For the first time in several years, I can honestly say I look forward to watching regular season NBA games. 

Don't get me wrong, I love the NBA, but in recent years the regular season product has been decidedly "hum drum", with only the Suns providing some real excitement to what is an otherwise boring grind of 82 games.  Now we have something to look forward to!

Let's just throw out out the "what team traded for this or that player" for the time being, the trade deadline's passed, and now it's time for everyone to make their stretch runs, and for once even some of the teams in the East are going to be worth watching!  (Besides Detroit I mean). 

Look at it this way - Several teams revamped their rosters completely (Cleveland, Dallas), some made modest but powerful moves (Houston, New Orleans), some built for the future (OH good lord the Sonics!!), while others decided the time is now!  (Lakers, Suns).  And then, in the midst of it all, there is the sleeper trade of them all, where the quiet, steady Spurs gain a highly underrated force in Kurt Thomas.  I would challenge you to find another mid season trade deadline where so many teams made so many moves for so many different reasons.  Amazing!

Now, despite what all the pundits out there will say, that the Western Conference playoffs will be insane while the East will be relatively quick and easy, I will concede that could be the case.  But I think that once the first round is over, the Eastern Conference playoffs will be just as intense as the West will be, because the top four teams in the East (Boston, Destroit, Cleveland and Orlando) are very well matched up against one another.  Remember last year where the East was mostly sweep after sweep (or lose just 1 game in the series) - We didnt get a good series until the Cavs/Pistons in the East finals.  I don't see that happening this year.

As for the West, good god.  This is...WOW...This is going to be one of the best off seasons ever, and what's ####y to me is that through all the hubub of trades and changes, as much as I absolutely HATE to admit this, I would not be surprised to see the Spurs come out of the West.  In the playoffs chemistry is just as important as defense to winning a championship, and NO ONE except the Pistons can compare with the Spurs when it comes to Chemistry. 

I am a Suns' Homer, of course, never denied it, but I always try to call a #### a #### (so to speak), and to all the Spurs Homers out there, my hat's off to you, the Spurs' management steered a very unsteady course with all the trades, stuck to their guns, and in the end picked up a potent (if limited) big man in Kurt Thomas who will give them even more of a defensive presence and another mid range shooter with a solid touch.  Great pickup by the Spurs and much as in the Gasol trade, you didn't have to give up much of anything to get him.

The team I feel got hosed the worst in this bout of trades was Cleveland.  Poor LeBron, the man just can't get the help he really needs.  They blew up the team mid season and got older, slower, and less athletic, and didn't shore up ANY of their weaknesses (on either side of the ball), which means King James will win the MVP award but probably be bounced in the 2nd round when Ben Wallace decides to resume his late season nap. 

Next most hosed is the Mavs, who would have won this award if the Cavs deal hadn't come down at the last minue.  Kidd's good, but not that good, and he's never been that good with a skilled big man (Kidd's good at passing IN to the basket, Dirk plays more away from it), and in the end, I feel this just hastened the end of the Mavs run near the top of the elite teams by about 2 years.  Their window just closed and they have little to build on towards the future, having traded away their best young players and several key draft picks.  It's a shame, I like the Mavs.

The unqualified winner of the Trade game was the Sonics, who basically called a Mulligan on this season, will play it out for experience, and solidified their future through at least 2010.  The only pity in all of this is that because of the pissing match between the owners and the city of Seattle that the real winners of this trade bonanza will be whatever city the Sonics move to.  That is the true shame, because the fans in Seattle deserve MUCH better than what they are getting from both their city managers and the ownership of the Sonics.

You talk about the Suns, the Lakers, and every other team who did or did not make moves (major or minor) during this mid season, and in the end it all boiled down to this.  The bigget winner of all?

US!!!!!!!!!!!  We FINALLY came out ahead here!  WOOHOO!!!

*kicks back to enjoy*

Im out - Thanks for reading - Dal