The wrong time for NBA strife

The NBA playoffs actually have mostly lived up to their billing this spring, as in “fantastic.”

Not only have the games been close, but there has been a freshness about them — almost a collegiate feel — with the new blood that has emerged. The Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder are all young teams led by young stars that have surfaced as actual contenders in these playoffs.

The perennial contenders of the last decade — the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angels Lakers, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic — all took rather swift exits from these playoffs. That was a good thing. I’d seen enough of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Paul Pierce. They’ve been replaced by a new cast of young guns such as Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and Josh Smith.

The NBA is freshening up, with oodles of young stars — including our own Kevin Love — who give promise that this league is going to stay intriguing and strong for years to come.

All of this momentum is what makes what will almost certainly be coming down the pike this summer — an NBA lockout — all the tougher to take.

Just as the league is zooming in popularity, there is the strong possibility that labor strife will shorten or even eliminate next season’s games.

The NBA better get this things figured out and soon. Right now, they’ve got fans right where they want them. This is no time to lose them.

— Pat Ruff