By Patrick DorseyThe Daily Northwestern

Iverson is mile-high. Carmelo’s in the corner. And Toronto is … on top?

Don’t bother doing a double-take. This is, in fact, the NBA. The league that just a few years ago was as predictable as pro wrestling now is producing about as many wacky storylines as, well, pro wrestling.

So wipe off that scarlet-and-gray face paint, ignore the call of the NFL gridiron and watch out for these storylines in 2007:

Dallas Domination

The Spurs are slipping, the Heat, well, we’ll get to it soon.

So, the real horse in The Association? The Mavericks.

They’re winning games, and winning with defense. With Josh Howard and Jason Terry scoring, they’re no longer just the Fighting Dirks.

The only question: Will they stay strong in the playoffs, considering their epic collapse in last year’s Finals?

That can’t be answered until April, but one thing’s certain: They’ll have at least 60 wins heading in.

Phoenix Pho’ Real

It goes something like this: Yeah, the Suns can score (110 points per game), but they don’t play any defense. And no team led by a short, white, goofy-looking Canadian can actually win, can it?

Umm, yes.

This season the Suns have two things they lacked in their past two Conference Finals exits: 1) Experience, the lack of which did them in in 2004-05, and 2) Amare Stoudemire, whose absence left Phoenix completely without an inside presence last year.

Throw in a better-than-ever Steve Nash and the Suns’ torrid 24-3 run, and they just might win it all. (That is, if this 0-for-38 franchise weren’t cursed.)

Spell Misery M-I-A-M-I

Before Dwyane Wade came back Sunday night, the injury-depleted Heat might have been the worst team in the NBA. And don’t count on this team being in the playoffs, even when Shaquille O’Neal and coach Pat Riley return.

Free-Throws

He’s won nine titles, but this just might be Phil Jackson’s best coaching job. The Lakers are 23-11 with the likes of Brian Cook and Smush Parker getting big minutes. … Denver gets Carmelo Anthony back soon, but that won’t be enough to make this uneven team contend. … Cleveland’s been better and Chicago’s got talent, but the Pistons still are tops in the East.

Assistant Sports Editor Patrick Dorsey is a Medill Senior. Catch his NBA beat every Tuesday. He can be reached at [email protected].