OPINION: Christmas is coming early this year, people.
That's right, the official World's Greatest Sports League will start an entire two weeks earlier after an initiative by commissioner Adam Silver to spread the games across a longer time frame and ease the burden of schedule on his players.
When you consider the depressingly foregone conclusion that the Golden State Warriors are going to romp to their second straight championship, is there really any point in a wide-ranging season preview?
Let's just pass on the painfully pointless Warriors gushing and move directly to New Zealand's favourite adopted team – the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The new three-headed monster
It's been an NBA off-season the likes of which we've seldom seen before. There's been player upheaval in the most grandiose of forms, with some of the league's biggest names shifting postcodes.
Two of the most eye-catching moves were made by Thunder GM Sam Presti with his trade for All Star swingman Paul George, and the daylight robbery which resulted in the acquisition of scoring extraordinaire Carmelo Anthony.
Make no mistake, combined with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook, this is the latest iteration of a 'Big three'.
Four-time All Star George is one of the NBA's premier perimeter operators at both ends of the court, the quintessential swingman capable of locking your favourite player down defensively at one end, and lighting him up from multiple spots on the other. Eased of the burden of anchoring both defense and offense, as was his lot in Indiana, George's roaming threat is only going to be intensified.
While Anthony's best years are likely behind him, there are still few better isolation players in the league. The Olympic gold medallist is cut from the most pure of scoring cloths, and finally freed from the purgatory that is the New York Knicks, there's hope that the 33-year-old can rediscover some of the team-first form which we've rarely seen from him outside of his Olympic exploits with Team USA.
Both will bring some welcome perimeter shooting to the table, and in turn open up a lot more space for Westbrook to inflict his fury, both in terms of the on-court room and the diverted attention of defenders who will need to pay the two newcomers the utmost respect from all ranges.
The point god broke the most unbreakable of records last season when he eclipsed Oscar Robertson's 56-year-old mark of 41 triple-doubles, but the new arrivals will put paid to any replication of that remarkable feat, which required a usage level of historic proportions (42%).
What such star power does allow is the assurance that at least one of those three players are going to be on the court at any one time, which is a scary proposition.
The trio should feast on opposition second units and inspire plenty of uncertainty during crunch time. No longer will defences be able to load up on Westbrook in the dying stages of a game, not when you have two other proven clutch performers patrolling the court. Coach Billy Donovan will be positively spoilt for choice.
Combined with the lesser-heralded acquisitions of versatile stretch power forward Patrick Patterson, hard-nosed veteran Raymond Felton at back-up point guard, and the potential growth of Jerami Grant and Spaniard Alex Abrines and you have plenty of the pieces of an elite roster in place.
Let's talk about Steven Adams
After his breakout performance against the Warriors in the 2015/16 Western Conference finals, many expected the towering Kiwi to make a huge leap last season.
The stage seemed to be set for Adams to shoulder more load on the offensive end after Kevin Durant's departure left a gaping chasm in Oklahoma City.
Showered with plaudits following that Warriors series, popular claims that he was one of the NBA's most under-valued assets were ripe for validation.
While he undoubtedly improved, it wasn't to the extent expected, particularly after inking a mammoth new $NZ130 million contract and being hailed as a fringe top five player at his position.
Make no mistake, Adams remained a monster on the glass, especially on the offensive end, increasing his rebounds per game from 6.7 to 7.7, and dropping a shade over 11 points per game, up almost three from the year prior.
However, most of those numbers align relatively with his increased time on court, playing close to five more minutes per game than he had the previous season.
A hand injury set him back further after the All Star break and his struggles continued into the playoffs, his numbers dropped across the board as the Thunder suffered a gentleman's sweep at the hands of Houston in the opening round.
This season, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
Adams is a centre in the most traditional sense of the word, the last in a dying breed of relentless low-post bangers who seldom waiver beyond the painted area at either end of the court.
On a team now resplendent with offensive fire-power, Adams should thrive in his natural role as an all-hustle, all-heart defensive lynchpin whose points stem solely from put-backs and catching alley-oops, while freeing his teammates for open looks with screens of solid steel.
And that's where he's best suited. He's never going to average 20 points per game, and there's nothing wrong with that. Never has there been a more content role player, and the role he's set to play in this revamped side is going to be critical.
In summary…
That the Thunder have managed to craft such a formidable squad just two years removed from the ruins of Durant's infamous exit is remarkable, but there are still plenty of question marks swirling around whether this heavyweight line-up can ever form Voltron.
Will Anthony be able to humble himself enough to acquiesce to his fellow stud teammates? Is he really willing to play power forward? Will we have another Westbrook/Durant push/pull scenario on our hands?
Speculation has been rife from the outset that George is only on a short-term loan with OKC and is destined to depart for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers when he becomes a free agent. But could Westbrook's recent five-year recommitment and the prospect of a rejuvenated Melo prove enough to persuade him to extend his stay?
Those aside, history tells us that when you combine such high calibre, high IQ talent – it more often than not works itself out. Teething problems are inevitable, but I think there's little question they ultimately meld into an irresistible destructive force. Westbrook has vengeance on his mind, and that chip on his shoulder isn't getting any smaller.
Despite the clear-cut fact that nobody is going to come close to the Warriors and the daylight in their wake, the Thunder are undeniably one of the squads best equipped to cause the despicable boys from the Bay some problems.
While there's no shortage of worthy competition in the west, I'm willing to crown the Thunder as a second-seed finish and an eventual conference finalist.
That said, Warriors in five.
Stephen Foote is a digital sports reporter for Newshub.
