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Even after a referee was accused and convicted of gambling on the very sport he works in, the state of the National Basketball Association is strong.
Whether you trust the officiating or not, the players and teams within the NBA are making the game enjoyable for fans. There are enough incredibly skilled athletes, who also happen to be great people, which allow fans to look past the handful of Stephen Jacksons in the game.
If you're a fan of up-tempo, high-scoring hoops there are plenty of teams running that style of offense. If you'd rather see a team grind it out and play lockdown defense, you'll be happy to know there's plenty of that.
Fundamentals have slowly begun to out-shine flashiness, with aspects of international ball continually spreading into the NBA game. And with the best players in the NBA spending plenty of time taking part in international play lately, expect even more change.
After a number of years with only a couple dominant big men, the center position is strong, real strong.
Overall, the quality of play on a nightly basis makes ordering the NBA League Pass a no-brainer for true hoops fans.
Even for sports fans who haven't yet embraced the NBA for whatever reason, the high level of play and otherworldly athleticism on display each night is at the very least entertaining.
As part of Urbs' 2008 State of the NBA Address, it is vitally important to point this out because there are still many people who have yet to embrace the NBA.
Whether they think the game is played purely above the rim or that the league is made up of overpaid thugs, some people have yet to recognize all the great things the NBA provides.
As part of SPiN's 2008 NBA Preview, today we'll also take a look at the most entertaining aspects of each division. From Greg Oden's beard to the return of the "Birdman," SPiN preps you on all the aspects of the NBA you have to keep an eye on.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
SPiN's Projected 2008 Playoff Standings: New Orleans, Utah, Houston, Los Angeles (Lakers), Phoenix, San Antonio, Portland, Dallas.
Northwest Division
SPiN's Projected 2008 Standings: Utah, Portland, Denver, Minnesota, Oklahoma City.
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Best Player: Deron Williams - PG - Utah Jazz - There's a reason Coach K brought three point guards and just one center to the Olympic games. Even with Jason Kidd and Chris Paul on the roster, Williams' playmaking and toughness made him invaluable to the team’s gold-medal run.
Williams and Carlos Boozer continue to make Jazz fans forget the days of that guy with the short-shorts and the guy who took forever to shoot free throws. Unlike Stockton and Malone, however, Michael Jordan isn't standing in the way of Williams and Boozer getting a ring. Free agency and Lebron James, however, are.
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Most Entertaining Aspect: Portland Trailblazers - There are so many reasons to root for Greg Oden to play 82 games whether you like Portland or not. Oden's beard makes him look like a big man from the '70s -- which he may actually have been born in -- and his infectious smile makes you laugh with him and at him all at once.
As nice as he is, however, it's his shot blocking and tenacity in the paint that makes him worth watching. A throw-back to the big men of yesteryear, Oden is more about defense, rebounding and intimidation than trying to lead the league in scoring. Combined with a roster of players that nearly propelled the team into the postseason, and the Blazers are suddenly extremely fun to watch.
*Bonus Entertainment: Chris "Birdman" Anderson makes his triumphant return to the league with the Denver Nuggets. Let's just hope this on- and off-court 'highflyer' is kept out of the Slam Dunk Contest.
Pacific Division
SPiN's Projected 2008 Standings: Los Angeles (Lakers), Phoenix, Golden State, Sacramento, Los Angeles (Clippers).
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Best Player: Kobe Bryant - SG - Los Angeles Lakers - With no real need to explain this pick, it should be noted that Bryant was not the best player on the 2008 Olympic team and he will deal with his injured pinkie all year. The return of Andrew Bynum takes some of the scoring load off Bryant, but a reduction in scoring does not mean a reduction in production.
Bryant has averaged more than 27 points per game every season since 2004-05, but can have a bigger impact scoring 25 per game this year while improving his numbers in every other category. His turnovers should come down, while his shooting percentage and assists should see the biggest boost.
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Most Entertaining Aspect: Amare Stoudemire - PF/C - Phoenix Suns - The Suns as a team would normally take this spot, but trading away Shawn Marion for Shaq doesn't make your team more entertaining. At least not this Shaq. In fact, Shaq's arrival had one and only one positive impact on the Suns' entertainment value.
Shaq's 300-plus-pound frame actually opened the floor for his frontcourt-mate, Amare Stoudemire. In nearly every game he played with O'Neal, Stoudemire easily scored over 20 points while grabbing over 10 rebounds and a handful of uncontested dunks. Stoudemire should be even more confident in the health of his knee this year and could average more than 30 points and 10 rebounds on the year.
Southwest Division
SPiN's Projected 2008 Standings: New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Memphis.
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Best Player: Chris Paul - PG - New Orleans Hornets - Paul completes the Olympic trio of best players in the Western Conference. Like Williams and Bryant, the gold medal in Paul's trophy case will make him a more effective leader and a more driven player. With the perfect mix of shooters and an All-Star caliber starting front-court around him, Paul will easily lead the league in assists again.
After leading his team to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last year, expect Paul to once again keep his team in the title race and himself in the MVP race. If he can lead the Hornets to a No. 1 finish, expect Paul to make more room in that trophy case.
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Most Entertaining Aspect: Houston Rockets - There are so many questions for Houston heading into 2008 you have to wonder why Yao Ming doesn't just stay overseas to make the big bucks and be treated like a god. Can T-Mac stay healthy? Can Yao stay healthy? Can T-Mac and Yao stay healthy? Is Ron Artest still crazy?
The only guarantee for the Rockets is the constant worry of whether tonight will be the night Yao goes down. If the team loses T-Mac or Artest for a period of time they can survive. Without Yao, the Western Conference and improved teams out East would make the Rockets look very average. Either way, neither the team nor Rockets fans should worry about Artest, who has been added to the perfect roster and perfect coaching staff for his personality.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
SPiN's Projected 2008 Playoff Standings: Boston, Orlando, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Miami, Toronto, Atlanta.
Atlantic Division
SPiN's Projected 2008 Standings: Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, New Jersey, New York.
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Best Player: Kevin Garnett - PF - Boston Celtics - While Garnett is the easy choice for this spot, the gap has been closed considerably. Philadelphia's Elton Brand and Toronto's Chris Bosh could also be in this spot, but KG has the ring.
Despite Paul Pierce being the team's best player in last year's NBA Finals, Garnett is the heart and soul of the squad, as well as its defensive force. The big question for KG now is: Will he play with the same fire now that he has a title?
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Most Entertaining Aspect: Philadelphia 76ers - Philadelphia's pair of Andres (Miller and Iguodala) made the 76ers extremely fun to watch last season. When the offense was clicking, Philadelphia could score with any opponent. When Iguodala's fall-away jumper or Miller's floater stopped dropping, they lacked any scoring presence on the inside to ride out the cold streak.
The addition of Brand gives the 76ers a 20-point scorer in the paint and another shot blocker alongside Samuel Dalembert. With everyone picking the 76ers as the surprise or "sleeper" team, they may not be sneaking up on anyone, so don't be surprised if they start the year off slowly.
Central Division
SPiN's Projected 2008 Standings: Detroit, Cleveland, Indiana, Chicago, Milwaukee.
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Best Player: Lebron James - SG/SF/PF - Cleveland Cavaliers - With respect to all the great players in the Central Division, are you kidding me? Lebron is unlike any other player to come before him. If you could genetically construct a basketball player in a lab, the result would be inferior to Lebron.
Lebron combines the physical stature of Terrell Owens with the skill of Randy Moss. I use football terms because there has been no basketball player ever built like Lebron. If he can continue to improve from beyond the arc and master a mid-range jumper, we could see a 35-8-8 season from Lebron.
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Most Entertaining Aspect: Point-guard play - Since I can't knowingly and willingly put Lebron in both categories, take a look at the point guards in the Central Division. Four of the five starting point guards could bust out for 20 points and 10 assists on a given night.
The veteran of the group, Chauncey Billups, is still the best of the bunch, but there are some youngsters ready to take the throne. Cleveland brought in Mo Wiliiams from Milwaukee, who now represent the one team not mentioned here, while Indiana added T.J. Ford and Chicago drafted Derrick Rose. So while Lebron will get all the attention, there will be plenty of great passing and floor-leadership in the Central Division.
Southeast Division
SPiN's Projected 2008 Standings: Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, Washington, Charlotte.
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Best Player: Dwyane Wade - SG - Miami Heat - Wade rebuilt his image and reminded everyone of how great he truly is while leading the 2008 U.S. Olympic Basketball team to gold. That's right, with Kobe, Lebron and everyone else on the floor, it was D-Wade that played the best of all, and without Wade, there would be no gold.
Now Wade has to bring his team back from dead, but he'll have some help to do so. Wade will have a full season with Marion and adding Michael Beasley to the mix allows Wade to expel energy in areas other than scoring. If the Western Conference is a crap-shoot or no player truly separates himself there, Wade will be the MVP of the league.
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Most Entertaining Aspect: Dwight Howard - PF - Orlando Magic - As much as I would like to mention Josh Smith here, there is one big reason why not, and he resides in Orlando. While his numbers will continue to improve, Howard has already become one of the faces of the game and a fan favorite around the world. His performance at last year's Slam Dunk Contest will be talked about forever, and any non-fan of Howard's became a fan that night.
As all of the players on the 2008 Olympic team did, Howard had a long, hard summer. Like Yao or Oden, Howard's health is as vital to his team's success as anyone. If Howard stays on the floor and out of foul trouble, the Chamberlain-like numbers he could post are staggering. Few would be surprised if Howard approaches the 20-rebound per game mark at some point in his career.
SPiN's PROJECTED 2008 AWARDS
Most Valuable Player - Dwyane Wade - SG - Miami Heat
Rookie of the Year - Greg Oden - C - Portland Trailblazers
Coach of the Year - Erik Spoelstra - Miami Heat
Most Improved Player - Al Thornton - PF - Los Angeles Clippers
Defensive Player of the Year - Greg Oden - C - Portland Trailblazers
Sixth-man Award - James Posey - SF - New Orleans Hornets
NBA Finals - Hornets over Cavaliers
First Team All-NBA G: Chris Paul G: Dwyane Wade F: Lebron James F: Amare Stoudemire C: Dwight Howard
Second Team All-NBA G: Deron Williams G: Kobe Bryant F: Kevin Garnett F: Tim Duncan C: Yao Ming
Third Team All-NBA G: Steve Nash G: Brandon Roy F: David West F: Elton Brand C: Andrew Bynum
