NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Wrap Up

(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Well, another NBA regular season has come to an end and thus I must make a few comments on it. I will focus on three things: 1) a look at the Mavs; 2) my thoughts on the MVP; and 3) a brief preview of the post-season.

As much as I've talked about how much I hated the trade that brought Jason Kidd back to Dallas, I have to give props to the Mavericks for their galvanization at the end of the season and Kidd was a key contributor to that. After becoming the last Western Conference team to clinch a playoff berth, the team continued to play strongly and was able to move up to the sixth seed. That's significant because it means that they will be playing the Spurs in the first round. When it comes down to it, none of the Western Conference playoff teams are significantly better than any of the others (with the obvious exception of the Lakers) so I don't really think any of the teams were looking for a particular matchup. However, getting the Spurs right now is important.

The team from the Alamo City looks more vulnerable than it has since the 1997 draft. Manu Ginobili is out for the entire playoffs and it is woefully apparent that Tim Duncan is not close to being 100%. Add to that the traditional rivalry between the two teams and this is the best motivation that my boys from Dallas could possibly hope for. While I do not think it will be easy, I do expect them to win the first round series. Actually, I think the Mavericks could make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. If they can beat San Antonio, then they will face the winner of Portland/Houston, both of whom they can beat in 7-game series (even without home court advantage). I'd be particularly happy to see them meet the Trailblazers since the Mavericks swept the season series. Plus, as talented as that team is (and the Blazers have got some serious talent), it is still young and has not yet learned how to play post-season basketball.

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter because no one in the West will unseat the Lakers (barring an injury). The team from Hollywood has dominated the conference from start to finish. However, I'd really like to see the Mavericks build on something here. And I am really interested in seeing what happens in the off-season. Mark Cuban has gone on record as saying that he wants to be aggressive this off-season because the Mavs are one of only a handful of teams that are in a financial situation that will allow them to make moves. The craziest rumor has him targeting Chris Paul. Of course, that has almost no chance of happening but I like the fact that he wants to make that big a splash.

This was an interesting year for the MVP race. In some ways this was the antithesis to the 2006-07 season. That year no one player actually did much to deserve the award so it was given to the player that came closest to meeting the criteria that has been established for MVPs over the years. This year we have so many players that are worthy, yet one player put on such a phenomenal season that there's no way that he should not receive it. But let's take a look at the candidates.

First, there's a group of honorable mentions. These guys deserve to be mentioned but ultimately cannot measure up to the top tier talent. Guys like Chauncey Billups, who proved his value not only in how he moved Denver into second place in the West but also how Detroit collapsed after he was traded. Then there is Brandon Roy. Early in the season I was watching a Portland home game. Roy was having a great game and the crowd starting the "MVP!!!" chant. I scoffed and tweeted that such chants should be saved for "actual" MVP candidates. I was wrong. Brandon Roy is not only a fantastic NBA player but he is becoming one of the game's great clutch players. With their youth, and him as their leader, the Blazers should be a scary team for a long time. There is one other player who is almost (but not quite) ready to graduate from honorable mention status to bonafied MVP candidate. That is the man-beast in Orlando named Dwight Howard. He has already established himself as the best center in the game (sorry, Rockets' fans) and he's doing it strictly on talent. He still hasn't really learned how to play the game yet. When he is able to add skills to his already formidable talents, there is no reason why who should not go down as one of the Greatest Of All Time.

And that brings us to the four guys who deserve the most MVP love. I'll discuss them in ascending order of worthiness.

4) Kobe Bryant
Through

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