NBA Season Is Back and That Makes Me Very Very Happy

We are back everyone. Time to rejoice because the NBA season tipped off this week. The greatest league in America is back playing meaningful games and I am here for all of it. Now that beach season has come to an end (which makes me sad), NBA season, even while being a die hard New York Knicks fan (which is like having a terminal illness), basketball season is the perfect pick me up. And this season is going to be excellent; so many story lines and narratives this year to talk about and I will be talking about a lot of it this year.

Before getting in to the nitty gritty of this coming NBA season's narratives, here are a few reasons why the NBA is now, in my humble (who am I kidding—not so humble) opinion:

1. No team markets its star players better than the NBA. It's the league that understands that they players make the league and not the other way around. The players are major personalities and the league allows them to be icons. Major League Baseball and the NFL can really learn a thing or two about this (The NHL is doing a pretty decent job of this now but it's still hockey which is the clear number 4 of the big sports in the US).
2. Adam Silver is the best commissioner in sports. This is very important. He seems to be a real middle man between the players and the owners; a stark contrast between him and Roger Goodell who is just a puppet for the owners. Silver seems to be a forward thinking guy; always thinking of ways to improve the league whether it's tackling the tanking issue or changing the rules slightly for betterment of the game-watching experience.
3. The league is filled with talented players; the league has not been this talent rich in a long time, maybe ever. Even the bad teams have players that are worth watching; its remarkable.

So Monday night, I recorded my NBA preview podcast with a good friend and fellow hoops head, Ben Siegel; you can here is in the link below. It's an excellent episode (Of I should say so myself—well they are all excellent. Subscribe and help me get this paper) where we touched on a few of the major story lines heading into the year. Here are a few quick hits, thoughts and predictions for the upcoming season:

• The Golden State Warriors will not win 60 games. Not because they can't, but because they don't care too. They know they are the best team and will coast. Now they may not coast to the degree that they did last regular season, but they still won't go balls to the walls this regular season.
• The Boston Celtics will finish with the best record in the NBA. They are absolutely stacked and will be even better when Gordon Hayward gets his legs back under him and feels comfortable out out on the floor again (I have to say it every time I mention Boston—FUCK Boston).
• The analytics darlings, the Denver Nuggets, will miss the playoffs again. This is a hill I have firmly planted my flag on this year. As good as they are offensively, as great a talent as Nikola Jokic is, they are bad defensively. Additionally, I am not sold on their guards, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris being down the stretch creators. In crunch time, where do they go to get a a basket? It's very hard to win at close to a 50 game clip right now in the west when you're best offensive creator is a reluctant scorer at times and is a big man (Jokic) who also happens to be way below average defender. I am selling Nuggets stock.
• Jimmy Butler will be in a Miami Heat uniform by Christmas.
• The OKC Thunder will finish second in the west. I love me some Russell Westbrook- screw the haters. Year two with Paul George. No Carmelo Anthony. I am doubling down on the Thunder.
• Kawhi Leonard will stay in Toronto long term.
• Mario Hezonja will win most improved player of the year. You heard it hear first (well probably not but as a Knicks fan, I dare to dream). #KnicksTape!!!!!

Anyway, go listen to episode 34 of the For the Love of the Game podcast NBA preview and let me know your thoughts. Most of all god bless that NBA basketball is back.