By the end of the opening week of the season, the only thing you can know for sure is that there are 23 more weeks ahead. But, think back to last season, and there were some early signs of what was to come. Denver beat San Antonio, portending a better-than-expected season for the Nuggets. LeBron James looked to be worth every bit of the hype -- and it turns out, he was. Atlanta started 0-3.

Of course, based on that first week last year, you might have thought Flip Murray would be the MVP, the Heat would not win a game all season, and the Lakers couldn't lose. Well, you would have been wrong. But with the league's opening week behind us, there are a few notable trends that could endure.

Shaq attack. Despite a bum hamstring, Shaquille O'Neal opened the season on time with the Heat. He said he was at "65.212" percent, and eventually, he might need to rest the injury. But it would have been deflating for his teammates to open the season without him. He wasn't great against the Nets in his Heat debut, but O'Neal's presence boosted the team's spirit — and provided his teammates with plenty of wide-open jumpers.

Fun in Phoenix. The Suns will struggle with big frontcourts, and they'll have a hard time adjusting to the slow pace of teams such as San Antonio and Utah. That will mean trouble when the postseason comes. But it's clear that no one will outrun Phoenix, and with a starting five of Steve Nash, Quentin Richardson, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire, this is the most entertaining bunch in the league.

Sacrament-oh, no. Offseason turmoil made the early season important for Sacramento. A hot start would have put the summer firmly in the past. Unfortunately, the Kings started 0-3 through the Texas triangle and did not look good in losses to Dallas and San Antonio. The Kings have clung to their core, but the more the team falters, the more likely a trade of Peja Stojakovic gets.

Lake show. The Lakers have rebuilt around Kobe Bryant, and though they are talented and deep, there is an obvious hole -- the team lacks bulk in the middle. The back injury to Vlade Divac has hurt L.A., but even with Divac, there will be problems with rebounding and interior defense. (Witness Carlos Boozer's shredding the Lakers' D last week.) L.A. will be a fast-breaking team that can score, but the Lakers are shaping up to be the 2002 Mavericks.