, the Celtics look unstoppable and the Magic look strong. It's far too early for real concern, but the Cavs are falling behind the pack in the East.



---We all knew the Celtics were great, but I didn't expect them to look this great. The C's looked stunningly good in their commanding win at Cleveland, a win followed by a blowout victory against the Bobcats. The Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett is now a Big 4, thanks to the superb point guard play of Rajon Rondo. If Danny Ainge and the Boston front office are smart, they will reward Rondo with a contract extension now. Meanwhile, the new acquisitions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels have payed enormous dividends. Daniels has looked especially sharp, providing Doc Rivers' team with another explosive scorer and fierce defender off the bench.



---It was painful to watch Greg Oden down the stretch in the Blazers' home loss to the Nuggets on Thursday night. Oden continues to look like he's sixty, limping his way from baseline to baseline. The fact that Oden missed two clutch free throws in the final seconds further exposed him as not ready for primetime. Sad.



---Speaking of that Nuggets-Blazers game, what a spectacular performance by Carmelo Anthony. Brandon Roy was playing terrific defense, but Melo just could not be stopped. Anthony looks like a man on a mission this season, and he should scare the hell out of the rest of the league.



---They may have looked bad in a loss to the Bulls on Thursday night, but it is evident that the Spurs made a brilliant move by acquiring Richard Jefferson. The addition of Jefferson adds years to the playing careers of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan.



---What an impressive win by the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. After a disappointing opening-night home loss to Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards, the Mavs rebounded with a dominating road win against the defending-champion Lakers. If Friday night's performance was any indication, the Dirk Nowitzki-Shawn Marion duo will be hard to beat.



---Things are not looking good for the Pistons. First, they looked helpless against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then, they were soundly defeated by Michael Redd and the Milwaukee Bucks. Detroit has some big-time talent (Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey), but they have no chemistry whatsoever. Detroit used to be an elite NBA franchise, but ever since they traded away Chauncey Billups the Pistons have been floundering.



---From the department of ugly uniforms, say hello to your 2009 Charlotte Bobcats! The addition of pinstripes to the Bobcats uniforms was a horribly ill-advised idea.



---Well, Stephen Curry has showed great promise, but other than that it has been a rough start for my Golden State Warriors. If I were Don Nelson, I would play Ronny Turiaf more minutes. Turiaf is not a perfect player by any stretch, but he is an endlessly tenacious and energetic competitor who gives his team a spark every time he is on the floor.



---So Brandon Jennings has looked solid for the Milwaukee Bucks. Jennings was labeled a brash, immature hot shot after he handled himself poorly at the NBA Draft, but he has a chance to endear himself to NBA fans with his play.



---Everyone knows that Mike D'Antoni is an offensive-minded coach, but does he do any defensive drills in practice? His Knicks looked absolutely helpless defensively as Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand led the Sixers to a 141-127 win over New York last night.



---There is serious cause for concern in New Orleans. No disrespect to Emeka Okafor, but the absence of Tyson Chandler has left the Hornets in a state of total disarray. The Hornets were thrashed by the Spurs last Wednesday night, and they had to scratch and claw their way to victory at home against the lowly Kings on Friday night. The front office in New Orleans has done a poor job. A team that was a title contender two years ago will now have to fight for a playoff spot. Chris Paul deserves better.



---And finally, it's great to see E.J., Kenny, and Charles back in action. "Inside the NBA" is the best sports show on television, a must-see every Thursday night.