Why am I enjoying this current NBA season?
Because everything has been turned upside down. Over at the Western conference, Denver is atop the Northwest Division, the Los Angeles Lakers are leading the Pacific, and Dallas is the best in the Southwest.
Over at the East, Toronto despite the loss of gun-for-hire Kawhi Leonard, is tops in the Atlantic while Milwaukee leads the Central, and Miami is the boss in the Southeast.
And it is certainly shocking to see the Golden State Warriors languishing at the bottom of their division (I know that their championship core is either injured or has been traded away or in the case of Shaun Livingston, retired).
Speaking of Golden State, how is Kevin Durant after he made the expected move to Brooklyn? They are as of this Sunday 18-23, and in eighth spot in the East (not to mention a three-game losing streak). Are they a better team than their record suggests? Possibly. It is still too early to tell although they can get better. If not, the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls can catch up.
I thought that Boston was ready to take it to the next level except…well, am not sure now. Can I say the same for the Houston Rockets? Let’s see where how far they go this year.
In this era of the players’ league with no hand checking and less physicality, the league is one big highlight reel. Defense is out of the window. Or is it?
I think it is incredible that LeBron James is still doing LeBron James things at 35 years of age, and in his 17th year in the league. There are only three players—I think left from that 2003 NBA Draft class who are still in the league—James, Carmelo Anthony who is with the Portland Trailblazers, and Kyle Korver who is with the Milwaukee Bucks.
That Vince Carter is in his 22nd year in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is with his nth team (actually his eighth team). Not half, but truly amazing, if I may say.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic are the faces of the league alongside James, Leonard, Stephen Curry and James Harden. Will Ja Morant join them eventually?
How fun is it to watch those Memphis Grizzlies?
While I am enjoying this NBA season, team loyalty is out of the window, as well. Players now routinely switch teams.
Has that affected the way I view the NBA? Somewhat. Can’t tell a team or a player without a scorecard or a program.
However, all these changes were coming a long time ago. While I miss the physicality, the big time and larger-than-life rivalries, I have learned to go with these changing times.
As much as think that players like Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler should be wearing Chicago jerseys, I guess, or even James in a Cleveland jersey, this is all about change.
I lost interest in the league for long time. Time was I followed it on a daily basis and knew everything that was going on. Then that interest waned and I followed it sporadically until I went an entire season without watching a game until last year’s NBA finals. And am I surprised that despite all these changes I am once more following the league.
And we are not even half-way done.