It's FAN-tastic

What a great time to be an NBA fan. Let me count a few ways...

5) TNT and NBA TV in HD. In 2007, Comcast didn't give us these channels in HD, but all of a sudden in 2008, we do. Now we can watch NBA games either on Tivo (to speed through commercials and free throws) or in glorious high def.

4) The recent trades. While it bugs me that the Lakers got a legit All-Star big man (of which there might be only 10 or so in the entire league) for absolutely nothing, I have to admit that a league with good teams in LA and Boston is more interesting just because of the history and the fanbases. Sure, it means that there will be more irritating bandwagon fans hopping on (especially the Lakers bandwagon), and as a Warriors and Spurs fan it's frustrating that my teams could very well even fall out of the playoffs, but just as a basketball fan it's fascinating to see how LA, Dallas, and Phoenix are integrating their newest acquisitions. TrueHoop had a good article on this topic last week, about the differences between the effects of good social cohesion (a good locker room environment) and good task cohesion (teams that might not like each other in the locker room but work together well on the court).

3) The proliferation of web analysis and highlights on the league. Sites like TrueHoop, ESPN NBA Highlights, and Coaching Better Bball have all entered my daily reading. In particular, the latter site (a recent discovery) has been quite enjoyable to see video clips of plays, offensive sets, drills, and insights that I wouldn't be able to pick up on my own.

2) The ridiculously competitive Western conference. Every win or loss, even in the regular season, has daily implications for the playoff seedings. What does this translate into? Regular season games with the intensity of playoff games. While I'm concerned that this will drain the West teams prematurely in the playoffs prior to meeting up with Boston, Detroit, or Cleveland in the Finals, it does mean that every week there are great games on TV.

1) One year ago today, with the Warriors mired in a 6 game losing streak, they beat Detroit 111-93 to begin a 16-5 run to end the season and sneak into the playoffs. I still can't quite believe just how things have changed in the atmosphere here in the Bay Area with this team since then - I was at the 76ers game last Friday, and we were expecting to win against a decent East team that upset Phoenix the very next night. The W's didn't disappoint, going up by double digits early and never letting us feel the familiar tension from years past of "how are they going to blow the game this time?"

While the team doesn't appear to have the talent necessary to be a true contender for the title now or in the future (today's core of Baron/Jax and tomorrow's of Monta/Biedrins/Wright), the fact that basketball is fun to watch in the Bay is the greatest reason to be an NBA fan right now.