The level of play, and perhaps more importantly the level of competition, in the NBA this year has in my mind far surpassed anything we have seen in at least the last decade. It's been a long time since we've seen so many intriguing story lines as well as legitimate contenders at once, especially in the Eastern Conference. Using my own blog as a barometer I've found that I'm putting up way more post about the NBA than I did last year because I'm so much more interested.
I believe there are two major reasons that can account for the increased entertainment value we've seen this year. First and foremost has been the Miami Heat, specifically the summer saga that lead to their assemblage of talent and the resulting fallout. The summer also contributed on different level with Team USA winning the FIBA World Championship for the first time since 1994. The FIBA tournament win was significant because the US team was devoid of the talent featured on the Olympic team like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Instead it featured the young stars of the NBA whose games have significantly improved since this year across the board.
Team USA didn't have the same expectations it usually has for the Olympics because the World Championship has usually showcases the 3rd and 4th tiers of American talent while the stars hold out for the Summer Games. The team was lead by a 21-year old in Kevin Durant who was a terrific leader from start to finish and earned tournament MVP honors. However Durant wasn't the big story as he had already established himself as one of the game's top players the year before. Instead it was the maturation process of guys like probable '10-'11 MVP Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Rudy Gay and Andre Iguodala to name a few. The so-called "B-Team" went undefeated in the tournament and all six of the aforementioned players made the All-Star team this year. It has been a long time since so much young NBA talent has realized its potential all at the same time and the league is better for it. Teams like the Thunder and Bulls (who I foresee/hope will face off in the Finals), are title contenders because of it.
The other reason centers around the Championship Celebration that James, Wade and Chris Bosh held before the team had even practiced together. The Heat painted a giant bullseye on their backs and at the same time put a chip on every other team's shoulder. The Heat have become terrific villains (or heels for those in the know) and any team that beats them is put-over in the eyes of fans. The challenge of taking out the Heat has caused other teams to elevate their play and that has had a trickle-down effect on the rest of the league.
In years past it seemed that the first two rounds of the playoffs were entirely missable and the real action didn't start until the Conference Finals. This year the 2nd round may even be more entertaining as it could very easily feature 4 great series right down the line with matchup possibilities lake Thunder/Lakers, Bulls/Heat and Spurs/Mavericks; all of which are worthy of a Conference Finals matchup.
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