The grueling 82 game season has finally come to a close, and the playoffs have arrived to carry NBA junkies through mid-June. After a regular season to remember, predicting this year's league champion is not, like in years past, such a no-brainer.
The 2000-2001 year in the NBA will be remembered for its tremendous parity. Of eight playoff teams in the Western Conference, seven put together 50-win seasons, and no two of them were separated by more than three games in the final standings. But it doesn't stop there. Ten teams in the West finished above .500, and the Houston Rockets and Seattle Supersonics are sitting at home despite strong seasons.
At the top of the conference were the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs remedied last year's backcourt issues, stayed healthy, and ended the season with the league's best record. The team's leader, post man Tim Duncan, will garner a great deal of attention when the MVP ballots are cast. Duncan was solid in nearly every dimension of the game, averaging 22.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per contest, and shooting 49.9% from the floor while blocking 2.3 shots per game on the defensive end.
Duncan will have competition for the MVP award from the usual suspects, however. Last year's most valuable player, Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, didn't exactly slow down much. O'Neal bettered Duncan in most categories, posting a stat-line that includes averages of 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.76 blocks, all while shooting 57.2 percent from the field. If O'Neal loses to Duncan in the competition for individual accolades, you can attribute it to Los Angeles' chemistry issues.
This season was further defined by the rise of two teams to the competitive ranks. Both the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks improved dramatically from last year.
The Kings were last season's eighth seed, but with polish, chemistry, and an up-tempo style, Sacramento finished only one game out of first in the Pacific division this season, and three behind the Spurs.
Unfortunately, the playoffs may be the last we see of this brand of Kings basketball. At season's end, power forward Chris Webber, an MVP candidate in his own right, will be a free agent, and Webber has given all indications that he will not be returning to Sacramento.
The Mavericks went from lottery regulars to one of the most exciting teams in basketball, finishing this year fifth in the conference. But it didn't happen overnight for the Mavericks. A series of effective front office moves brought together a nucleus of guards Michael Finley and Steve Nash, do- everything forward Dirk Nowitzki, and the recently-acquired Juwan Howard to play small forward.
This off-season, leading scorer Finley will be a free agent. Deep-pocketed owner Mark Cuban will do everything possible to convince Finley to make his home in Dallas and remain part of one of the best cores in basketball. If that happens, we could be talking about this Mavericks team for years to come.
On the flip side are the Portland Trailblazers. The Blazers were less than a quarter away from a trip to the NBA finals last year before imploding and giving way to the Lakers. Returning most of their players and making some off-season moves in attempt to bolster the roster, the Blazers entered the year with great expectations.
All was well in Portland for a while. At one point in February, the Blazers sat at the top of the Western Conference. But a dismal finish to the season (the Blazers won only eight of their last 22 games) left one of the league's highest payrolls with a only a seven seed to show for all the free spending.
If the Blazers don't make a miraculous turnaround in the playoffs - they already dropped the first game of their first round series to the Lakers - head coach Mike Dunleavy's job will be in serious jeopardy.
Another team that put together an impressive season, the Utah Jazz, led by the aging combination of Karl Malone and John Stockton, refused to fade away. By adding small forward Donyell Marshall, the Jazz finally found someone else to score and rebound, taking pressure off Malone. Despite these changes and another good year, it seems the Stockton-Malone Jazz will never realize their championship hopes.
The Phoenix Suns made strides this season. With point guard Jason Kidd finally looking to score more and Shawn Marion emerging as a key contributor, the Suns overcame the loss of Penny Hardaway - who missed the entire season - to finish with a six seed.
The MinnesotaTimberwolves also emerged as a team that can play with the best in the league, rounding out the Western Conference's playoff bracket as the eight seed. The T-Wolves were great at times and just average at others. While it looks like yet another first round exit for Minnesota, the T-Wolves are young enough to bounce back when a few more pieces are in place.
This past season epitomizes an era of transition in the NBA. As Michael Jordan debates a comeback, the league has not yet sorted out the aftermath of his reign. In this year's NBA, no superstar has truly dominated above all others, and no team has proven far and away better than the next. As the playoffs march on, fans should appreciate the days where just about anyone really can win.
