The first quarter of the 2004-2005 NBA season will forever be marred by the wildfire-like scuffle that pervaded throughout the Palace at Auburn Hills. The first semester has also provided us with witty satirical quips uttered by Shaquille O'Neal, referencing to the much-maligned Kobe Bryant.
Granted, Ron Artest has already received one plug in this piece, but lest we forget his request to take some time of to promote the hottest new group since the Beatles invading the states. (What was the name of that group again? Anybody?) With hindsight always 20/20, the Pacers would have been much better suited allowing Artest to pound the pavement, promoting the straight to the gently used/discounted album rack at your local music chain.
Enough about these mindless displays of childlike behavior/banter, how about the actual game of basketball?
For those of you who only receive your NBA news from national news anchors that have trouble pronouncing the simplest of names, allow me to bring you up to speed.
The Orlando Magic have a new face, in the same place. Grant Hill is not only still a member of their roster, but also an active member. Taking that a step further, Hill is playing at a level that would make him the acquisition of the offseason, even though that statement is not totally inaccurate.
Hill is averaging just shy of 20 points a contest, and grabbing 5 boards a game. Furthermore, Hill leads the team in steals and is second in assists. However, the most astounding stat to declare is the fact that Hill is averaging 35.2 minutes per game, just a minute shy of team leader Steve Francis.
Taking nothing away from the Magic, but they do play in a division that features competition comparable to your local YMCA gymnasium. The lone exclusion being the Miami Heat, with whom the starry-eyed squad is running neck and neck with.
If (and that is most assuredly a strong if) Hill continues to play at this level, and more importantly can stay out of street clothes, the award given to the Comeback Player of the Year should not only be named after Grant, but also molded in his likeness.
If you allow yourself to look past the Pacers/Pistons rematch, and the Kobe/Shaq tussle on Christmas Day, the Grant Hill story is the tale to monitor for the duration of the season.
The first word that comes to mind to describe the Eastern Conference is definitely not strong. That being said, the rejuvenated Steve Francis, the reborn Grant Hill, and the revamped Orlando Magic could be a force to be reckon with come May.
Be sure to tell your friends that Grant Hill still plays basketball, and plays well. Knowing full well you did, tell them you heard it here first.
Speaking of the East...
The debate question posed to you today is simple. Which is the lesser of two evils? The NFC West or the NBA Atlantic? Now any division that houses the Arizona Cardinals gains the upper hand, but there sits but one team above .500 in the Atlantic (NY Knicks) and second place sits a few games below the Mendoza line.
Not a single team is averaging better than 98 points a game. The Raptors, however, do deserve applause for giving up 100 per outing. Excluding the aforementioned Dinosaurs and the NBDL squad (NJ Nets), the Knickerbockers, Celtics, and 76ers are teams ensconced in tradition. It's almost tear-inducing those teams are now just enamored and borderline content with mediocrity.
Dawn of a new era...
In case you didn't receive the latest copy of your daily news periodical, the team sporting the best record in the league happens to be the Phoenix Suns. After suffering a 19-point loss at the hands of the Suns, LeBron James claimed that Phoenix houses the best team in the league.
That may be true, for now. There is no debate this is the most exciting team to watch in the league, much like the Dallas Mavericks of the past few seasons. The acquisition of Steve Nash has sparked a maelstrom of points and fast breaks, while Amare Stoudemire has left his poor attitude in Athens, and brought back a game that makes him as tough as anyone in the league to defend.
Obviously, it is very early on in the season, but the same attributes that made the Mavs so pleasurable to watch, could also be the downfall of the purple and orange. They will score a ton of points, but when it comes down to crunch time, can they defend as well as they attack?
If the plan is just to outscore opponent on a nightly basis, it is a thought process that exploded all over Mark Cuban's newly-designed football jersey. At some point, the Suns must defend, or Mike D'Antoni will share the same unenviable fate.
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