[Shinyhubcaps]

I usually try to predict the cover athlete, but this year it passed me by... until now.

So I'll try to predict it now. Let's start with the 30 NBA teams and remove those without superstars or All-Stars from the past two or three years.

76ers
Celtics
Knicks
Nets
Raptors
Bucks
Bulls
Cavaliers
Pacers
Pistons
Bobcats
Hawks
Heat
Magic
Wizards

Grizzlies
Hornets
Mavericks
Rockets
Spurs
Jazz
Nuggets
Thunder
Timberwolves
Trail Blazers
Clippers
Kings
Lakers
Suns
Warriors

Now let's take a look at the remaining 21 teams and remove those whose marketable players have recently been on video game covers (including 2K but excluding NBA 09's NBA.com composite cover).

76ers
Celtics
Nets
Raptors
Bulls
Cavaliers
Pistons
Hawks
Heat
Magic
Wizards
Hornets
Mavericks
Rockets
Spurs
Jazz
Nuggets
Trail Blazers
Clippers
Lakers
Suns

Out of the remaining 17, I will eliminate those in the bottom half of the league in market size.

76ers
Nets
Raptors
Bulls
Cavaliers
Pistons
Hawks
Heat
Magic
Mavericks
Rockets
Spurs
Jazz
Nuggets
Trail Blazers
Clippers
Suns

Of the remaining 9, I will highlight those with up-and-coming stars rather than older, more experienced ones (I know about Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett on past covers, but this is the year for a rising star or potential breakthrough star, in my estimation).

76ers
Nets
Raptors
Bulls
Pistons
Hawks
Mavericks
Rockets
Clippers

Now I will highlight playoff teams from this year.

76ers
Raptors
Bulls
Hawks

And finally, I will mention those teams with players from the Team 2K series.

76ers (Iguodala)
Bulls (Rose)
Hawks

So here are my predictions:
1. Derrick Rose (he passes all of my arbitrary criteria)
2. Dwight Howard (forget market size and the fact that he was on NBA Ballers, if they announce it at the NBA Finals, it must be big)
3. Kobe Bryant (eliminated because he was on the cover of NBA 07, but again, it's at the NBA Finals, and like NBA 2K9 and Madden NFL 10, they like champions or potential champions)