NBA: A New Era of Competition
The 2017-18 NBA offseason is one of the most entertaining in recent memory and it has only been a few days. We all knew LeBron James was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2010, we just didn't know to where. Teaming up with Wade and Bosh in South Beach was a shocker, of course, but you get the picture. So far, almost every move this season has been ground breaking.
The Eastern Conference is being depleted of its stars while the Western Conference is consistently getting stronger. Chris Paul has joined James Harden with the Houston Rockets to form one of the best backcourt duos in the league, and Paul George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder to join forces with the MVP himself, Russell Westbrook.
Each move isn't just happenstance, the league is gearing up to bring down the juggernaut that is the Golden State Warriors. Many argued that the “superteam” that was created in Oakland was unfair but I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. This is what the league needs.
Parity isn't exactly something that's commonplace in The Association. Since its inception, only a few select teams have truly dominated when it comes to hanging banners in the rafters. Together, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have 33 titles, out of 71 total championships, and the next closest team, the Chicago Bulls have six.
Competition breeds excellence and the league is arguably more talented than it has ever been. The Warriors shouldn't be condemned for bringing in the 2013-14 MVP; we should be applauding them. The front office in Oakland did exactly what they were supposed to do, get better. If you have a chance to sign Kevin Durant, then you sign him every time. However, what’s lost in translation is the fact that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were all drafted by Golden State. They developed and grew together organically so what exactly did they do that was so bad?
If you know anything about their careers, none of them were penned to move the needle that much. The reigning champions have proven that chances make champions. By all accounts, Golden State is subconsciously forcing ball clubs to get better. General managers will be working hard to bring in “fit” as opposed to names. Hopefully, there will be no more sitting idly by and going through the motions dreaming to make the lottery.
If teams can't compete, they will be viewed as failures and no one wants to be a failure in this era. The added pressure to be great allows the NBA to consistently put a quality product on the floor and fans will be delighted to competitive games nightly. There will always be winners and losers but what may be eliminated is the lack of effort and this offseason isn't lacking in effort. Teams are vowing for assets just to be in contention
and that's how it should be.
There is an arms race, even though the elite are still elite, the league will be extremely competitive. For instance, the Minnesota Timberwolves went from up-and-coming to right now. As a fan of the NBA, that's all anyone could ask for. If the moves made so far are any indication of how good this season will be, we are all in for a treat.
Photo Credit: Ball Don't Stop and Sports Illustrated.
