The NBA kicks off its 65th season tonight, a season that offers a unique case study for basketball experts, historians and fans.

Unless you lived among the Amish all summer, you probably saw on television what happened this past NBA offseason. The actions of the most anticipated free agent class ever were the big stories, as Carlos Boozer, Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Bosh and LeBron James all switched teams. Boozer moved east to play with young point guard Derrick Rose in Chicago. Stoudemire left Phoenix to play with the Knicks. Bosh thankfully left his dreadful Toronto team to play with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, and LeBron James sold his soul to Satan and Pat Riley because he is mentally weak, uncompetitive and afraid to lead a team by himself; he joined Miami so that he can win championships with Wade and Bosh. At least, that is what the general ignorant population keeps telling me.

The Miami Heat is the case study. Three superstars of this caliber have never played together at their absolute peak. In 1969, legends Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor played for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Chamberlain and West were slightly past their peak, and Baylor maybe had one good knee to play on. Bosh, James and Wade are all at their best and are in peak physical condition. They are used to carrying moderately talented teams on their backs every single night, expending energy on both ends of the floor to help their teams. Now they have each other to rely on. James and Wade are arguably the two best players on the planet, and Bosh is a top-15 player in the NBA. They have the most top-heavy talent in the league.

So we get back to the South Beach Case Study, which surprisingly has nothing to do with dieting. The big questions are: can two ball-dominant slashers, James and Wade, work together? Will the egos of the three amigos collide or will they remember the sacrifices they promised to make in order to play with each other? What happens to a superstar’s stats when he isn’t playing in a single superstar-centric offense anymore? Who takes the last shot, Wade or James? What about substitution patterns and minutes distributions? Will their careers be extended because they don’t have to lift their teams alone anymore?

We shall see this year. LeBron has taken an unfair amount of criticism for choosing to form the Miami Thrice over going back to Cleveland. He had a decision ‘ nay, The Decision ‘ to make regarding his own free agency, and he chose to play with a younger, more talented team. The one-hour spectacle he made regarding his decision was uncalled for, narcissistic and hurtful to the whole city of Cleveland, but calling the guy uncompetitive and mentally weak because he made a decision in his best interest personally and professionally is uncalled for as well.

Besides, Miami isn’t guaranteed a title. They may not even be the favorites to get out of the Eastern Conference. Last year’s Eastern Conference champion, Boston, added former All-Star Jermaine O’Neal and legend Shaquille O’Neal, aka The Big Shamrock, to its core of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. Unlike Miami’s trio, most of Boston’s stars are past their primes. However, they match up well with Miami inside with their huge interior, and they have championship experience.

Orlando is the other major contender in the East, boasting the best center in the league in Dwight Howard and great three-point shooting. Chicago’s core of Rose, Boozer and center Joakim Noah is formidable as well. If center Andrew Bogut comes back to full strength after last year’s horrific injury, look out for the Milwaukee Bucks. They may be a 50-win team.

Out west, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the team to beat. The defending champions added Steve Blake and Matt Barnes to bolster their bench, a weakness last year. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are still the best 1-2 combination in the conference. Oklahoma City superstar small forward Kevin Durant may be the early season favorite for MVP considering James, Wade and Bryant all play on stacked teams. Durant’s Thunder will be a contender to take down the Lakers, who eliminated the Thunder in six games in the first round last year. Dallas, San Antonio, Utah, Denver and Portland are all contenders as well.

Finally, what will the local teams do this year? The Knicks signed Stoudemire and acquired experienced point guard Raymond Felton and talented forward Anthony Randolph. Stoudemire had great success with Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni in Phoenix. He’s a flashy scorer, powerful dunker and impeccable dresser. He also plays no defense; in fact, he can’t defend for his life. He’s a nice piece to have, however, and New York fans will be treated to watching the first legitimate star in MSG since Patrick Ewing left. The Knicks have a realistic chance at making the playoffs this year.

The Nets drafted highly-touted big man Derrick Favors to pair with Brook Lopez in their frontcourt. They also acquired some outside shooters in Troy Murphy, Travis Outlaw and Jordan Farmar. That should open the floor up for Devin Harris to drive and the frontcourt big men to do work inside. They will definitely win more than a dozen games this year. If they can stay healthy, Favors flourishes from the start and Lopez continues to improve, they could challenge for a playoff spot.

The first game of the season is tonight, pitting Miami against Boston. The 2011 South Beach Case Study begins.