Battle for the East - The 2013-2014 NBA Season

 “Battle for the East – The 2013-2014 NBA Season”

“A View from the Bleachers”

Victor M. Singletary with Curtis J. Singletary

Quite possibly, the Brooklyn Nets within a season of their move across the Hudson River and over the Verrazano Bridge from New Jersey have utilized masterfully free agency to acquire an ensemble of players certain to dominate the Eastern Conference.  Previously unimaginable, Kevin Garnett relinquished his Boston Celtics uniform; suspecting the luck of the Irish can be found in the borough of Brooklyn.  Paul Pierce also finds Brooklyn Boehme alluring.  Jason Terry makes a Texas size exit from the Dallas Mavericks.  Mason Plumlee realizes that people play basketball outside of the research triangle of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill.  The assets of this ensemble’s veteran experience, height, neophyte fever and eagerness to achieve a professional record equal to a stellar collegiate one and Brook Lopez’s  strength in the center position begs the question on the mind of many avid basketball fans.  Can the Brooklyn Nets dethrone the Miami Heat?

One major story line of the 2013-2014 NBA season will be the battle for the East.  Will the Miami Heat “three-peat” and match the illustrious achievements of the Chicago Bulls in the Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen and Dennis Rodman era?  After considering the difficulty of such a main feat and whether the Heat individually and collectively possess the internal resolve, focus and determination to ask themselves to match such a monumental historical achievement, the question remains, “Which Eastern Conference team has the talent and potential to deny the Miami Heat a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference title and trip to the NBA finals?”  Basketball fans in the Mid-West immediately cite the return of Derrick Rose and the Bulls’ stalwart defensive game and premiere coaching as reasons for Chicago’s chances of dethroning the Heat.  In the neighboring state of Indiana, Pacers fans relish their big bodies in the paint and height advantage as evidence of their best possibilities.  With Roy Hibbert, the center standing at 7’ 3”, George Hill, the point guard at 6’ 7”, Paul George, shooting guard at 6’ 8”, and returning from an injury at small forward at 6’ 9”, Danny Granger, Pacers fans are not delusional.  Religiously and uncritically devoted New York Knicks fans such as one of the authors posit Carmelo Anthony’s repeat of the NBA scoring title, averaging twenty-nine (29) points per game, the acquisition of Meadow World Peace’s (previously Ron Artis) defense skills and the return of Tyson Chandler and JR Smith solidifies the case for the Knickerbockers.  Notwithstanding the Bulls’ unparalleled history in basketball, Pacers fans’ atavistic view of their team and Knicks’ fans’ evangelical devotion, objectively, the Brooklyn Nets seemingly have the best chance of gaining dominance in the Eastern Conference.

In addition to their previously cited assets, the Nets have depth on the bench.  Anyone sitting on the bench will be able to immediately enter the game and contribute to their offense.  However, to present a reasonable threat to the Miami Heat, the Brooklyn Nets faces three major challenges and have one primary liability.  Can they establish consistency in play and execution of an offense that the whole team accepts?  Will the preseason games afford the Nets sufficient time to define to a game plan that utilizes their strengths and compensates for their weaknesses?  Stated another way in plain language, will the disparate veterans, all-stars and rookies who comprise the Brooklyn Nets gel as team thereby enabling them to contest the Miami Heat for control of the East?  The larger than life elephant in the Nets locker room is the head coach’s abilities and potential.  Will the recently retired player turned coach, Jason Kidd, motivate this team and empower them to maximize their personal and team talent?  An affirmative answer presumes Kidd possesses the inner reserves to corral the monumental egos of his players.  Nevertheless, hiring Kidd as the Nets head coach equal a double edged sword thus presenting the team’s cardinal liability.   He will propel the Nets to control of the Eastern Conference or possibly his steep learning curve in his first year as a coach will squander a perfect opportunity for a hungry franchise.

Miami’s well-renowned, well respected and greatly fears triumvirate of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade remains intact.  Recent acquisitions of Ray Allen from the Boston Celtics and Greg Oden from the Portland Trailblazers complete the staring five.  Undoubtedly, these veterans have gelled into a fiercely competitive and championship team.  Three consecutive trips to the NBA finals yielded two back-to-back chips.  Some fans credit head coach, Erik Spoelstra, with keeping this team focused.  Looming over his shoulder is the magnanimous shadow of Miami’s general manager and previous championship winning head coach, Pat Riley, whose influence in both the game of basketball and world of fashion is unparalleled.  Still, the Heat must contend with a few basic and appropriate questions for athletes in their position.  Have they reached a plateau that they cannot exceed?  Are they too old and tired to make a legitimate run at another championship?  Has the talk of a Miami Dynasty distracted them?  At thirty years of age, will Wade’s ankles and knees prevent him from contributing to any future success?  As I relates to liabilities, rebounding continues to plague the Heat.  Resting upon withered laurels as a new season begins is a major temptation for last year’s champions.  Boundless, the Heat’s recent successes have earned new rivalries for them as several teams throughout the NBA seek to dethrone them.

As a proud resident of the City of New York and an avid Knicks fan, one of the authors would love to assure you that the Knickerbockers will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals come June 2014.  Bookies and odds makers in Las Vegas and elsewhere can supply you with the percentages and possibilities of that favorable hope becoming reality.  However, it seems more likely that the Miami Heat stand a reasonable and perhaps formidable chance of earning a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference title and third consecutive NBA championship.  However, they still must navigate the tough terrain of New York as the Brooklyn Nets represent a considerable adversary to the Heat’s historic dreams.  Notwithstanding the powerful opposition of the Bulls and Pacers as well as the Knicks, the battle for the East in this season will be a burgeoning rivalry between the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets.