Basketball & NBA 15 Nov 2009 08:21 pm
Early 2009-2010 Recap
There have been many interesting storylines in the NBA so far and the season is only about two weeks old. Individual accomplishments, team surprises, and overall basketball excitement have all been present thus far. These are a few that really caught my eye:
Overall Team Improvement
The league seems to be better from top to bottom this year. Of course, there are still the elite teams (Los Angeles, Boston, Orlando, San Antonio, Cleveland, and Denver), the borderline contenders (Portland, Dallas, Atlanta, and Phoenix), and the up-and-coming clubs (Miami, Chicago, and Utah). However, several teams have surprised many who did not expect them to even have a winning record to this point. These teams are Milwaukee, Sacramento, and Oklahoma City, who recently beat the Spurs in San Antonio. The fact that these young teams are overachieving makes the league that much more exciting, as you never know what will happen each night.
As a result of overall improvement in the league, there have been several upsets so far. For example, the Hawks’ handling of the Celtics in Boston (followed up by Boston’s loss to Indiana the next night), the Nuggets’ destruction of the Lakers, and the Oklahoma City’s victories against the Magic and Spurs in Orlando and San Antonio have all been shocking for NBA fans. Now, while these losses were not enjoyable for fans in Boston, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Antonio, they were extremely positive for the NBA.
Electrifying Play by Electrifying Players
So far, the premier players in the league have all played to and even exceeded their potential. Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant have all put up huge numbers, as usual, and done some remarkable things with the basketball. Electrifying plays by these electrifying players is what makes the NBA so exciting. It might sound corny, but because of these players, who are the best on the planet when it comes to the game of basketball, the NBA is truly where amazing happens.
To name a few, Anthony’s dunk against the Utah Jazz and Wade’s jam against the Cleveland Cavaliers were two of the most amazing plays in recent memory and what makes them special is that they were both done by two of the best players of the past decade. The two facials signaled to Paul Millsap and Anderson Varejao that the season has begun. Not to mention D-Wade’s game-winner against the lowly New Jersey Nets or Dwight Howard’s huge rejection on former teammate Courtney Lee, which deserve all the credit in the highlight reel.
What Happens Next?
Because the season is so young right now, you need time to see which teams are really the best in the league and which are just pretending. There are many questions right now because the current standings are so different from what everyone has expected. Can the Atlanta Hawks maintain their up-tempo game and stay at the top of the East? Will Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando be able to return to the top of their conference? Will the Thunder, Kings, and Bucks come down to earth? How long will Phoenix run the Western Conference? Can San Antonio, Utah, New Orleans, and Philadelphia rebound? The answers to these questions and more will be very interesting to see in the upcoming weeks. As the season takes its course, stay tuned because you will not want to miss anything.