Looking ahead to the newest era of NBA basketball

Having spent most of the last half decade drenched in super-team stink, the NBA now enters into a state of near total balance across the league.

It’s been a trying time for the NBA over the last five years. That relatively small timeframe has been ruled by the Golden State Warriors, whose utter dominance over their contemporaries could only be halted by unforeseen circumstances such as injuries or suspensions.

Five Finals appearances along with three championships swung the balance of power tremendously towards the Bay Area, specifically when Kevin Durant joined in the summer of 2016. The other 29 teams were left to group themselves among the few with a belief in their ability to take down Goliath, the majority of whom simply didn’t stack up.

This highly specific hierarchy made for one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history but sucked most out of the intrigue out of the league from October until June. The majority of fans were pining for some parity to help find meaning in what became an otherwise dull 82-game season.

A little over one week into free agency, it’s clear the NBA landscape has drastically shifted in ways not seen this century, changes that are sure to kick off an exciting new era more in line with the utopia that most everyone has hoped for in recent years.

No matter who walked away champions of the 2018-19 season, the forthcoming free agency period was bound to shake up the foundation of the league one way or another. Over 200 players were set to hit the open market, and in an age where players are on the move more than ever, a nice chunk of them were bound to find new homes.

In truth, the madness started a few weeks before June 30, towards the end of the NBA Finals to be exact. Kevin Durant suffered a torn Achilles only to be followed up by Klay Thompson tearing his ACL.

Whether the impending free agents re-signed with the Dubs or not was irrelevant. While unfortunate, the injuries whittled down a once powerful super-team significantly, exposing a window only sporadically opened over the years, but never with enough time for opponents to take advantage of.

Before any organization could even think about competing for a championship, a Big 3 seemed to be a damn near prerequisite to get in the same room as Golden State. That bar has now been lowered like the height requirement for a rollercoaster, allowing more and more teams to fancy themselves contenders following a wild pre-draft period and the first week of free agency.

The Los Angeles Lakers finally completed their extended pursuit of Anthony Davis to realistically keep L.A.’s championship hopes alive. After occupying the fifth seed in each of the last two playoffs, the Utah Jazz completed one of the best starting units by trading for Mike Conley and following that up with the signing of Bojan Bogdanovic.

Kemba Walker joined the Boston Celtics to replace Kyrie Irving, who teamed up with Kevin Durant on the Brooklyn Nets. All-Star D’Angelo Russell was then sign-and-traded to Golden State while the Philadelphia 76ers retooled their roster once again by sending out Jimmy Butler and bringing in Al Horford and Josh Richardson.

Once most of the big names went off the market, the fate of the NBA’s parity rested in the large hands of Kawhi Leonard. Had he chosen to return to the Toronto Raptors, a title defense would commence. Going to the Lakers would turn the league on its head once again with a trio of talent never before seen.

The Finals MVP chose neither, instead operating a behind-the-scenes coup of Paul George to come and join him on the Los Angeles Clippers. Add them to the long list of teams — specifically out West — that are sure to make a run for a spot that’s been comfortably occupied over the last five seasons.

Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Milwaukee Bucks return a majority of the group that made the conference finals this past season. The young core of the Denver Nuggets is sure to improve on its 54-win campaign. Perhaps the Houston Rockets can capitalize without Golden State in their way, while the Dubs certainly shouldn’t be counted out assuming Thompson makes a full recovery from his torn ACL.

It seems like any one of a handful of teams could be considered the favorites, and none would seem too farfetched — the result of Big 3s being stretched out to dynamic duos. With Russell Westbrook likely on the trading block following the sudden departure of PG, the chaos may not even be finished.

There is no consensus for the 2019-20 title, nor does any single team have a target on its back — not even the defending champs. Dynasties are integral to the fabric of NBA history, but there’s something refreshing about staring into the unknown, the perfect encore to a five-year run dominated by a singular juggernaut.