At The End Of The First Quarter

The 2007-08 NBA season is now a quarter done, and needless to say this season has provided plenty of intrigue and excitement. No one has broken any records, scored 81 points, or ran into the crowd to fight fans, but there has been plenty of competitive games, breakout player and teams, and breathtaking highlights. Here's a few observations from the season so far, and a look ahead to what we can look forward to.

-The Bulls should have traded for Kobe Bryant. The team is 7-12 and looks extremely disoriented. The team has been manhandled by their competition so far this season, and with the exception of beating the Pistons twice, they've only managed to beat lottery bound teams. They should have pulled the trigger when they had their chance, as the Lakers probably won't be trading Kobe anytime soon. If the Bulls miss the playoffs they should consider some major front office shake ups for letting Kobe slip through their fingers.

-Dwight Howard is the best center in the league and will be for a long time. In his fourth NBA season, Howard's tremendous potential has reached fruition as he's now one of the NBA's best players. Howard does exactly what a center is supposed to do, and he does it better than anyone else. He leads the league in rebounds, he blocks shots, and he shoot for a very high percentage. Howard is just as important to the Magic as Lebron is to the Cavs or Nash is to the Suns.

-The Celtics are the best team in the league. Before the season started a lot of people doubted the Celtics, and didn't consider them a serious contender. Well, a 17-2 record should erase any doubts anyone had. Skeptics will say that they've had an easy schedule so far, but so what, they're 17-2. The 'Big Three' have done an excellent job sharing the ball, and the team has put defense first. Baring any major injuries, the good times will continue to roll in beantown.

-The Knicks suck. No team in sports is a bigger waste of talent. The team has so much individual talent, but as a team they're horrible. The team is filled with selfish players who play one on one basketball, and has a head coach who's legacy is tarnished night after night. There's two things the Knicks don't understand- team work, and the concept of rebuilding. Instead of trading away draft picks for Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph and building the team around ball hogs like Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford the Knicks should have started from scratch. And oh yeah, they should fire Isiah Thomas.

Other observations in brief: The Warriors are very fun to watch, the Rockets are a very average team, the Heat won't make the playoffs unless they can swing a major deal, the Hornets and Magic look great, the Raptors have a very deep bench, and Chris Kaman is the most underrated player in the league.

Here's who should start in the All-Star Game based on their stats and contribution to their teams so far this season.

EAST WEST
C- Dwight Howard C- Marcus Camby
F- Lebron James F- Shawn Marion
F- Kevin Garnett F- Carlos Boozer
G- Jason Kidd G- Baron Davis
G- Paul Pierce G- Steve Nash

The season is still young, but unlike most other sports the NBA seems somewhat easy to predict. Even though some things are a given, I'm sure there's still a few surprises in store and plenty of on and off court excitement to come. Enjoy the second quarter of the season, and I'll be sure to take another in-depth look at the league at the All-Star Break.

-Joe Osborne