[Revering4Blue]

And in terms of quality of play and its entertainment value, the NBA is enjoying its best run in nearly 20 years.

Take a closer look. You'll find that some of the longstanding arguments against the NBA are outdated.

The game isn't as slow and boring and devoid of various styles of play anymore. The defending champion Miami Heat plays small ball and excels in transition. Even the San Antonio Spurs — the plodding ol' Spurs — score 104.2 points per game. There are big and bruising teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz, and there are teams defying gravity such as the Los Angeles Clippers. The game is more wide open than it used to be, and there's no single prototype that everyone copies.

It's still a superstar-driven league, but better overall teams are being built. The franchise players continue to run the NBA, and they've been teaming up to form super teams, but interestingly, the league is far more competitive than the days when Shaq and Kobe reigned. For all the Heat did to put LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together, they're not miles ahead of the rest of the league like many thought they would be. And there are several teams, the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets included, without a true superstar that are winning with depth.

The biggest change? This crop of stars is far more likable and trustworthy. Don't throw out the breathless and lazy thug label with these guys. James, the league's best player, is a responsible torchbearer who has never been in trouble and who tried in vain to play the villain role after he left Cleveland for Miami. He gave up, returned to being a fun-loving guy, and he's playing the best basketball of his career. Kobe Bryant has rebuilt his image. Kevin Durant is a basketball savant. Wade is a great league spokesman. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving — they're all easy to root for. Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan — like Bryant, they're all future Hall of Famers still chasing one more championship.

http://seattletimes.com/html/jerrybr..._brewer19.html

Spot-on.