If their is one thing the first week of NBA action after a 149-day lockout has taught us, it's that nothing is guaranteed at the highest level of professional basketball.

Traditional title contenders the Boston Celtics are off to a paltry 0-3 start, joined by reigning NBA champs the 0-3 Dallas Mavericks.

The Celtics were edged on opening day, 106-104, on the road by the re-tooled Knicks, but then looked lackluster in a 115-107 loss against the Miami Heat. A back-to-back had them in New Orleans dropping an embarrassing 97-78 loss to the trade depleted Hornets the very next night.

Boston is hoping the missing ingredient is team captain Paul Pierce, who is out with a heel injury.

The Dallas Mavericks look like a completely different team after losing J.J. Barea and Tyson Chandler. The defending champs dropped back-to-back games to the Heat and Nuggets, each blow outs, and a tough 104-102 loss Thursday to the Thunder.

Meanwhile, last year flops the Indiana Pacers and the picked apart New Orleans Hornets are each undefeated at 2-0. Upstart teams the Portland Trail Blazers are 3-0 and the Golden State Warriors 2-1.

The Miami Heat, off to a slow start last season in their first year with the Big Three, have dominated with a 3-0 start, including wins over Dallas and Boston.

Oklahoma City has looked especially strong, already 4-0 just five days into the season. The Thunder are looking like the cream of the crop in the West, with the Lakers just 2-2 and the Spurs 2-1.

One things is for sure, there are plenty of more surprises to come in the strike-shortened 66-game season.

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