May 6, 2010 – As most watch the final eight teams wrestle for the NBA title, the rest of us are left to the off-season diversions conjured by the powers-that-be that run the have-nots. First, you can speculate about Lebron, DeWayne and Gabrielle Union, Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh and whether they are going to change teams. Here’s how we think that will play out:

LeBron showed that he has some Brett Favre ADD (attention deficit disorder) in him when his team sealed the first round against Chicago and we all starting feeling for his elbow. Whatever happens in his title quest, LBJ will milk the recruiting phase of his free agency and we’ll hear all about Jay Z, LeBron’s Yankee fetish, Chicago’s pizza and how he could share LA with Kobe. Then he’ll sign with Cleveland.

DeWayne Wade will force Pat Riley back to the sidelines and Chris Bosh will share a table at Prime 112 in South Beach with Riley, Wade and Heat owner Mickey Arison. The Knicks will try to get Bosh to Peter Luger’s with Mike D’Antoni, Donnie Walsh and James Dolan, only to have Dolan’s charm swing Bosh back to Miami.

The Nets, Knicks, Bulls and Clippers will then hire Ari Fleischer to help convince their season ticket holders that Joe Johnson can change their team’s fortunes.

Meanwhile, the only news left to be discussed in the NBA is whether the Lakers can beat a revived Phoenix, or if Cleveland can beat Orlando. This prospect is taking the fight right out of San Antonio and Boston, although it remains predictably a “home court” tournament so far, aside from Boston’s surprising game two win in Cleveland.

So with that settled, the only thing worth discussing is who is going to recycle into the available coaching jobs. It used to be that retreaded managers and coaches were the way to go in the NFL and MLB. Now, they have gone away from recycling Jim Mora, Dan Reeves, Davey Johnson, Bobby Valentine and the rest. Not so in the NBA.

Of the coaches currently being leaked as interview candidates, only Mark Jackson and Celtic defensive assistant Tom Thibodeau are fresh. Jeff Van Gundy, Avery Johnson, Doug Collins, Lawrence Frank, Mike Fratello and Byron Scott head the recycle list and who knows where Vinnie Del Negro, Phil Jackson, Larry Brown, Doc Rivers, or maybe, Eric Spoelstra, Mike Brown and Mike Woodson fall into place. Terry Porter, Sam Mitchell, Mike Dunleavy, Del Harris, Michael Curry, and Brian Hill are still out there, too.

No less than six teams appear firmly to be in the market for coaches. The Bulls, Nets, Hornets, 76ers and Clippers have clear openings. Larry Brown’s fickle demeanor has the Charlotte job on the horizon. Boston, Miami, Golden State, Denver, Toronto, Indianapolis and Atlanta could make changes. Memphis, Minnesota and Sacramento are stable only because Lionel Hollins, Kirk Rambis and Paul Westphal would head the list of the recycling vagabonds in any other year.

And then finally, we have the draft. Everyone seems to place point guard John Wall as the first overall pick. With the success of Tyreke Evans and Derrick Rose over the past two years, Wall’s selection first seems the way to go. And point guard trafficing may be the most closely watched pasttime of the off-season.

With the emergence of Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, Jameer Nelson and Mike Conley, the young points swell to eleven of thirty teams. Add Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash and the possibly fading, Tony Parker, Baron Davis, Andre Miller and Jason Kidd and you have over half the teams with elite floor generals, keeping in mind the Spurs’ George Hill/Parker and the Hornet’s Paul/Collison. Then start listing names like Mo Williams, Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar, Aaron Brooks, Raymond Felton, TJ Ford, Jose Calderon, Mario Chalmers, Rodney Stuckey, fading Mike Bibby and Devin Harris, Ty Lawson, and whoever Kurt Rambis figures out will run the Timberwolves (Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn). The need for another elite point guard is fierce, considering Philadelphia, both Los Angeles teams, Miami, perhaps Portland and Washington have the need to improve their teams through that position.