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On the wake of the opening of the NBA regular season, it’s only appropriate to discuss some storylines about what to expect this year. The league’s top two players and past two winners of the MVP award were on display on Tuesday night and neither disappointed. Reigning MVP LeBron James opened the year with another sickening display of his athleticism, making plays that most people can only dream about. He compiled 38 points, eight assists, four blocked shots, four rebounds and two steals. Unfortunately though, it wasn’t enough as the Boston Celtics’ balanced attack proved too much for the Cavaliers.
Kobe Bryant also put together a nice stat line with 33 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists while the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers took care of their cross-town opponent Clippers. More important than the results of these two opening games, though, is the way in which these teams integrated their newly acquired stars. The Cavaliers picked up Shaquille O’Neal (aka “The Diesel” or “The Big Aristotle”) in the off-season to boost their roster in the constantly improving Eastern Conference. Shaq put up 10 points and 10 rebounds against the Celtics, but again proved what most of us have known for the last three years: He’s more like your high school algebra teacher than Aristotle at this point.
The Celtics’ most notable acquisition came when Rasheed Wallace chose Boston as his new home. On a team whose line-up is already as loaded as Delonte West’s car, ‘Sheed is expected to bring toughness and great post defense while contributing periodically offensively. He seemed to fit right into his role on Tuesday night, making the Celtics a scary matchup for anyone in the league.
Lastly the Lakers lost Trevor Ariza, their super-athletic defensive playmaker, after last season but upgraded with the addition of Ron Artest. Artest is one of the most well-rounded players in the league and considerably underrated. Sure he’s had some character issues, but that doesn’t take away from the things he can do on the court. He has the ability to take over a game at both ends and will be a huge contributor in the Lakers’ attempt to repeat as champs.
In the past 10 years, I don’t think there has been a season that more teams have entered with high expectations. A league that has typically been dominated by the Western Conference is now experiencing much more balance. With teams like the Celtics, Cavaliers, Magic, Hawks and even the Wizards after Tuesday’s performance, the East has a number of teams that expect big things. That is more of a credit to the East than it is a discredit to the West. The West is as powerful as ever with the Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets, Spurs and Trail Blazers leading the charge. Any of these teams, as well as a few that I haven’t mentioned, have the potential to create problems for anyone they face. If you’re an NBA fan, get ready for a year full of parody and excitement.
Bangor Daily News