The NBA is back and there’s actually reason to be excited
Oct 23, 2019, 6:52 AM
Last night marked the beginning of the 2019-20 NBA season. And for the first time in a long time, I’m actually excited.
Growing up, basketball was my first love. I spent more time playing and watching hoops than I did doing just about anything else. If it weren’t for bad knees and a lack of overall athleticism, I’d probably still spend my free nights at the local park or rec center with a ball in my hand. NBA Opening Night was a sacred sports holiday and missing a televised Mavericks game (I’m a Texas native) just didn’t happen.
Then, about five years ago, things changed. That was the first of four straight Warriors/Cavaliers NBA Finals matchups. Nothing against what Golden State has done in the last half decade, but for all intents and purposes, the outcome of each of the last five seasons has been pretty well set before the opening tip of the first regular season game.
As someone who grew up loving the NBA, the predictability sucked all the fun out of the league. It didn’t help that my childhood team was consistently bad, but that’s for a different column.
Thankfully, after a whirlwind offseason that included multiple blockbuster trades, a couple key injuries, and a mass exodus of talent to either coast, there seems to be some semblance of parity again. The Nuggets have just as good of a chance at a title as the Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, Sixers, and Mavs. Well, maybe not the Mavs (but I’m still holding out hope).
The point is, after a half decade lull for anyone who doesn’t live in the Bay Area, Cleveland or on a championship bandwagon, there’s a renewed intrigue in the NBA. In 28 cities (yes, 28, as L.A. and New York have two teams each, remember?) there’s real, tangible hope and even more so here in Denver.
Nikola Jokic is a legitimate MVP candidate. Jamal Murray will likely be in the All-Star conversation for the first time in his career. Michael Porter Jr. makes his debut after a redshirt season and based on what we’ve seen in the preseason, he’ll add an exciting ability to create this town hasn’t seen since Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Knicks in 2010.
One of the youngest teams in the league, coming off a trip to the Western Conference semifinals is poised to make a run even deeper into the postseason. It all starts tonight for Denver, as their slate officially tips off.
It feels good to have fun basketball back again.
