For those who regularly watch the NBA or college basketball, you’re already well aware of everything that will be discussed throughout the next couple hundred words. For those who have discontinued or do not watch the NBA, you’re in for a real treat these next few months. With the end of the regular season winding down and the April 17 start to the playoffs on the horizon, it’s time we go back and take a look at how we’ve become so lucky.
It all began with the 2003 NBA draft. Up to this point the NBA was fairly stagnant as far as TV ratings and national interest goes. It’s not that people did not care about the NBA, but the league was lopsided. There were teams that had talent and teams that clearly did not. We watched the Lakers steam-roll opponents for three straight finals, and we watched the Spurs and their talented but bland teams also take four finals series in the last ten years. Viewers were lucky when one underdog Pistons team topped the mighty Lakers in 2004. Essentially it came down to whichever team won the West Conference was going to win the championship, thus ratings have been down ever since Michael Jordan left the NBA, but there’s hope.
It’s not to say that there were not stars worth watching, but there was a clear separation of the good teams and the struggling teams. There was clearly talent with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and Tracy McGrady, but many people were turned off by some of these stars.
There were players getting big contracts who did not deserve them, GM’s were drafting numbers of kids straight out of high school which never panned out. Then the 2003 NBA draft happened. We all know the names. Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade they were all selected in the top five picks. James has virtually saved the league, he gets better every year and is full of highlight plays every time he steps on the court. Wade has a championship, Anthony is near one and Bosh needs a better supporting cast.
Following the 2003 draft we’ve seen numerous amounts of stars come into the league as well. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Brandon Roy, Derek Rose and tons of other talented role players on teams. Now it’s hard to find a team without at least two talented players, that is unless you are looking at the New Jersey Nets or Washington Wizards. Once doomed teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are relevant again.
Finally the top eight teams in each conference are loaded. The playoffs can go in any direction this year. Of course the experts are going to feed you all of their picks and why this team has a better chance than that team, but the truth is, is that like March Madness, this year’s playoffs will not be so predictable. The West is up for grabs with eight teams at least 15 games above .500.
The East is almost equally competitive, the first round will be predictable, but following that a spot for the championship can go any way between the Cavs, Magic, Celtics, and Hawks. It’s not like the old days when we could expect a few teams to make their way into the championship, this year’s playoffs are going to be fun to watch, so I encourage those who have not watched the NBA recently to change the channel to a playoff game or two in April. You are in for a show, and we have not even had a chance to talk about the most exciting part of the next few months: The free agent fest starting in the summer, so stay tuned.