Do you smell that?
That's the sweet scent of a new NBA season, flush with many storylines that should make 2013-2014 one of the most interesting seasons in years.
For even the casual NBA fan, this season provides more than enough intrigue for whatever you prefer. If you are into fast-paced, exciting offenses, tune into Golden State Warriors or Los Angeles Clippers games.
If you are more of an old-school type, watch the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers. Let's say you're into watching old players continue to wreak havoc in the league, feel free to watch the San Antonio Spurs run their timeless clinic.
Or maybe you're into watching teams tank on purpose for the 2014 draft ("Riggin' for Wiggins"); the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns will be appealing for you. Whatever your style, this season will suit your fancy and then some.
Here are a few storylines that you should follow this season:
1. Can Miami Three-Peat?
After an offseason in which the Heat lost one of its three-point sharpshooters, Mike Miller, to the Grizzlies and gained two players with dubious backgrounds, the immature Michael Beasley and the injury-prone (I'm being nice) grandfather Greg Oden, will Miami be able to gear up for another run at a title?
Do the Heat rely too much on their three big stars, exposed if one of them falls to injury after playing more than 90 games in each of the last three seasons?
Is this the first time since LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami that it is more likely that another team wins the finals? These are all fascinating questions that leave the Heat vulnerable for the first season since the Big Three formed.
2. Who Emerges From the Depths of the Western Conference?
As usual, the West is loaded this year, and it remains to be seen who will make it to the Finals.
Will it be the Oklahoma City Thunder? Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are unstoppable, but their supporting cast is nonexistent outside of Serge Ibaka, especially after losing sixth man Kevin Martin to the Timberwolves.
Can the Houston Rockets be the No. 1 seed? After landing the big fish of free agency, Dwight Howard, and having the best shooting guard in the league, James Harden, the Rockets will be much improved, but their defense outside of Howard still looks shaky, and that will prevent them from making it to the Finals.
What about the ageless Spurs? The 2013 playoffs showed the effects of aging on at least one Spur, Manu Ginobili, so while Tim Duncan and Tony Parker continue to play at a high level, Gregg Popovich will lean more than ever on the talented Kawhi Leonard for scoring – will that be enough?
What about the Clippers? With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, as well as free-agent additions J.J. Reddick and Jared Dudley, this team will probably score more than any other team in the league, but I doubt a team's ability to win a conference when Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are anchoring the defense.
The Warriors rely too much on the weak ankles of Stephen Curry and need to play defense while the Grizzlies, with all due respect to their stifling defense, do not have enough scoring to keep up with their rivals. This whole paragraph, which doesn't answer its original question, should serve as one good reason to follow the wide-open Western Conference this year.
3. Which Team Can Threaten Miami in the East?
The Eastern Conference is better this season as a whole than it has been in years, but which teams can actually challenge the Heat from going to the Finals for the fourth straight season? I give three teams a chance: the Brooklyn Nets, the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls.
The Nets had the most interesting offseason of any NBA team, adding old-school legends Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Alongside Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, the Nets will feature a balanced offense and a much-improved offense. However, with such an old lineup and a rookie coach in Jason Kidd, this squad may not be able to keep up with the Heat's relentless speed.
The Pacers feature tons of potential and were one game from the Finals last season. The core of Paul George, Roy Hibbert and David West is one of the tops in the league, but can its supporting cast do enough to carry the load?
They improved their bench with the return of Danny Granger and adding Luis Scola, but until George becomes a superstar and Hibbert plays consistently at his potential, the Pacers will struggle to get past the Bulls or the Heat.
The Bulls have the best coach and the best defense, which, in the postseason, gives them the best chance of knocking off the Heat. The difference in this year's Bulls from last year's Bulls is the return of former MVP Derrick Rose.
He should be a game-changer in a lineup featuring Rose, the talented Jimmy Butler, the reliable Luol Deng, forward scorer Carlos Boozer and one of the most energetic players in the league, Joakim Noah. This lineup, which has yet to play one minute together, has tons of potential and will surely play stellar defense under Tom Thibodeau.
The 2013-2014 season will be a fun one, and I've only mentioned three storylines. Who will win the "Riggin' for Wiggins" sweepstakes? Will a big name get traded during trade season, which should be the busiest in years? The ultimate question, which will win the NBA Championship in June?
As Zach Lowe of Grantland writes, "The title feels more truly in play than it has been in a while." So take a break from football, sit back and enjoy, everyone. Basketball is back.
– By Ethan Morris
Photo courtesy of Flickr, Keith Allison
