My Five Favorite NBA Teams to Watch

Note: This was originally posted on my old blog on Sunday, January 31, 2010.

At the beginning of every week I look at the week's upcoming NBA schedule. Given that my NBA viewing is limited to what is on ESPN, TNT, and ABC I watch what I am given to watch. So when I see the schedule I hold my breath and hope one of these five teams is on the slate of upcoming games (not that I won't watch if they're not).

Spurs - Yes, putting the Spurs first is biased. I'll admit that. I know they don't have any spectacular dunkers, and they don't score a ton of points, and they don't have any captivating stars, but if the Spurs are on I can't take my eyes off the screen.

Of course it all starts with Tim Duncan. Next time the Spurs are on treat yourself and just watch Timmy for a five-minute stretch. Notice how he makes the right decision every time. He screens when he needs to screen, he scores when he needs to score, and he passes when he needs to pass. The result might not be perfect all of the time. I mean let's be honest, Timmy is not an elite finisher or athlete in NBA terms. So yes he messes up, but it's never a mental mistake and something has to be said for the complete lack of basketball cognitive dissonance that you experience when you watch the Big Fundamental.

Oh yeah, and the Spurs have other players that are fun to watch too. Just the chance of seeing a glorious exhibition of Manu Ginobili's creative brilliance on the court makes watching the Spurs worth it. And DeJuan Blair? Have you seen this guy? Since when are undersized power forwards who do the dirty work happy-go-lucky? Watching Blair enjoy repeatedly schooling taller opponents is worth the price of admission. So yeah, the boring old Spurs are my favorite team to watch.

Suns - Hah! See, I'm not really that biased after all. I mean how could I put the Spurs archrival second if I was biased? I couldn't!

Anyway, the Suns, despite their obvious decline in talent over the last couple of years, are still incredibly fun to watch.

And like the Spurs, it starts with one near perfect basketball player, the one and only Steve Nash. Like Duncan, Nash seemingly never makes the wrong decision. He is only limited by his relative lack of strength and explosiveness. In my opinion Nash is the second most offensively skilled player in the NBA, behind only Kobe Bryant. From his one-handed scoop shots off the wrong foot to his running left handed hooks off the backboard, there is no shot that Nash can't make. And you know what's even more incredible? For all of the horse shots that Nash shoots in games, he's the first player in NBA history to shoot at least 40% from three, 50% from two, and 90% from the free throw line in three different seasons. Oh and guess what? He's on pace to do it again this year.

Not only is Steve Nash maybe the best shooter in the NBA but he also happens to be the best passer in the NBA. I guess I should probably mention that. His creative yet smart passing has been well documented, but it bears mentioning again. Just like there is no shot that Steve Nash can’t make, there is no pass that he hasn’t tried and completed. From anywhere to anywhere by any means. Now that’s fun to watch.

And even though Steve Nash is reasons 1-6 why I love to watch the Suns there are a few other reasons. Grant Hill is one. Also exceptionally cerebral, Hill is an almost perfect basketball player. Of course he’s no longer really even a star, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a great basketball player. Like Duncan and Nash, Grant Hill can and does make the right play every time.

Not to mention that there’s always the chance that Amare could unleash some of his formerly common freakish athleticism in a rim-rattling dunk. That’s always fun (unless it’s on Timmy).

LeBrons…Oh, uh, I mean the Cavs. Yeah, Sorry. – So why do I love the LeBr--I  mean Cavs? Well, LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron.

I want to mention two things about LeBron this year that have made the Cavs infinitely more exciting to watch.

First, the minimum one time per game that LeBron flat out obliterates some mere mortal’s shot. I mean every night LeBron has a block that is simply awe-inspiring. Whether he is pounding a seemingly uncontested layup off the backboard or coming from the weak side to swat a shot out of bounds, there is a 100% chance LeBron will alter the game (and maybe someone’s career) with his defense every night. You can only say that about LeBron and Dwight Howard. It won’t be long before we see someone streaking down the floor for an uncontested layup only to remember he’s playing the Cavs and pulling the ball out to avoid the chance that LeBron is within 40 feet of him to reject his shot. Now that will be fun to watch.

The second less obvious reason I love watching LeBron is his alphaness. By alphaness I just mean the way he completely commands everyone’s attention: his teammates, his opponents, the refs, the coaches, and oh yeah, us, the fans. Just the way that the entire game seems to ebb and flow through LeBron is captivating. Nothing happens on the court without LeBron allowing it to happen. He is just so thoroughly dominating it’s ridiculous.

Oh yeah and did I mention LeBron? LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. LeBron.  

Lakers – Why do I like watching the Lakers? It’s pretty simple.

Skill. And lots of it.

Like I said earlier, in my opinion Kobe is the most skilled player in the NBA. There is simply nothing Kobe Bryant cannot do on a basketball court. Here’s a little exercise you can do at home. Think of anything a human has ever done on a basketball court. Then ask yourself: “Could Kobe Bryant do that?” Repeat this exercise and you will notice a pattern. (Hint: the answer to every question is yes.)

Then there’s Pau Gasol. Sure he’s a finesse player and he’s not tough, but man alive is he skilled. Inside of fifteen feet, Pau is similar to Kobe in that he can do every move in the book. He can shoot, pass, and find ways to score in a multitude of ways.

Then add Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Ron Artest to Kobe and Pau and you’ve got a pretty entertaining team.

Jazz – I know, I know. The Jazz? You can’t be serious. Well, I am.

This team is always worth watching because they’re a team. And a good team at that. From top to bottom they’re probably the best passing team in the NBA. Starting with Deron Williams, the Jazz move the ball better than anyone. Hey, like you I’m not a big fan of any of their players individually, but watching very good NBA players share the ball consistently is a joy to watch.

Thunder – Now that everyone and their mother has jumped on the Thunder bandwagon (now that sounds like the way to travel!), ranking the Thunder this high doesn’t have quite the same shock value as it would have had at the beginning of the season. But you know what? I’m ok with that. Really, I don’t mind. At least I’m on the bandwagon, right?

Anyway, although I like watching the Thunder about as much as any of the teams I’ve already listed, I like watching them for different reasons. Unlike the Spurs and Suns you experience plenty of basketball cognitive dissonance when you watch the Thunder. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and company never fail to provide at least a few Doh! moments. But, you know what? That’s ok. Because really we’re just watching a bunch of college kids play basketball. No really, look at this roster. Durant is 21 and would be a senior at Texas right now. Westbrook is 21 and would be a senior at UCLA right now. James Harden is 20 and would be a junior at Arizona State. Serge Ibaka is 20. Jeff Green is 23.

So the next time somebody on the Thunder takes a bad shot or doesn’t rotate on defense remember that you’re watching college kids play against pros. Wait. Hold on. What’s that? Oh, oh really? Oh, my bad. Excuse me. I’m so sorry. I’ve – I’ve just been informed that in fact the Thunder players are being paid and are therefore considered professionals. I’m sorry about that folks. I really had no idea.

In all seriousness though, the reason I like watching the Thunder is the same reason I flinch every so often when I watch them. They play like a college team. They always seem to be playing hard, they move the ball, and they get after it on defense. Sure they’re not polished, but it’s the smoothing out of the rough patches that makes the Thunder fun to watch.