I was just thinking the other day how different the NBA season is turning out from what I thought it would be. The Lakers were coming off a medicore year, and Kobe wanted out. Even if he stayed the Lakers figured to be average again, with no real hope of getting better. Now look! Bynum started playing well, and Kobe kept his mouth shut and the Lakers had the best record in the West. The Bynum injury was a real disappointment, but then the Lakers got Gasol and even the bench is chipping in, with Farmar playing well, Turiaf becoming the new Rambis with his hustle, and even Sasha is contributing! (who would have thought that?) If everyone gets healthy I really like this team.

And then the floodgates opened and big trades came from all over. The Suns get Shaq, the Mavs get Kidd, San Antonio gets Thomas, the Cavs get Wallace and Szerbiak and some others. Wow! Who knows how they will all work out, but it sure is going to be interesting. The Western Conference playoffs should be great! Who will the top 4 seeds be? Just look at the contenders: LA, San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, New Orleans. Out of those five teams one will be a 5 seed and open up on the road! And maybe a team will win 50 games and miss the playoffs in the West.

The East isn't as deep, but a Boston vs Detroit series would be fun, and maybe the Cavs can horn in somehow like they did last year.

All in all the NBA is having one of it's most enjoyable years in quite awhile.