End of The Streak Leaves a Void in the League

By Bethlehem Shoals
Well, there’s the end of that streak, and with it, some of the air went out of the league.
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You couldn’t pick against them, but then again, you couldn’t really explain why you were picking for them every night. All we knew was that, at 22-0, with Mike Freakin’ Harris doing damage in the post at roughly my height, the Rockets had seized onto chemistry, heart, and skill in their purest form. Something that combined the finest elements of March Madness with deft NBA ball. Boston didn’t end the streak by matching their intensity, or giving us equally inspired ball. They just choked the life out of The Little Engine that Could, and we’re left to sit here and cry over its carcarss.
The Rockets will be fine. There will be a lull, but when Landry comes back and they’ve found their offensive rhythm again, this is a playoff team. A fifth seed that no one wants to play, last year’s Warriors without the threat to the system. But still, a superior team like the Celtics -- who did it sans Ray Allen -- can unman this bunch, just as Utah did to the Warriors.
But what I’ll really miss is that, when I look around, I see a sudden vacuum of charisma, or meaningful hype, in the league. We’re all waiting ‘round to see how these superpower trades shake out. But other than Chris Paul, or McGrady when he looked like he’d drunk from the fountain of youth (sorry Henry, the MVP is an irrational, sentimental award), I’ve got this feeling of waiting to hear back from government agencies. The West is indomitable, but we’re all just waiting for the pieces to fall into place -- or for a spark to catch. Maybe that’s why, predictably, I’m sympathetic to Amare’s latest griping. His unheralded arrival as true, dominant PF is at least as stirring a tale as ... can Kidd really help the Mavs win? Will Shaq break down?
If only the Lakers could get everyone healthy. Now that would be some real inspiration. As of now, we’re just monitoring their injury reports and all hoping nothing gets poisoned before Showtime 2 really takes off.
Or maybe I should concentrate all my energy on Thaddeus Young, taking shelter until the playoffs. ↵