I haven’t done the research to find out when the last time 7 games separated one conference’s top 10 teams, all with a winning record and playing good basketball this late in the season. It hasn’t happened in the 8 years I have owned the Mavs.
This year is shaping up to be a crazy one. A 5 or 6 game losing streak and any of the 4 teams who have had the best record in the west over the past month could find themselves out of the playoffs.
This scenario is not lost on players or fans. The feel in arenas lately have been very playoff like. You can feel the energy as fans know what is at stake. Players are looking at the standings and paying far closer attention to game by game results of division and conference teams. They know what is at stake with every game.
This season, at least in the Western Conference, no one is going to ask the question of whether the regular season is important. For the remainder of this season, EVERY game is important. Every team will have their up and down streaks simply because its going to be hard to play playoff quality basketball for 40 games. Back to back games in the West are going to be brutal.
The playoffs to make the playoffs has started and it doesn’t look like any team will get a breather between now and when their season ends.
That will make this the Best NBA Season Ever !
too bad the eastern conference was the polar opposite of the west :/
-Rich
Comment by sports news -
Just because the games are close it doesnt mean this is the best season ever..actually, it\’s not just because of this..it\’s because the quality of play, despite what some naysayers are saying, is dramatically up..i see the players giving it all most of the times..and there are some games this season who reminded me of the \’80s..for instance, both the games between Boston and Detroit..and it\’s really crazy what\’s going on in the western conference: anything might happen..just crazy.
Again, what a great season!
Comment by Chris Paul -
I like NBA ! hehe
see more http://www.kinglandclean.com
Comment by kku -
Nice Stuff… Keep It Up.
Comment by Eliseo -
OK Mark…now we have Kidd…and what did we give up…I am over losing the future and Devon Harris…that is finished!
What about this year at center…where is our interior defense and depth at the 5 position??? Do not say Juan Howard or Bass! Please do something more to salvage the season…get us a back up center! By the way one that can catch Kidd\’s passes!!!
Comment by Ray -
This Kidd trade is absolute insanity, and everyone championing for Kidd is brain dead. Let\’s break this down. First off, Harris is better than Kidd. Period. He\’s a better shooter (.483 vs. .366); he\’s a better defender (same number of spg with 7 fewer mpg), and HE\’S A DECADE YOUNGER! Even if it\’s a push between Kidd and Harris, look at the rest of this deal. In the past few weeks, Pau Gasol and Shaq have been added to playoff teams. With that said, someone please explain why NOW is a good time to get rid of one of our most important big men! I hate to break it to you, but Kidd won\’t be defending Shaq/Bynum/Duncan in the low post. Sigh. Let\’s keep going… Malik Allen is a bum. Both Jerry Stackhouse AND Devean George put up better numbers. So… we\’re trading two superior players for one inferior player. That always makes sense :-/ But wait, there\’s more. We\’re already way behind in this trade so let\’s give up $3 million and our 2008 and 2010 first round draft picks. It\’s only money… and the future of our franchise. Sure, why not.
Let\’s recap. We\’re losing a younger, better PG for Jason Kidd (and his triple doubles, which will come in a losing effort). We\’re losing an important big man in a conference where big men will eat our lunch. We\’re losing two solid role players for an atrocious bench warmer. And just to put the cherry on top, we\’re losing $3 million and two future first round picks.
I must say… I was wondering how we were going to top the disappointments of 2006 (choking away a championship) and 2007 (becoming the first 1 seed to lose to an 8 seed in a 7 game series). And now that question has been answered. Friends have predicted that we won\’t make the playoffs this year, and if this trade goes down, that\’s not out of the realm of possibility. I can only hope Devean George stands his ground and acts as the savior for our franchise…
Comment by Steve Webb -
If we look at this year Slam Dunk contest, we can be happy that creativity is back. Green\’s cupcake dunk was original. And let\’s not forget Howard\’s superman dunk. Cape + Air = 10/10
Comment by Charles Mont-Tremblant -
This will definitely NOT be the best season ever for the Mavericks if the rumoured trade with the Nets goes down. I have reservations pulling a straight up Harris for Kidd deal. I loved Kidd like 10 years ago! I was at his first game, saw his first basket on a steal/break away dunk, saw his first attempted assist, when he went behind his head with a perfect pass to a teammate who blew the open lay-up. He was and is good. But he\’s not the defender Devon is, not does he have the speed to keep up with Parker. You just said that you wouldn\’t give away 1/2 the team to get him and the only thing that stops you is George\’s No Trade Clause? Not only that, you were going to give away 2 future first round draft picks!
I\’ve been very impressed with what you\’ve done for the Mavericks since you took ownership. Does this team need some kind of shake up, yes, but this isn\’t what we (the fans) had in mind.
Comment by Mike Rogers -
Mark- The mavs are overpaying for kidd. Kidd doesn\’t not put us over the top to say in the west. I don\’t truely even know if its a step forward this season. Let alone the next two years. You want us to be better, trade for Corey Magette. He will give us the toughness we need, an athletic scorer who with Avery as coach, could be a great defender. I bet he can be had cheaper then Kidd and combine him with harris, drik, Josh, and damp. Thats a great line up. Common Don\’t trade for kidd.
Comment by Andrew -
Mavs season tickets for sale! Kidd comes back, I leave! History is a great teacher and he\’s been here before with disastrous results. Best of luck, Mark.
Comment by Scott -
Mark,
Please, please, please rethink this trade. I could see MAYBE Devin and Diop straight up for Kidd- but we should be the ones getting 2 first round draft picks, not the other way around!!
Please! Don\’t trade away 2 of our best 3 defenders just for 2 years of Kidd. I\’d like Kidd here too, but not like this!!
Comment by Zach -
Your article is Awesome.
Comment by Charles -
Mark,
You will be adored forever by Mavs fans if you bring Jason Kidd back to Big D. The misconception among many non-Mavs fans is that you owned the team when Kidd was traded, which is way off. The attitude is completely different, and it shows in the results. J-Kidd is just what the team needs to compete against teams with big guards like G.S. and N.O., and I can\’t wait for him to knock Tony Parker on his you know what. Here\’s hoping that the deal is completed…
GO MAVERICKS!!!
Comment by mike o. -
please get Jason Kidd. I know it\’s hard to separate with Devin and all that, but the team needs an experienced point guard. Devin\’s great, I like him as a player, he\’s a very good player. but it\’s just that he doesn\’s provide the necessary assists that will make the team better. Imagine this, Kidd finding Dirk at the right place and at the right time in Dirk\’s comfortable shooting spots, then the game goes to Dallas. And so with Josh Howard and then Jet will be able to play his SG position. Dallas needs Kidd and Kidd needs Dallas!!!
-concerned and die-hard Mavericks fan
Comment by kim -
This will be the best season for everyone else if a deal for Jason Kidd goes down. MARK CUBAN PLEASE DON\’T TRADE FOR KIDD. YOU SHOULD HAVE TRADED FOR KOBE WITH WHAT YOU\’RE GIVING UP FOR KIDD. THERE IS NO JUSTICE IF YOU LET THIS HAPPEN. I LOVE OUR TEAM AND THEY\’VE GOTTEN TO WHERE THEY GOTTEN TO WITHOUT KIDD.
Comment by Domingo Grimaldi -
The best season ever? That sounds like an owner talking. Pro basketball has become flat out un-watchable.
Why? Probably for the reasons mentioned above: Inconsistent officiating, uninspired play, an endless season followed by a seemingly endless \”2nd season\” of playoffs that all but the very worst teams qualify for.
Throw in the fact that the design and rules of the game seem to favor teams with a methodical, balanced, defensive, non-flamboyant style (i.e. Spurs, Pistons) and you are talking about a recipe for disaster.
Ratings don\’t lie. NBA basketball is circling the bowl.
Comment by Steve P -
well, I couldn\’t agree more. My rankings system at
http://www.boxscorebasketball.com normally has one A+ team, a few A\’s and A-\’s. This year Boston was an \”A\” for a while. But now the league has so many teams slightly above average, that no one can get 1.5 standard deviations from the mean (which earns the score of 90 and up). This year\’s data set, the NBA teams, are not normally distributed. Rather, they are skewed. Which means that there will be a free-for-all in the post season, as well as earning the right to the post season.
Rankings here: http://www.boxscorebasketball.com/topten.htm
Projected final standings has TWO 49-win teams not making the
playoffs in the west!
http://www.boxscorebasketball.com/projected.htm
I hope you find the web site useful.
greg
Comment by greg -
Dear Mark,
Jason Kidd maybe a good idea at first, but trading away D. Harris is going to be an awful mistake. You might want to trade for Mike Miller since the Grizzles seem eager to sell out whoever they can. Haha.
Comment by Mike O -
I agree. Every game is important, whether you lose terribly or win spectacularly. Any way, what I really wanted to say was that this could be the Mavs year. I can feel it.
Comment by norma -
No. Not for a Twolves fan. It couldn\’t get any worse. Actually, I guess it did get worse. A few months back I decided to buy a group of tickets to one game this year, KG\’s return to Mpls. Tickets were sold out through the Wolves so I paid double through a ticket broker. Sure enough, one week later the Wolves announce a 3 game promo with the Boston game as the third game. For the same price that I paid for my 1 game! It wasn\’t even sold out, they were just blocking off tix for the promo. Mark, are there rules against owning 2 NBA franchises? Could you at least consider the purchase? I bet you could say it was charitable giving (for MN fans) and write the whole thing off. Figure it out, please.
Comment by Wade W -
This one of the most surprising and competitive season in recent memory. I wouldn\’t say the best though. The game is too watered down compared to the 80s and 90s. But the mix of great young talent, veterans and foriegn players makes for a very interesting game to watch now.
http://reclinergm.wordpress.com
Comment by Dannie -
Mark, it was great to see you (from 15 rows behind) at the game in Boston last night. About 10 years ago, I walked away from the NBA, not interested in its style of play, however last nights game proved to me that NBA (and the Celtics) are moving in the right direction. Good luck to your team; mabye we\’ll see you in Boston again this June.
Comment by Jason DeStratis -
Will never claim to be an expert on the NBA…
…but if this IS indeed the NBA\’s \”Best Season Ever\” (sounds kinda like a VH1 show!), have a feeling it would ONLY GET BETTER if either LeBron or Kobe was paired up with the PG extraordinaire, Jason Kidd, for the remainder of this season (and, preferably, beyond).
I understand fully that the logistics in such a high profile, mega-deal might seem difficult at present, but it should be kept in mind that as long as Kidd is unhappy in NJ, his true value (market & otherwise) to THAT franchise decreases dramatically.
Fair compensation in any deal involving Kidd is a must, to be sure, but members of the New Jersey front office must be both a little more realistic and a little more openminded to acquiring players who, though currently not as accomplished as Kidd, have the potential to improve their team.
Plus, at 19-26 and a full 17 games back of division leader, BOS, seems NJ could stand to mix up team personnel & chemistry a little bit.
At this point, adding Kidd to shoulder some of the load for LeBron in CLE (or to dish spectacularly for Kobe in LA), would equal a very positive step forward for either team.
And for the National Basketball Association–it\’s owners, shareholders, players, and fans–looking down the road toward the start of playoff season, a trade of this character & magnitude would equal three things: An increased level of competition leaguewide, an increased level of general fan interest & and, consequently, increased television ratings.
Oh, and there\’d probaly be some increased revenues as a result.
Sorry. Four things.
Me, I happen to think \”The King & the Kidd\” has a nice little ring to it (Sounds kinda like something you\’d see on an SI cover!).
What\’s that ole\’ advertising tagline for the RBS? \”Make it happen.\” Nice. Sounds more than a little familiar–sounds like a good plan, too.
DS
Comment by Dixon -
This will continue to be the best season for Mav\’s fans if Dallas doesn\’t do that crazy trade with Portland and New Jersey for Jason Kidd.
5 years from now, who has the better chance of winning a title?
How much better is the chance for Dallas if they get Kidd than with Harris?
Weigh the odds, it\’s not worth it.
Comment by Brad Williams -
Jason Kidd is the National Team\’s starting point guard. He is a leader. It\’s tough to say, but he\’s the leader that Dirk might never be. Jason Kidd will dictate the pace of our game and he will create easy buckets for our team. We\’ve never had a guard avg close to 10 assists per game since Nash left. He will make it SO much easier for Josh, Terry, and Dirk to take easy shots. He will push the ball and boost our fast break points.
Everyone loves Devin. He\’s exciting to watch. He\’s very quick. But just because he is talented and having his best season, doesn\’t mean he\’s the person to lead us to a championship, which is the ONLY thing that matters. Deron and Chris Paul only took one full season to figure out how to lead a team. Devin is way beyond his first year and we still don\’t know if he has figured it out.
Please Jason back to Dallas. A team with Kidd, Howard, and Nowitzki is almost unstoppable.
Comment by David -
Mark
It is a great season so far…please don\’t go and mess it up by trading away Devin Harris at 24 for a declining, moody Jason Kidd at almost 35! I have been a Mav\’s fan since the very beginning…and I have seen all the good and bad trades made…this one (rumored) would not be one of the good ones!
FYI I still have the 3 J\’s autographed ball from Jamal/Jimmy/and Jason on my shelf…I also remember the troubles we had with the lack of chemistry with that talented threesome…look for the future with what we have at point guard…be patient!
A Season Ticket Holder, Ray
Comment by Ray -
Bringing back Jason Kidd would be a mistake. He\’s simply not that good anymore. His defense is now non-existent (age does that to you), and his shooting is absolutely atrocious 36% for the season, and he\’s now turning the ball over all the time (almost 4 times a game). He\’s having his single worst season in his career, but because he still rebounds like a beast and can still pass, he gets triple doubles and that\’s all sportscenter watchers see. They miss the fact that he shot 20% to get the 10 points, or that he threw away 4 turnovers as well. Or that the opposing point guards blew past him like he wasn\’t even there on defense.
Comment by Matthew -
The best since the Bird & Magic era! Aside from the high caliber team play and tight standings, there are some interesting rivalries developing such as King James and Kobe. Hey, how \’bout Chris Paul – WOW! Anyway, I actually went to two NBA games recently! Haven\’t done that since the \”Bad Boys\” of Auburn Hills…Go Pistons!
Comment by Gary Cline -
Hey Mark,
You can make it even more exciting by adding someone special.
I know there are rumors about bringing Jason Kidd back home. I think this is a good fit, and could be that spark to get us that ring. Also if Kidd does come, will Kidd have to \”buy\” the #5 jersey from Josh?
Go Mavs.
Comment by Matt Johnston -
Well, when you live in Milwaukee, you are not really sure if the season continues or not. Now the grass is a landlord Kohl ugly.
Comment by Ali Bulut -
Mark,
So, when we gonna do extreme basketball? Rugby first, basket- hole last! Lets make the players earn their money and quit saying that\’s a foul for every little thing? LOL! Go Mavs!
Comment by Mitchell -
Mavs Fan…I am currently living in San Antonio, Tx moved here about a year ago from DFW area, just wanted to say have remained die hard Mavs fan, even in this town of Spurs die hards and championship trophies, I look forward to seeing the Mavs on 02/28 here in S.A and cheer my team on. I get razzed alot by everyone, but most of the time it\’s all in good fun, recently played fantasy football and named my team after Cuban…The Cuban Missles..GO MAVS
Comment by Rodney Walters -
Even if Portland was playing where people expected them to be it would still be a very competitive West.
I have always been glad I didn\’t grow up in the Least and the state of the NBA the last few years is just one more reason.
Comment by Jeremiah -
I don\’t know nothing about no basketball outside of when I played and sported Earl \”The Pearl\” Monroe\’s number….but I just read in the Dallas Morning News that Mark Cuban should give me a call to do his MMA stuff….so here I am, baby….
ciao,
Eugene Robinson
author of Fight: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ass-Kicking but Were Afraid You\’d Get Your Ass Kicked for Asking
Comment by Eugene Robinson -
NBA is fantastic. But I\’m gravitating toward college games more than ever. I also like D league games. These players play hard every minute of the game. I like intensity and if parity makes the NBA more intense then I\’m all for it.
Comment by darryl -
The Portland Trailblazers are exciting for what they are achieving as a team and a basketball organization. Zach Randolph was the definition of addition through subtraction. This is essentially the same team they had last year.
They pass so much and get excited when others succeed. I hope this kind of basketball continues to permeate the league. Paul Allen went with a strategy that didn\’t work and he changed.
You can\’t fault him for trying what he did but you can praise him for changing.
Comment by Mike -
Ill watch 100 MLB Games, 30 NFL Games, Virtually the entire NCAA Tournament and at least 25 College Football games this yeat but I haven\’t been excited about Basketball since Pat Croce left the Sixers. I guess it goes to show you how much impact a well run front office can have on a team and a city.
These days Ill catch the odd Sports Center highlight, but won\’t even turn on the NBA finals.
Im with you Mark, competition is great as long as your team is competitive.
Comment by George Welsh -
Can we get Jason Kidd??? do we NEED Jason Kidd???
Comment by Ali Rahman -
I believe Cuban is being genuine when he says this might be the best season ever. You can make an argument for that based on the current Western standings.
Cuban has been outspoken in the past about the officiating. But not lately. I don\’t read this blog very regularly but I searched archives for Tim Donaghy and there\’s nothing. Are owners banned from discussing that scandal? I don\’t blame him for not speaking his mind anymore. Besides the huge monetary fines he also runs the risk of the Mavs becoming like the Oakland Raiders and ending up on the wrong side of every close call for the next 20 years.
There are valid reasons why the casual fan might be cynical or turned off by the NBA. David Stern needs to use his power to save the Sonics for the fans of Seattle.
Comment by Steve W -
Drew, I\’m not saying that basketball isn\’t engaging to those who are involved in it, such as yourself and Mark and perhaps most of the people who read this blog regularly. On the contrary, any individual game, or division race, or playoff series, can be quite entertaining.
It\’s just that, of the four \”major\” sports, not many people would deny that hockey has seen a general decline in interest for quite some time. And, once I saw Mark\’s post and found myself being surprised that it was actually basketball season, it occurred to me that, certainly from my perspective, and perhaps in general, basketball has entered, or perhaps has been in, the same decline in general interest as hockey has seen.
But maybe it\’s just me.
Comment by Rob -
Hahaha, Hugh. Touch.
Comment by Rob -
so basketball is no longer engaging, you say..alright
it doesn\’t seem the case to me..but it\’s your opinion. oh well
Comment by drew -
Not in Minnesota!
Comment by Hugh -
My, my, can you say, \”I have a type-A personality\”?
I don\’t dislike basketball. And I don\’t think my comment \”trashed\” basketball. I don\’t regularly read Mark\’s blog, and just happened to notice this particular entry and I was surprised to see that it was basketball season. Which I thought was funny.
If someone had asked me if it was basketball season, I would have known. But, likewise, I would have been surprised to realize it once I was asked. I don\’t have broadcast/cable/satellite tv. I just watch a few shows on appleTV that I purchase from iTunes. So I am blissfully unaware of the ongoing (four months you say?) basketball season.
Interestingly, I have been tangentially aware of football season and baseball before that, even before the playoffs, as it\’s sometimes mentioned in other media avenues that I pay attention to.
I think it\’s somewhat telling that basketball (and hockey for that matter) mostly fly under my particular radar. Both are sports that I used to care about, at least enough to know what was going on. But now? I no longer pay attention, and they\’re no longer engaging enough to those \”outside the fold\” to grab anyone\’s attention for very long.
Comment by Rob -
Steve White, I seem to remember that Mark Cuban has been mad at the NBA a lot of times, especially at Stern..so I wouldnt\’ say that the reason why Mark says this is the best season ever is because he\’s selling the NBA. Stern sells the NBA, not the owners. If Cuban was really selling the NBA, he wouldn\’t have never bashed the refs and Stern. I think Mark really means it when he says this is the best season ever.
I agree when you talk about the officiating and the Billups thing though. It\’s pretty bad , but at times people don\’t realize how hard officiating a basketball game is. The action is so fast that it\’s almost impossible seeing everything. Not to mention that basketball, probably more than any other sport, has a lot of judgment calls. And the fact that fans are so close to the action make it even harder to officiate a game. That\’s the way basketball is and will always be.
Comment by drew -
yes rob, basketball season is in full swing and it started FOUR (I repeat it, FOUR) monts ago.
There are very FEW things that bog my mind off..one of these is when people who don\’t like basketball need to act in a very childish way and start making asinine comments about it (for instance: \”i didn\’t know it was basketball season\”)..seriously, what\’s wrong with some of you? Do you have pleasure when you trash the sport of basketball? What\’s your problem? Jesus, I can\’t stand those people.
Comment by drew -
drew,
to accept brian colangelo\’s statement as fact is pretty naive. He and Mark Cuban are in the business of selling the NBA. Of course they\’re going to say this is the best time ever. Were you watching the NBA in the 80\’s and 90\’s? This may turn out to be a great season, but it\’s all about the post season. Last year\’s Finals was probably the most boring championship series ever. And that\’s with the most exciting player in the game (Lebron). Maybe the team play has improved lately as everyone is trying to copy the Spurs, but the officiating still sucks. Did you see Chauncey Billups take 4 steps without dribbling before hitting a game winning shot? The NBA is not garbage, but I think it\’s a big stretch to say this is the best season ever.
Comment by Steve White -
Huh, I didn\’t even know it was basketball season.
Comment by Rob -
thank you, Avery.
Yeah, Lakers/Cavs was a great game, but the same can be said about the other ABC game, Magic-Celtics, and almost every other game played Sunday: plenty of buzzer-beaters and great quality of play for the ENTIRE game (not just the last minute like some naysayers like to say when they talk about the NBA).
Garbage? Hardly.
Comment by drew -
You know what I\’m thinking..the NBA got to be the most stereotyped sports league in the world. Many of the people who hate the NBA or used (yeah right) to follow it judge the league basing their opinion on stereotypes (and I think we all know what these stereotypes are, no need to post them)..and those people, truth be told, don\’t even watch the NBA. Just read some of the comments NBA-haters posted on here. It\’s very clear that they don\’t watch the NBA or follow it only watching Sportscenter. So yeah, people should stop judging something basing their opinion on stereotypes.
A few weeks ago Raptors GM Brian Colangelo said that the quality of play in the league is keep going up and up and the league is keep getting better and he doesn\’t accept when people trash the quality of the NBA..so, people, who do you believe? Some NBA hater who doesn\’t even watch the NBA and just stereotypes the NBA, or someone who watches the NBA every day (Colangelo)? Hmmm, I think this one is easy.
also, to all of you haters out there, check out this video about the 2006 playoffs, arguably some of the best playoffs in NBA history. I dare you all to say the NBA playoffs aren\’t exciting or some other asinine comments I read.
Comment by drew -
drew, I agree with you. Hearing people gripe about the NBA yet don\’t watch the games are probably the same folks still bitter at baseball for the strike. Get over it.
If you don\’t like it, fine. Just don\’t comment on it either b/c you lose credibility when your first point is the \”NBA is garbage.\” How can you call Sunday\’s game with LeBron/Kobe going toe-to-toe garbage?
Comment by Avery210 -
Is anyone besides Cuban happy that the NBA todays resembles the NFL of a few years ago when all the good teams were 9-5 and all the bad teams were 5-9. I prefer this NFL season when a great, great team sets itself apart from the rest of the league and history. I only hope that this happens again soon in the NBA and that\’s the kind of year I might bombastically call, \”the best ever.\”
^ R Bliss, are u even watching the NBA or not? It\’s not like there are mediocre teams at the top of the western conference..there are several teams who are a really good record….and how about them Celtics? Are you aware that they are this team you are referring to who\’s setting itself apart from the rest of the league? Now they are struggling a little bit (but it\’s a normal thing in a 82-game regular season), but they have an impressing number of wins
can people who don\’t watch the NBA avoid to make stupid comments please? It\’s getting annoying.
Comment by drew -
I really HATE reading idiotic comments like the one posted by Ummmmm where he says that he used to love basketball and now the NBA is garbage..garbage???????????????????????????? but this is one of the greatest seasons ever! but there are great games on a daily basis!
I am so sick and tired of people who don\’t even watch the NBA and despite this they feel knowledgeable enough to comment on it. Again, the poster \”Ummmmm\” proved my point once again: the idiots who post that the NBA is garbage are those ones who don\’t even watch it…what a shame.
I can\’t stand those people.
And I doubt this guy ever loved basketball..haha that\’s a good one. If you really love a sport, you are not going to stop watching it..especially now that the NBA is getting better and better..
Comment by drew -
Well, let\’s see.
The Sonics, who were bought by the \”no, we don\’t want to move all the team but coincidentally we\’re all from Oklahoma City which would like to have a team\” ownership after letting Nate MacMillan go as coach. The new ownership is unwilling to meet the terms of their lease nor are they willing to spend money on the team, leaving a team that yesterday broke the team record for losses in a row (at 14), eclipsing the record of set at the beginning of the year.
So, a team that I\’ve followed for more than 30 years is destined to leave Seattle, and the last year has set new standards for suckitude.
So, I\’m no longer an NBA fan.
Comment by Eric -
The Jazz went from the 9th seed to the 4th seed tonight…
Comment by Jeff -
The best ever? Yikes. Why, because the west has become a mediocre stew? because every game comes down to the more random factors of three point and foul shooting as opposed to consistent offensive execution? because nobody plays defense until the fourth quarter?
Is anyone besides Cuban happy that the NBA todays resembles the NFL of a few years ago when all the good teams were 9-5 and all the bad teams were 5-9. I prefer this NFL season when a great, great team sets itself apart from the rest of the league and history. I only hope that this happens again soon in the NBA and that\’s the kind of year I might bombastically call, \”the best ever.\”
Comment by R. Bliss -
Not when some clown is stealing your team and moving it to Oklahoma City. Makes it hard to share love I have for the game with my kids. I do my best not to enjoy Durant and Green as I am learning to enjoy life without the NBA – sad when moving to Seattle was based in part on having NBA team.
Guess Schultz, who turned out to be a total hypocrit, didnt believe he held the team in trust for the City of Seattle.
Mark, you may be great guy but I have taught my kids not to trust the owners – they only care about themselves.
Comment by Kevin OKeefe -
Mark,
Yes, this season is shaping up nicely. Yesterday, I have never seen anyone in recent memory slow down Kobe like LeBron did in the Cavs win over LAL. How incredible would it be to see LeBron take that kind of pride in his defense all the time? Really, he\’s a good guy too, not a phony or jerk like MJ. LBJ will do openly bite his nails in public or do spoof commercials with the 70\’s montage. MJ or Kobe are way too cool or self absorbed to be that normal.
I\’m still skeptical on the Celts, they will have a tough time beating either the Cavs or Magic, then the Pistons. I think having the number 1 East seed has a tougher road. In the west, I\’m liking how our Mavs are coming together. Taking a positive from Devin\’s injury, JJ/Hassell will get some time and force more playmaking duties all around. In other words, maybe the boys will find different ways to win to build their confidence and further appreciate DH in the process. I\’m really hoping the Spurs are starting to slip, I mean, how long can that supporting cast continue to do supplement their Big 3 adequately. Pop is so underrated, as much as TD in my opinion. The Lakers are about to drift, too tough of a road sked coming up without Bynum. The Nuggets are too inconsistent to make a chemistry laden run in the playoffs. I admire Camby\’s effort, but Kmart and Nene can\’t be trusted to do the dirty work all the time. Phoenix have lost their edge, but they still possess the ability to beat anyone in a 7 game series. Well, unless Horry or the commish are involved 🙂 The Hornets are a great story, but their half court game will get exploited in the post season. CP3 won\’t see as much open court to draw and kick in the post season.
Also of note, the 80\’s PG guard is back! Isn\’t Devin Harris similar to a young Mo Cheeks. Its about time for new blood in the All Star game-CP3, Deron ,even Calderon. No offense to JKidd, but he has been overrated for years, due to a weak East and a lack of pass first guards. Thankfully, NBA execs are understanding the difference in Iverson being an amazing talent, but would you ever want to build your team around a undersized shoot first PG.
I personally love reading your blogs. Thanks for the motivational quotes, \”the edge\” and \”the details\” postings by you on business dealings are affixed on my desk to get me going. Sorry for the epic read, maybe I should comment more often.
Sincerely,
Ross
Miami
Comment by Ross -
Up until 3-4 years ago… I loved basketball.
This season (and last) I have not watched one complete game.
The NBA is garbage.
Comment by Ummm -
The best season is always the one we\’re in, and the best game is always the one I\’m at!!!
Comment by Toni -
best season ever \”in the western conference\” right, otherwise in the east. Could have been a very very stretching season for the pistons had KG not been traded to the celtics. No challenge or excitement at all…what a pity.
Comment by kenny k -
It\’s looking great so far but then again so was the last season at this point. But boy, how much did the play-offs suck last year.
Comment by Mart J -
I totally agree. It was crazy when Van Gundy suggested, during the Lakers Cavs game yesterday, that the Lakers may not even make the playoffs! Scarier to think that it\’s possible! Even the Kings are looking better with Bibby back. Yikes!
Comment by Jimmy Cheng -
I\’m a Bulls season ticket holder and the only time the United Center gets loud is when we boo after the Bulls go down by 20, which is happening quite often… oh and the occasional mock cheer when Ben Wallace makes a free throw. This season has been awful. The only positive is that being 17-26 puts the Bulls only 1 game out of the 8 seed in the East.
Comment by Jim C. -
No. 13 said that just because the games are close it doesnt mean this is the best season ever..actually, it\’s not just because of this..it\’s because the quality of play, despite what some naysayers are saying, is dramatically up..i see the players giving it all most of the times..and there are some games this season who reminded me of the \’80s..for instance, both the games between Boston and Detroit..and it\’s really crazy what\’s going on in the western conference: anything might happen..just crazy.
Again, what a great season!
Comment by andrew -
This is one of the best NBA seasons ever, no doubts about it. Anyone who disagrees is just a hater or just isn\’t paying much attention. Take last night, for instance: so many GREAT games, and most of them were decided at the buzzer or close to it. How couldn\’t you like it? I love it.
Also, someone posted that his friends didn\’t even like to watch the NBA playoffs. That\’s crazy. NBA playoffs is when basketball is played at its best. Anyone who disagrees with that is just a moron. Period. Many people bash the NBA without even watching it, that\’s why I think this league is underrated. I see so many great games on a daily basis and I often ask myself: how come some people hate the NBA so much? It\’s the ONLY league that really put me on the edge of my seat (MLB and NFL put me to sleep..too many commercials and too many stops in football and baseball).
And TV ratings this year are waaaay up compared to last season. This isn\’t bad at all, especially considering what happened this summer with the Donaghy scandal.
And does someone really posted that the NBA is going to be extint? wtf? The NBA, worldwide, has never been so popular, attendance records were set last year and this season the ratings are very good. Please don\’t make me laugh with these asinine statements. Not even the WNBA is going to be extint, let alone the NBA.
Comment by andrew -
It\’s a shame a team/owner/league has to brag about regular season games being important. Let\’s face it…the NBA has been the mail-it-in or try-for-the-4th-qtr-if-its-close league for quite some time, which has killed the quality of basketball and turned many American fans off.
Luckily a few teams (Spurs, Mavs, Pistons) started showing that TEAM basketball is exciting, packs the stands and WINS. Now you have the Suns, Blazers, Lakers, Raptors, Celtics and a number of other teams emulating it. If this keeps up it might even get to the point where the vast majority of teams play like the Professionals they are….like in the real, powerful American sports: MLB & NFL.
Comment by Jason -
The NBA will soon be extinct with Stern at the helm. His pompous attitude and handling of the league in the past few years is incredible. From the Sonics, gambling, poor officiating, organized crime, to letting Isiah Thomas continue to make a disgrace out of the leagues most valueable asset. I am 40 years old and have been a fan my entire life. Not one of my friends gets excited to sit down and watch an NBA game during the regular season or playoffs any more. These same guys dont miss a minute of the NFL or March Madness. In fact WSOP is probably more interesting…
Just because the games are close doesn\’t make it the best season ever.
Comment by Willy -
Well, when you live in Milwaukee, you aren\’t really sure if the season is still going on or not. Now Herb Kohl is one lousy owner.
Comment by David -
This is shaping up to be an exceptional year, and with the young talent the west accrued this off-season, should continue so for several more years. Unfortunately, as I blogged about earlier (http://www.thattalldude.com/main/2008/01/san-antonio-gea.html), my beloved Spurs are not doing very well thus far (yes, spoiled by success), and I am a bit concerned. Still, the West is very exciting, and the East grips us by the suspense of when Isiah will get fired and how long until Kidd gets traded. Shaq sucking it up also provides a nice storyline.
Comment by Shawn -
The best ever, thats hard to say, I won\’t go there, but I have to say its one of the top three seasons sicne I have been following the NBA.
Brian
Comment by Brian Krassenstein -
The NBA is on the verge of permanantly losing thousands of fans in my hometown of Seattle. I blame Howard Shultz for selling the team to someone who clearly intends to move them out of town. But I will also blame all the other owners and the commissioner for allowing it to happen. Seattle has supported the Sonics very well for many years and now they\’ll move to Okalahoma? That\’s ridiculous.
Comment by Steve White -
I definitely like the fact that there are so many teams in the race. Yesterday\’s games were no exception. 7 out of 10 were decided by 3 points or less.
Comment by Mufaka -
No. I dont think the game will ever be as good as it was in the late 80s early 90s for one reason officiating. basketball has been afflicted far more than the other pro sports due to officiating. there is no consistency what so ever. officials make up bad calls with more bad calls (my biggest problem with it). a lot of it also has to do with protecting the stars. it started going downhill with jordan but now its reached epic proportions. basketball was never meant to not be a contact sport. until they get that back under control and let the players play and determine the outcome of games i dont think we will have a \’best season ever\’ in the modern day.
Comment by Joe M -
In my personal case. This is probably the best NBA season I get to watch.
Im from Argentina and we are having several players contending.
Manu Ginobili is the obvious choice, but there is Chapu Nocioni, and Luis Scola with interesting roles.
Fabricio Oberto playing Center at San Antonio; Carlitos Delfino in a reborn in his new role at Toronto, and Walter Herrman yet playing little time in Detroit.
So, as far as watching \”our national players\” this season is special.
Also, as you say, the West is filled with great teams (not just good), and while the Hornets are now leading, come next month they lose a few in a row and they are again struggling. Houston is at the tenth and out of the playoffs but if they make a 4-5 game run, they are probably in the top six.
San Antonio and Dallas may be exchanging positions.
Portland is a really nice surprise this year also.
The only minus I see is the East Conference, still only six teams over .500 and reduced the competition to the Celtics, the Pistons and some other team that may rise come playoff time.
I hope this year ends as good as it is going.
Off topic: I may be the only Spur / Mark Cuban fan. Strange, huh?
Best regards
Guillermo
Comment by Guillermo -
Raptors may actually do ok this year after getting the rust out in last year\’s post season. Beat the Celtics – maybe not – but they have already done it in the regular season so… Ok. Maybe not. But they look good again – watch out!
Jim Dorey
MarketSaw
Comment by Jim Dorey -
I have not watched one complete game.
The purity of the game of basketball has left the NBA years ago. Half the fun of watching college basketball is calling travels out and double dribbles.
In the NBA, I barely recognize the game I played in high school.
Comment by Scott W. -
It does seem like the effort has gone up. The speed of play seems a lot higher throughout the first 4th of the game throughout the NBA. As long as games aren\’t called because of rain again the playoffs should be extra exciting this year.
Comment by freezers -
Not for Knicks fans. We are sick of the Isiah/Marbury controvesy. I\’ll still trade basketball options, but you couldn\’t drag me to the Garden.
Comment by FLC -
You can tell the difference in the intensity of play on a day to day basis. Its really exciting. The West is so stacked that even for teams that secure the #1 or #2 seed, they could end up having to play against a team like the Lakers (who will be at full strength by then) in the first round. Whoever comes out of the West will have earned it.
Comment by Jake K -