The break between the 2008-09 and 2009-10 NBA seasons has seen a large number of transfers between teams, but all the major players have stayed with their former teams. Here are some faces to watch out for in 2009-10, based on their brilliant performances in recent seasons.

#5 – Carmelo Antonio. Carmelo Anthony, small forward for the Denver Nuggets, was recently voted one of the starters at the 2010 NBA All-Stars game in February. Pairing wonderfully with point guard Chauncey Billups, he has scored 19 points in a single quarter twice this season. In November, he scored 50-plus points in a game in which Billups scored 30, earning them the status of the third NBA duo to score 50-plus and 30-plus points in the same game.

#4 – Dwayne Wade. Wade is one of the support points of the Miami Heat team. He, like another great basketball player of this NBA era, is a shooting guard who can also play point guard. Standing at 6-foot-4, he doesn’t let his size stop him, as he is now one of the fastest players in the NBA and arguably the hardest to protect. Averaging 6.7 assists per game, it shows that Wade’s game is more about the team than the individual.

#3 – Kobe Bryant. One of the legends of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant really needs no introduction. At 31 years and 151 days, he recently became the youngest player to reach 25,000 points in his career, a huge achievement for someone who is an efficient shooting guard. Kobe, one of the biggest scorers in the NBA, can create a shot from anywhere: three points out of twelve, and whatever.

#2 -Kevin Durant. Also a small forward – for the Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant is one of the fastest rising talents in the NBA. At just 22 years old, he is the backbone of the team, with a PPG and RPG of 29.3 and 7.30 respectively. With only 2 years of professional basketball under his belt, Durant is well worth watching for over a decade.

#1 – LeBron James. Also a small forward, LeBron James is the undisputed king of the 2010 basketball season. Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, he has led them to the top of the Eastern Conference table. With a player rating of 95 on the NBA website and an NBA All-Defensive Team nomination in 2008-09, he is often compared to legends like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.

There you go. Five players to watch out for in the 2010 season. With Shaquille O’Neal gone and Kobe Bryant injured, it seems unlikely the Lakers will top this NBA. The season is shaping up to be a real blast by the time April rolls around!