The Commish Online                                                                                          www.thecommishonline.com
OFF THE RIM
Short Attention Span Theatre
February 5, 2004
by William K. Wolfrum

There was a time not long ago when the NBA seemed to be falling apart. Attendance was down, television ratings were down and the players were out of touch and drugged out.

Then, like a miracle, two players came into the league and NBA took flight like a bird. It was magical.

Those two players? LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

OK, maybe it’s way too early to proclaim James and Melo as the league saviors that Magic and Larry Legend were, but personally I’ve noticed something I never thought would happen again.

I’m finding the NBA interesting.

I was actually transfixed the other day by Cleveland-Washington and then Minnesota-Atlanta. It was shocking.

Sure, the Western Conference is still light-years ahead of the East, but, in this observer’s opinion, the overall quality of play is going up. Maybe it’s the influx of foreign players, but things are actually respectable for a change.

Denver and Cleveland both have realistic shots at making the playoffs due to their rookies. Miami is suddenly playing brilliantly. It’s a sight to behold.

Basically, parity is hitting most the league. Eliminate the top- and bottom four in the NBA, and the teams left are all decent if not better.

Maybe a better reason for why things are getting better is the Sacramento Kings. Teams are starting to emulate the Kings’ teamwork on both sides of the court, albeit with less firepower.

Or maybe it’s LeBron and Melo.

Play-A-Likes
Corey Maggette has become the new Adrian Dantley, which is not a bad thing. To make it better, Maggette’s teammates seem to like him and he’s more athletic than AD.

Atlantic Turnstile
So, being that every team in the Atlantic Conference has gotten a new coach in the last year, who will be the first of the new bloods to get canned. The prediction here: Orlando’s Johnny Davis, quickly followed by Chicago’s Scott Skiles.

Remember When
Tyson Chandler was considered a can’t-miss prospect?

Sign That the East is the CBA
Utah, Seattle, Portland and the Clippers look to have no shot to make the playoffs in the West. In the East, they’d be shoe-ins. Golden State probably as well.

Can Someone Tell Me When…
Carlos Boozer became the best power forward in the NBA?

And Finally…
Did anyone catch Cleveland-Lakers on ESPN on Wednesday? Did you see LeBron actually mock Shaquille O’Neal? Whoa, there LeBron, reign it in a bit there, tiger.


William K. Wolfrum is a freelance writer in Southern California.  You can reach him at wkw@williamkwolfrum.com.