The NBA Is No Longer Boring

Despite my love for the sport of basketball, I must admit that the NBA regular season is usually rather dull. The current playoff format makes for mediocre to bad teams (if they're in the East) duking it out for the final playoff spot during the final weeks of the season while the top dogs cruise to the post season. When those final teams are in contention don't happen to include the Hawks, I find it rather unsatisfying to watch mediocre basketball games. Unlike baseball, where the wild card team has a legitimate shot to win the title each and every year, the eight seeds are the equivalent of a 12 seed in the NCAA tournament. Perhaps they have a chance to raise some eyebrows in the early rounds and pull of an upset or two, but they have no real chance of winning the whole thing. This year, however, is entirely different, with a myriad of interesting story lines grabbing my attention.

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Story line: Blockbuster trades

In a league often derided as the "No Balls Association," general managers have broken out of their shells and made some truly gutsy trades that have involved superstar caliber players. It all started last year when Iverson was sent to the Nuggets, continued through the summer as KG finally left the Minnesota tundra for Beantown, and reached its climax with an array of deals leading up to this year's trade deadline. Gasol goes to the Lakers. J-Kidd returns to Dallas. Shaq ends up in Phoenix. Bibby finds his way to Atlanta. While some of these deals were steals (Gasol), some were great moves (Garnett, Allen), some were questionable (J-Kidd), and some were head-scratchers, at least in my opinion (Shaq), the avalanche of deals has certainly made regular season games more interesting as I watch to see how the relocated stars adapt to their new teams.

Story line: The Wild West

I'm a Hawks fan and would be more inclined to root for an Eastern Conference team to win it all. However, I don't think anyone can deny that the battle for supremacy in the Western Conference will make for one of the most exciting regular season finishes in years and create a playoff picture in which virtually no team could be counted out. The Lakers are an offensive juggernaut having added Gasol to Kobe and Odom. Farmar and Fisher have held down the point. When Bynum returns from injury, this team will be one of the most dynamic offensive teams we've seen in a while. They can bang inside, shoot the three, break down defenses off the dribble, isolate, pass out of double teams . . . they are loaded. The Suns and the Mavs, despite their questionable trades for aging superstars remain near the top. New Orleans could potentially go as far as Chris Paul can take them. And judging from his performance so far this year, he could take them a very, very long way (someone tell me why he's not in a Hawks jersey, again). The Jazz may actually be better than they were last year, when they made it all the way to the conference final before falling to San Antonio. Of course, San Antonio may still be the team to beat. Tony Parker is now healthy. Manu Ginobli is arguably the best shooting guard in the game. Tim Duncan is still Tim Duncan. And, with a team full of savvy veterans who have won multiple championship rings before, it would not be surprising if the Spurs emerged yet again as the Western Conference Champs. Even the teams vying for the lower seeds are entertaining. Golden State is perhaps the most schizophrenic team in the league, but when they're on, they are fun to watch. Portland is full of young stars. The Nuggets, despite being ravaged by injury, still are entertaining with the Melo-Iverson combo running the show. It's exciting stuff.

Story Line: Celtics Revival

The Celtics have been irrelevant for so long that when I thought of the Celtics, I could only recall replays of Bird and Co. from the '80s. It is a sad fate for such a storied franchise. However, the Garnett and Allen deals have immediately turned that around. Garnett has been one of the best players in the league since he first set foot on an NBA court over a decade ago. After languishing in the backwoods of Minnesota for years, Garnett finally has a chance to flash his skills under the bright lights of Boston. Garnett, Allen, and Pierce combine to comprise a group of likeable superstars who, up until this point, were forced to suffer while playing for subpar teams. Now, all three have a legitimate shot to win the title while wearing the Celtics jersey. As much as I'd hate to see Boston enjoy post season glory with the Patriots, the Red Sox, and the Celtics, it is intriguing to watch these three stars revive the Celtic machine while simultaneously finally receiving an opportunity to play for a true contender.

The only thing that could make these story lines even more interesting would be a Hawks playoff run. Here's to eternal optimism!