Do you remember the NBA climate heading into last season? To be blunt, it was bad. We were limping into the 2007-08 season on the heels of the lowest-rated NBA Finals in history while being embroiled in the Tim Donaghy scandal.

And then an amazing thing happened – things started to fall in place, one after the other, almost magically, and the next thing we knew, we found ourselves right in the middle of what we ordained in Dime #41 “The Best Season Ever.” The rise of Chris Paul and Hornets, the majesty of the Big 3 in Boston, Dwight Howard’s performance in the dunk contest, the Rockets’ 22-game winning streak, and unprecedented player movement at the trade deadline were just a few of the reasons that we loved last season so much. And now this season has potential to be even better. Tonight, the League is starting out on top and the pieces are in place to rival, or even surpass the greatness of last season. Throughout today, we will be rolling out just a few of the reasons that 2008-09 can be the “New Best Season Ever.”

We will drop the first installment shortly…