ELItorial: NBA report: alive and kicking

COURTESY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED John Stockton and the veteran Jazz top the NBA despite their age.

1. Fans care.

The NBA is still entertaining. Face it. To all you embittered, angry fans who are still holding out: give in and turn on the tube. During the lockout, when the players were making asinine complaints about the property taxes on their 13 mansions, most fans said they wished the players and owners would take the league and shove it up their collective ass. Guess what? They were lying. Attendance is good, NBC's ratings are higher than last year's, and SportsCenter can finally stop showing so many hockey highlights. Even Chicago Bulls fans still seem to care. The game's popularity has confirmed a longstanding axiom: fans don't care that much about what goes on off the court as long as there is exciting ball being played on it. However...

2. Be prepared for some really ugly games.

If you go to espn.com and check out the latest games, you'll notice one glaring fact: the players are scoring less than my roommate. Some recent scores: 70-67 (Atlanta-Orlando, Mon., Mar. 1), 71-56 (Utah-Seattle, Tues., Feb. 16), 79-63 (Chicago-New York, Sun., Feb. 21). Chicago, the worst offensive team in the league, was scoring 80.9 points per game through Sun., Feb. 28; the season record low is 87.4, set in 1954 by Milwaukee. And that was before the shot clock. By comparison, Duke, the nation's best college team, has averaged 93.2 points per game. When scoring at least 100, NBA teams were a combined 71-18 through Sunday. Obviously, scoring is way down even in comparison with recent years, during which league-wide scoring has hit an all-time low.

Many have cited the short training and long layoff as reasons for this anemic offense. Those factors exist, but the season started a month ago and the players have had ample time to shake off the rust and the flab--even 40 pounds of flab (see Shawn Kemp). The phenomenon you're seeing will last all year, and that's because the season itself is so short. Teams play 50 games in only 90 days, and for players used to a leisurely schedule of 82 games in 180 days, that's a big difference. Some thought the players would be less tired come playoff time, without the grind of a full season, but a lot of teams, especially older ones like the Pacers and Rockets, are finding the schedule a mixed blessing. Of course, despite the need for fresher legs, one team is bucking the trend...

3. The elderly Jazz are the best team.

There's not much of a dispute. The Jazz boasts the league's top record and still has two of the greatest players ever to lace 'em up. Karl Malone seems to get better each year, and his rapport with John Stockton only improves with age. It will be mighty hard for any West team to prevent a third straight trip to the Finals for Utah, and this time the Jazz won't be staring MJ in the face.

4. The Lakers were smart to sign Dennis Rodman.

Anyone who claims the Worm won't help forgets that he has played a pivotal role in winning five of the last 10 NBA championships. A player with his pure basketball smarts and skills can only help a team that has proven time and time again that its superior talent can't make up for not having any brains.

5. The rookie class, along with some surprising returning players, is turning heads.

Paul Pierce leads the league in steals and scores 20 points per game from any spot on the floor. He's also made nine GMs around the league look like morons for not drafting him. Jason Williams, almost an afterthought in preseason rookie predictions, has shown how he got the nickname "White Chocolate," dazzling opponents with an array of stutter-step moves and behind-the-back passes. And everyone's wondering what the Warriors were smoking when they traded Vince Carter to Toronto for Antawn Jamison. Carter's explosive, quick style has immediately made him the Raptors' franchise player. Raef LaFrentz was playing superbly before suffering a season-ending injury, and Mike Bibby is among the league leaders in assists. And Michael Olowokandi, despite a slow start, is beginning to show why the Clippers (0-12 through Monday) might even win a game someday.

In addition, several players have been surprise stars. Allen Iverson is unstoppable, leading the league in scoring and his Sixers to a winning record. Brian Grant owns the boards in Portland. For the Kings, Chris Webber has been the league's top power forward (with apologies to Karl Malone). And although people knew he was good, no one thought Kobe was this good.

6. The Knicks are going to win the championship in June.

'Nuff said.

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