By CHRIS PUNTO
Columnist
Finally! The moment that all of us have secretly been waiting for! Basketball season is back! For months I’ve been biting my tongue and pretending I cared about football season while looking at my phone to see who got traded to what team during the off-season, which was intense, but we will get there.
This season is possibly going to be one of the best ones in a long time. With the off-season being so crazy, how could it not? As most, if not all, of you know, LeBron James has gone back to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers and Kevin Love followed. Being a true Heat fan and not a bandwagon fan, this did not make me happy. Other big decisions included Carmelo Anthony staying in New York and Pau Gasol going to Chicago to play for the Bulls.
All of this comes down to an amazing season. So let’s look at the contenders. We clearly have the defending champions. The San Antonio Spurs, whose fundamental style of play and amazing sense of teamwork makes them a real threat, are in the running for another championship. Then we have the Cavaliers and their new Big 3. One underdog that I have hope for is the Miami Heat. They aren’t what they used to be, but with players like Chris Bosh and Luoi Deng stepping up, and key performances by Dwyane Wade, this team could still go all the way. And if you don’t believe me then look at it this way. The Heat won their first three games. The Cavs lost their first. That’s not an indicator that they will lose all season, but it is a set back.
It all comes down to this; it’s about time. The NBA is starting to find a sense of balance between the East and the West Conferences. Stronger teams are emerging in the east to combat the dominant west. That mixed with all of the other sports stuff I’ve talked about makes for an eventful regular season leading to an epic playoff series to match last years, and I can’t wait.