I am the only person I know who enjoys watching NBA basketball over college hoops. Everyone else gets up-in-arms over this idea. But they’re crazy. Why do I like the NBA better? Because they ARE better. In every single way. Yes, it is a little more individually nuanced, but those who think the NBA is not about team basketball, are deluding themselves.
Some of the greatest teams in NBA history have emerged in the past two decades despite an era of free agency, the end of regional recruiting, and sparce loyalty by both management and players. The most obvious team is the 1991-1998 Chicago Bulls who utterly dominated that decade. In between those year’s were Rudy Tomjanovich’s Houston Rockets who, led by Olajuwon, won the two years that the Bulls did not. Phil Jackson’s Lakers dominated the centennial transition winning the title three times consecutively from 2000-2003. Greg Papovich and Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs won four titles in the years between 1999 and 2007 to become another dynasty to emerge among a spattering of highly efficient TEAMS. Pat Riley’s Miami Heat, NBA champions in 2006 can really be said to be the only “one-shot” team to emerge victorious in nearly 20 years of play.
Then there were other fantastic teams who did not get the credit that they deserved. First on this list is the Detroit Pistons. They won the NBA title in 2004 with Larry Brown coaching and Chauncey Billups at the helm. Had it not been for Duncan’s Spurs, they would have repeated as well. Then there was the New Jersey Nets of 2002 and 2003 whose team was stacked with the likes of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Kenyon Martin only to lose twice in the finals. John Stockton, Karl Malone, and Jerry Sloan’s Utah Jazz of 1997 and 1998 know what I’m talking about. Of course Mike D’ Antoni posted a 65% win-loss record with the Phoenix Suns, scored three Pacific Divisional titles and got nothing out of it but a hard good-bye (and a fat wallet). Avery Johnson had a similar experience with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics coached by Doc Rivers are looking at a good oppurtunity to repeat their championship win this record start this season, but there are a few teams who have something to say about it yet. But if the NBA style is not quite “team-oriented” enough, which I say again is a silly proposition, then instead of Division I ball, folks should tune into the WNBA where some of the best and unfortunately most over-looked basketball is played.
Now, it is understood that this supposed “individuation” of the NBA is one of the league’s greatest selling factors. The word “superstar” was made for the NBA. Yet it is not necessarily the guy you should be watching for. Some stars quickly become overblown, outmoded, and overrated. Look at Stephon Marbury for one who seems to sadly make headlines at just about anything except basketball these days.
Other players are easily overlooked even despite solid perfomances night after night. Look at the Washington Wizards’ Antawn Jamison for instance. Even though Caron Butler is the star of the team, Jamison puts up comparable numbers, and to me, is just more fun to watch.
Other times, though, the star is exactly the guy you should be looking for on TNT or ESPN. With All-Star Weekend approaching, here’s the guys that keep us tuned to the set.
Chris Paul - Guard - New Orleans Hornets
There’s just something about Chris Paul that doesn’t sit right with me. It’s an illogical feeling and its roots I cannot trace. So it’s hard for me to emotionally write him in as one of the players who’s most fun to watch. But at the same time, my rational and reasonable mind is present enough to put him in the first spot. Not for a long time has anyone been so smooth, so innovative, yet so effective at ball handling and slashing to the bucket as Chris Paul is. You truly never know what is going to happen next.
Deron Williams - Guard - Utah Jazz
Along the same lines with Paul, with exception to the illogical dislike, Deron Williams is a quality ball-handler. While Paul is performing to every camera in the country, Williams is quietly dishing them out in the West. Williams is the most poised player right now to take Jason Kidd’s crown as the silent superstar.
Ray Allen - Guard - Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce is the heart of the new Boston Celtics. Kevin Garnett is the leader. Ray Allen is the unsung hero. In addition, he’s the rare combination of talent, fundamental skill, and atleticism which allow him to score crazy points whenever he feels like it. Of course, he gave it all up, like the other two of the famous “three party,” in exchange for championships. And they’ve all delivered. Pierce has cemented his spot in Celtics history and by extension, NBA history, with his clutch play and fire in the finals last year. Garnett also won the championship that has eluded other all-time big men such as Patrick Ewing and Karl Malone and nearly won his second MVP last year. He’s a machine. But he’s not all that fun to watch. Not like Allen who seems to always do the sort of amazing things that people just don’t seem to notice. In addition, he has absolutely the quickest release of anyone in the league. It’s amazing. What’s better though is his mid-air ball control on a fast break. He doesn’t throw-down hard or flail about wildly like others; he simply places the ball exactly where he needs and wants it to go. Such precision is rare.
Lebron James - Forward - Cleveland Cavaliers
Lebron’s game is getting better. Skip Bayless at ESPN is infamous for stating the obvious in years past that Lebron is rough around the edges. He’s not that great of a shooter past 15 feet, he needs to improve his free throws, and he needs to take one fewer step most of the time. It’s evident this season that these things are being sanded away with a fine grain. But the reasons to watch him are the same despite his subtle overall improvements. First of all, he is a monster human being. A genetic freak if you will with super-human like abilities. I’m reminded of the Phantom from Defenders of the Earth who could call for the power of ten tigers and receive it. Yeah, he’s like that. And when he decides to drive the lane, he is an absolute freight train. He’s a juggernaut because of his size and strength, and when he starts moving, he can’t be stopped. So get out of the way. Physical attributes aside, it’s just nice to see a young man who has everything in the world enjoy what he does and share that joy with the fans so freely. It’s refreshing.
Kobe Bryant - Guard - Los Angeles Lakers
Nobody likes Kobe Bryant. Fine. But he is so damn graceful that you can’t but help drop your jaw when you watch. Every movement, if captured in a still photograph, is as Degas. Think ballerinas. There is nothing more to say.
Dwight Howard - Center - Orlando Magic
It’s fitting that Dwight Howard play for the Magic. Not since Shaquille O’Neal was drafted by them in 1993 has the league been so smitten with a big man. There’s been many greats to come in and out of play since, but no one has captured the public’s imagination like Dwight Howard. Where Shaq was just mass and unmovable dominance, Howard is strength, speed, mobility, AND dominance. Tim Duncan is a future hall-of-famer, but he’s boring. This quality happens to make him one of my favorite players, but I understand where many others would disagree. Not with the numbers, of course, but in the wonder.
Dwyane Wade - Guard - Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade is my absolute favorite player to watch right now. He has speed and quickness that is unriveled and control. What makes him better than the rest is desire. He won an NBA championship in 2006 and a Finals MVP trophy as well. He deserved it too by giving one of the greatest finals performances of all time. The last two seasons though have been riddled with injury for Wade. And just when it seemed the NBA would lose a great star and potential hall-of-famer, he came back healthy, leaner, stronger, and faster than ever. He came back with something to prove. It’s been a fun ride so far.
I totally agree on preferring NBA over college BBall, and have had this argument with many people over the years.
Good list. I agree with most of your choices, and would only add the following:
First, I would still add Tracy McGrady - sure, he hasn’t been the same the last few years, but man, every now and then he turns it on and is unstoppable. I’ll never forget that game in ‘04 when he scored 13 points in the last 34 seconds of a game (I’m not kidding, look it up on youtube sometime). That was the hottest anyone has been at the end of a game probably ever.
Second, although I do love Ray Allen, all of us up here in Boston are in love with Rajon Rondo. He’s a lot more reckless than Paul and Williams, but he’s SO fast and creative, he can be basically unguardable. The fact that he makes so many great plays and yet makes a lot of dumb mistakes makes him one of the most exciting players to watch, because you never know if he is going to kill the other team or his own. That is fun to watch.
I ALMOST put Rondo on the list for the reasons you cited. He was a big factor in the Celtics win last season and he’s having a stellar season so far. My only hesitation is the sloppy play and mistakes that you mentioned. Of course the riskiness in his play is exactly what makes him fun to watch. What’s odd though is that when you look at the numbers, Rondo has fewer turnovers per game than anyone on the list, except Ray Allen. But Rondo’s assist to turnover ration is greater and only Paul succeeds him there.
And I’m a big Tracy McGrady fan and watch the Rockets exclusively for him. One of my favorite qualities of his is how he handles himself on the court. He’s quite professional. If he were to take a few months off to heal up a little, I think he could be deadly again.