As we began 2017, the Warriors were in a rocky point with their upgraded super-team. They'd lost to most of the other premier Western Conference teams, and just lost to the Cavaliers on Christmas. Maybe, just maybe, this super-team was mortal just like the 2016 team that looked invincible was. As it turns out, in a word, nope.

Golden State righted itself over the next few months. Kevin Durant suffered an injury which let Stephen Curry be Stephen Curry again, and when Kevin Durant returned, the team had found a balance between their two MVPs. The result was a terrifying burst through the playoffs, as the Warriors swept the Western Conference playoffs. Portland offered no resistance. Utah put up a noble effort but still couldn't get a game. The Spurs led by 20 ... and then Kawhi Leonard went down with an injurywhen Zaza Pachulia stuck his foot out, and that was that.

The result was a loss of playoff revenue so steep that it actually hurt the cap situation of teams trying to find room to compete with the Warriors. The Finals were supposed to be the last hope, the last chance, and there were those who foolishly kept telling you not to count out LeBron James. Well, I've covered five LeBron Finals, and I'm here to tell you: he knew. He spoke about Golden State with a tone of "What can I do? They won 73 games, I beat them, they added Kevin Durant." The Cavaliers managed to make things close with a chance to win in Game 3 before Kevin Durant's cold-blooded, series-ending dagger. In the end, the Cavaliers got their requisite single face-saving game, but the end result was ... anticlimactic.

It was therapeutic for Warriors fans after enduring the agony of the worst collapse in Finals history the year before, but even then, the whole thing felt like "yup, this is what's supposed to happen." There was very little drama, very little debate, and in the end, the result everyone was sure of happened. That doesn't generate a lot of conversation or interest. It just kind of is what it is.

The Warriors are one of the best teams in NBA history, and you can put their championship run up against any team in NBA history for the best playoff performance ever. But there's also a legitimate question of what this means for the sport. If the best or second-best player of all time stands no chance against this team, what does it mean for the sport's competitiveness? It hasn't been a problem so far, thanks to an extremely wild offseason, but the question remains: what happens to a competitive sports league when it's not truly competitive at the highest level?

In 2017, his 14th season in the league, LeBron James averaged a career high in assists and rebounds. In the first two months of 2017-18, he's averaging a career high in 3-point percentage, but that's been talked about and dissected; it's been written about extensively.

Except, now, he's averaging a career-high in assists. And shooting a career-high on 2-point shots (63 percent). And a career-high 78.5 percent from the free-throw line. And he's 0.4 rebounds away from a career high in those, too. He's literally having his best statistical season in every regard except raw points per game.

Only Kobe Bryant had played in more games by age 32, and did so with fewer minutes, and that's just including regular-season games.

James is proof of a trend we've seen, from Tim Duncan to Manu Ginobili to Vince Carter. Conditioning, health science and nutrition are paving the way for athletes to remain in their prime, and then serviceable, for way longer than before. James is realistically still going to be the best player on his team when he's 36, and that's straight up bonkers.

Every point we think we've reached where James cannot be better than he has been, he then blows past it like a poor center switched onto him. What will be discussed most is his all-encompassing skill, but this is also a testament to the work that James puts in. You can mock all those Instagram videos he puts up, but those are the real reason he's still able to do this; James has never cheated the game, not a day in his life, and the result is incomparable performance night in and night out.

Paul George, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Gordon Hayward Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Paul Millsap, J.J. Redick, Eric Bledsoe, Dwight Howard ... the list goes on and on of players who switched uniforms since last year.

The result has been increased ratings this regular season. Everything has been flipped. The offseason is thrilling, "stay on your phone every second checking what's happening" drama. The regular season is fascinating and competitive, with superstar matchups and explosive performances every night. The playoffs? Ho-hum, the Warriors win again. What's interesting is that this might be an actually better growth strategy for the league. A dynamite dynasty to attract the casual viewers who only want to see greatness, a super-compelling offseason and intriguing regular season to keep the die-hards engaged. It flips the standard models on their heads, but it also makes the best use of the NBA's ever-expanding digital presence.

If nothing else, it's clear that when it comes to the summer, the NBA season doesn't really ever stop. It just switches gears.

Did I mention that LeBron James is a free agent this summer?

There's plenty more to figure out in the coming months, plenty more to speculate about, plenty more to enjoy. Here's wishing all of our readers a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and a happy new basketball year.