Tuesday night, when the Lakers and Nuggets tip off in Denver, we will begin a season that will be defined by two words:
Competitive balance.
That’s right, the NBA’s decades-long dream of achieving NFL-like parity has been realized. A dozen teams in the Western Conference believe they are playoff teams (that’s playoff, not play-in), while at least half see a pathway to the Finals. The East is more top-heavy (Boston and Milwaukee are clearly top of the class), but the 76ers, Knicks and Cavaliers are good, and at least one of the up-and-coming teams at the bottom of the conference (Magic, Hornets, Pistons) could break out.
