The arrival of new stars and new alignments usher in a new dawn for the NBA. Traditional contenders such as the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors are now back in the rebuilding mode. Upstarts such as the Brooklyn Nets, the Phoenix Suns, the Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks – non-playoff contenders or borderline contenders last year – are now back in contention. Gentlemen, welcome to the ‘New Norm’ of Basketball.
