Golden Era Of Point Guards, Renewing Of a Classic Rivalry Help Rejuvenate NBA
Chances are you prefer college basketball over professional basketball. And I wouldn’t blame you for having that opinion. However, I’m here to tell you the NBA is relevant again.
Growing up I was an avid Pacers fan. After long days of school as a youngster, I’d come home and couldn’t wait to watch Reggie Miller make it rain from downtown all night long. Mark Jackson, Reggie, Jalen Rose, Rik Smits, Dale/Antonio Davis, and, my favorite white player ever, Austin Croshere entertained me night in night out. The first sporting event that brought this guy to tears? 2000 NBA Finals when the Lakers knocked off the Pacers in Game 6. I, along with the world, used to be enamored with the professional basketball world.
You knew the post-MJ era was headed for a downward spiral when the season after Jordan’s retirement the league had a lockout and didn’t play a single game until late January. That season was capped off by second-year sensation Tim Duncan winning the first of his four titles. The association appeared to be regaining some steam in the early 2000’s with the Lakers establishing a dynasty and winning three straight championships, but after the Lakers were swept in quest for their fourth straight championship, the league entered its darkest period. It wasn’t the Lakers loss that destructed the league, it was the Pacers-Pistons brawl in which Ron Artest attacked a fan.
I don’t need to get into nitty-gritty details, you know what happened, but that’s really what set the tone for this view that the NBA doesn’t compare with college basketball in terms of entertainment. The Spurs unleashed their boring, fundamentally sound wrath on the league and won three more titles. Dwyane Wade picked up his first ring and gift-wrapped a fourth one for Shaquille O'Neal, but no one really cared what was going on with the NBA.
I may be naïve and like to think everyone feels the same as I do, but thanks to the Lakers-Celtics rivalry being rejuvenated, the wildest free agent pool and offseason acquisitions in the history of professional sports, the golden age of points guards, and some freak named Blake Griffin, the NBA is highly relevant again.
The Lakers and Celtics deserve the first helping of thanks for kick-starting the once-dying association. Battling in two of the last three NBA Finals, people are actually caring about the Finals again, even if the playoffs do take two months. If the Celtics can stay healthy and the Lakers can escape their midseason funk, we’re primed for another meeting this June. Normally we’d be tired of seeing the same teams in the Finals, but this rivalry keeps fans entertained and gives them a reason to care about the NBA.
The 2010 free agent period was like a trip to a buffet for teams across the league. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Carlos Boozer all hit the free agent. You know what happened. The King and Bosh joined Wade in Miami and predicted “7-8 championships," Amar'e reinvented his career in New York, Nowitzki stayed put, and Boozer teamed up with youngster Derrick Rose in Chicago. Want a reason to watch the NBA?
The Heat have three top 15 players in its starting lineup. The Knicks are actually good, executing the pick-n-roll to perfection with Raymond Felton and Stoudemire looking like a modern day Stockton-Malone. If it hasn’t been announced already, I’m announcing it now: WE ARE IN THE GOLDEN ERA of point guard play in the NBA. Rajon Rondo is dishing 13 dimes a game, Deron Williams is a double-double machine, Chris Paul is a maestro, Derrick Rose is emerging as one of the league’s most elite players, Russell Westbrook jumps over people, Tyreke Evans has monstrous potential on a crappy Kings team, and oh yeah.. that two-time MVP Steve Nash is in there too. All with the exception of Nash, all are either in their primes or about to hit it. The influx of great point guard play is helping re-energize the way people feel about the NBA.
If ultra-talented rosters, talented point guards, or classic rivalries aren’t convincing you that the NBA is relevant, then maybe we can compromise that it’s entertaining. And if you’re going to argue with me I have two words for you: Blake Griffin.
If you haven’t seen what this kid can do then you either don’t watch ESPN or you despise the NBA so much that you change the channel when his nightly highlight reel begins on SportsCenter. Griffin is a rookie and I’m going to be bold enough to say he’s already the best in-game dunker ever. Yeah, I said ever. LeBron is great. Jordan was fantastic. Vince Carter had his day. Dominique Wilkins and Dr. J were pretty solid too. But none of them ever dunked with the viciousness, the intensity, or the fearlessness in which Griffin does. All of those players had the “Oh my gosh did he really just do that?” effect in their dunks but none of them had the “That’s was cooler than anything I’ve seen on NBA Jam!” effect that Griffin has. Not to mention he’s averaging 25 points and 14 rebounds on 54 percent shooting the past 30 nights. Did I mention he’s a rookie? If Griffin stays healthy, we’re talking top 20-player of all time. He’s that good.
So there you have it. There’s a potential dynasty in the making with James, Wade and Bosh. There’s a good chance we’ll see another Celtics-Lakers Finals this June. There’s a handful of spectacular point guards. There’s Blake Griffin setting records for most appearances on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays (and also records for most Clippers highlights making SportsCenter in one year). But most importantly, there’s quality, competitive basketball being played beyond the ranks of college.
