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↵Stop me if you've heard this one before, or if you keep a grumpy old man stashed in the basement: Once upon a time, players stayed with the same team forever, and learned to hate those they matched up against repeatedly. They passed it onto the younger player, and thus this blood feud became a franchise-on-franchise thing. ↵
↵But then, free agency entered the picture. Players started chasing the dollar, rosters changed every season, coaches were on shorter leashes, and team solidarity -- you must be strong within to project yourself without -- fell by the wayside. ↵
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So how is it possible, then, that rivalries persist in the NBA? Since Jordan retired the second time, effectively putting the championship up for grabs, we've seen our fair share of them. Don't trust the Lakers/Celtics revival; it's all of us getting caught up in the museum-like passions sold to us by networks. I'm also not the biggest fan of Spurs/Lakers, since it seems mostly based on the fact that these two teams, despite going through major changes, have remained so good in the West for so long. Or, to be more succinct, Kobe, Phil, Duncan, and Pop are all pillars of this era.
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↵Neither of these has the sizzle of Kings/Lakers, in which an upstart, earnest team whose play was pure elegance repeatedly ran into the Shaq/Kobe/Phil juggernaut and lost. Or Spurs/Suns, a battle between D'Antoni's free-flowing, selectively irresponsible squads and Pop's tight ship (ironically, Pop eventually adopted some of the Suns' small-ball tactics). Looking around the league, what are the great rivalries we can look to as fuel for the playoffs, and how is it that they exist at all in this bleak, bleak era? ↵
↵↵It's worth noting that both of these exercises in sustained enmity came about not just because they kept playing each other, maintained a consistent core for several years, and were perennial contenders, but because there was a contrast that mattered. ↵
↵↵The enduring keepsake from Kings/Lakers, other than Kobe elbowing Mike Bibby in the face and getting away with it, is Shaq's referring to his opponents as "the Sacramento Queens." It not only cut to the quick of what made these teams different stylistically, but also put their differing attitudes on display. The Lakers were arrogant, dominant, and invincible; the Kings an unlikely collection of highly skilled player who had built something beautiful in the middle of nowhere. ↵
↵↵Spurs/Suns had similarly ideological underpinnings, especially when the 2004-05 Suns, that most wild of D'Antoni teams, were defeated by being selectively allowed to score. ↵
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Fast forward to today. Celtics/Cavs isn't just a battle for the top of the Eastern Conference, it's a clash between three vets who spent their entire careers dealing with criticism and questions about their ability to win and LeBron James. LeBron James, if you hadn't heard, has already been awarded several MVPs and championship rings on good credit. The post-championship Celtics are widely regarded as the tough guys of the league, but this season the Cavaliers -- still hardnosed on defense and the boards -- have opened up their offense and allowed weapons like Mo Williams to complement LeBron's all-encompassing offensive skills.
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↵We spend a lot of time on the Chris Paul/Deron Williams debate, but at this point, it's on the verge of morphing into Hornets/Jazz. Both team started slowly this season but have come on strong as of late; big picture-wise, they're squads that are looking like key parts of the West's future. The "point guard dual" can be profoundly overrated, but Paul and Williams really go at each other, and their teams are extensions of their respective games. It would be nice if similar claims about LeBron James/Dwyane Wade would stick, since watching those two go head-to-head can be nothing short of awe-inspiring, but the Cavs are on another level this season. In the playoffs, though, Hornets/Jazz is an even match. ↵
↵↵But there are a few dark-horse rivalries worth keeping an eye on. Utah and Houston have met in the playoffs the past two seasons; the Rockets' inability to get out of the first round is most closely associated with embattled superstar Tracy McGrady, but it's everyone's problem now that T-Mac's out indefinitely. It always goes to the brink, even when last year, the Rockets had to go at it without Yao. Now, a very different Rockets team seems tailor-made to take on the Jazz. Of course, this roster wasn't altered to address Utah; this isn't the rest of the West trying to take on Shaq. But the repeated meetings, coupled with Houston's (sometimes inadvertent) tweakings, give this matchup a tinge of destiny. ↵
↵↵Detroit and Orlando have also met repeatedly in the playoffs, and the Magic, for all their growth, can't get past the crotchety Pistons. It's almost like Dwight Howard's stock tumbles each year when this most dominant of big men fails to roll over a team that, by all accounts, should be over the hill. Watching Howard overcome Detroit, especially if he did so in decisive fashion, with strong fourth quarters, would be a very minor version of Jordan getting past the Pistons. ↵
↵↵If the Magic did it with their usual barrage of 3s, well, it would still represent a milestone. It would feel like something. And in the end, that possibility of catharsis if what rivalries is all about. ↵
↵This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.