With the NBA season barely underway and last year's postseason offering up an entertaining and dramatic finish, you'd think there would be more anticipation for the upcoming year.
Yet there appears to be a lackluster feeling of anticipation coming from sports writers and fans everywhere about the 2006-07 NBA season. So here are nine reasons why the NBA should be on everyone's mind this winter-one for every championship won by the greatest coach of all-time, Red Auerbach, whose impact on the sport of basketball is unmatched in magnitude by any other person.
Everyone knows who Lebron James is, and everyone knows he's really good. Just how good? In only his third year, James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first 50-win season in over a decade, becoming a viable MVP candidate and one of the league's most popular superstars in the process.
He is nearly unstoppable on the offensive end, blowing by defenders off the dribble with an uncanny ability to finish at the rim. Watch him when he decides to drive to the basket-he's like a charging locomotive that can't be stopped. And considering he doesn't turn 22 until the end of December, it appears that the sky is truly the limit.
Second billing on the list goes to Dwyane Wade, the first big-timer from the '03 Draft to win a ring (sorry, Darko). Wade led the Miami Heat to their first title in franchise history last year, driving into the paint at will during the Finals, and taking advantage of the referees' quick whistle. Wade was second among all guards in free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt (0.57) last season, and was fifth in the league in total free-throw attempts. And as with LeBron, with Wade only turning 25 in January, there's a lot left for this young man to show.
Rather than just going down a list of the most exciting and entertaining young players in the NBA (and there are plenty), let's group together all the "young guns" throughout the league - Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard and Josh Smith, just to name a few. No matter what style of play you enjoy the most, there's a budding star that fits the mold. Take note.
Then there is Gerald Wallace, who, you've probably never heard of unless you're an avid fantasy basketball player. But lost in the abyss that was the Charlotte Bobcats last season was the most dynamic and possibly best defensive player in the league in Wallace. The 6'7" swingman averaged over two blocks and steals per game last year. Only David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon have done that in a season. That's good company.
And for the first time in well over a decade, the best center in the world will be named "Yao" instead of "Shaq." Despite still being an immovable object in the paint, Shaq has lost the speed and explosiveness that made him the most dominant player in the game, and averaged fewer than ten rebounds a game last year for the first time in his career. Yao Ming, on the other hand, went on a tear after the All-Star break before injuring his foot, and at only 26, seems ready to wrestle the title from Shaq. The best big man in the game is now the 7'6" giant from Beijing.
For the first time in over ten seasons, the LA Clippers finished ahead of the LA Lakers last year, and finished above .500 for only the second time since 1980. This year, the Battle for Los Angeles should be just as exciting, as Elton Brand, Sam Cassell and the Clips aim to once again claim victory over the Kobe Bryant Show featuring Lamar Odom, as the best team in the Staples Center.
Also providing excitement on the West Coast is the addictive play of the Phoenix Suns. Watch Steve Nash, the reigning two-time MVP, push and dish to anyone in a purple and orange uniform. See Shawn Marion flying in from the wing, Boris Diaw, a nightly triple-double threat, and Raja Bell, who buries threes all day. And we haven't even mentioned Amare yet. If you are a sports fan, you will appreciate the unselfish style and play of the Suns.
And what about Isiah Thomas' farewell tour with the New York Knicks? This is undoubtedly his last season with the team, and after ruining the CBA, leading a loaded young Pacers team to underachievement, and now keeping the Knicks out of contention until at least the end of this decade, this may be the last time you can enjoy Isiah in the NBA. Don't miss it; he'll be gone before you know it.
And finally, you should watch the NBA this year because you never know what's going to happen. Miami, Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix, San Antonio, Cleveland, and any other number of teams can win it all this year if everything falls into place. You don't want to miss this season as everything unfolds, as the only guarantee is this: if you watch the NBA this year, you won't be disappointed.
