With autumn disappearing, the world now begins to fade from view. The days have grown shorter and “right now” creeps into our lives more quickly than we might wish. The world is dying again, at least for the next five months.

But there is hope even as darkness falls earlier and earlier. For it is this emerging nighttime that brings with it the breath of air that accompanies every new NBA season. As Mother Nature goes back to sleep, hoop heads arise from hibernation.

So, with that new season now more than a week and a half old, it seems as good a time as any to take a first assessment of the state of the League. In order to do so, it would be helpful (or gimmicky? I always get those two confused…) to frame the discussion around something, a touch-point, a baseline that brings the arguments into focus as part of a larger picture. While I would have loved to use Mad Men’s impossibly awesome finale as that frame, I fear I could not do it justice, and so instead I’ll lean on Roger Waters and company for inspiration, mostly because I was listening to it on repeat Sunday afternoon and it fit with the night setting (sue me).

If the darkness and cold now rule our lives and we are turned away from Earth, we must be on the Dark Side of the Moon.

(End overwrought introduction)

Speak to Me: To Gilbert Arenas. Admittedly, this falls into the category of “forced play on words” relating to Agent Zero’s media ban/blackout/pouting fest. That said, more than anything what I wanted was an excuse to mention how nice it has been to watch GA play seemingly pain-free and with mostly the same explosiveness and killer instinct he had several seasons ago. I can honestly count myself as one of those that thought he was done, the guard equivalent to Chris Webber, but with Arenas putting up 25.2ppg, I could not be happier to be wrong. He will always be a shoot-first point guard, so the fact that he has a high assist-to-turnover ratio right now (or Washington’s early record) is not really a concern. Focus on the positive here folks.

Breathe: To Kobe Bryant. Take it easy there, old man. You might burst a lung, or break your hip. You are an old-timer now KB. You aren’t supposed to be doing your Superman thing. Black Mamba isn’t needed until June, my friend. I promise you that the Grizzles will still stink whether you put 41 on them or not. As impressive as your new arsenal of post moves is, just be sure to remember this is a marathon, not a spirit. Downshift to 2nd gear now.

On the Run: To the incomparable Steve Nash. Cue Jay-Z – “What More Can I Say.” What the Suns are doing, regardless of the level of competition they have faced so far, is unexpected, impressive, and joyous. This is how to play offense. And up-and-comers take note: this is how you put your mark on a team and serve as a leader in the most literal sense…Phoenix goes where Nash takes them. Still.

Time: To the Thunder. That is all they need. For proof, have a look at what they did Sunday to an admittedly beaten-up Orlando squad. Take note travelers, there is still room on the Durant bandwagon, but space is filling up fast.

The Great Gig in the Sky: To Allen Iverson. It’s been a hell of a run. He deserved to write a better final chapter than this. Clap for him, he’s already home.

Money: To Carmelo Anthony. Think back to two weeks ago. Yes, all the way back then. It was a simpler time. A time before the US had a plan for meaningful healthcare reform. A time before the Draper marriage met its fateful end. In that golden yesteryear, my NBA Season Preview article went out, and the first item read as follows – “Carmelo Anthony will make 1st-Team All-NBA.” I guess even a garbage can gets a steak from time to time. This is what “Beast Mode” looks like. ‘Melo is angry and he is coming to burn down your village.

Us and Them: To the Celtics. Because that is how the rest of the league should organize itself from the looks of things. Granted, a two week sample size may be too limited in its scope, particularly when age and injury, this team’s Achilles’ Heal, are more likely to show themselves later in the year. But damn if this team’s doesn’t look focused on the task at hand. To a man, I think they know this is their last shot to get another ring together.

Any Colour You Like: To Chris Paul. Is it possible that the NBA’s best player doesn’t reside in Cleveland, or LA? Is it possible that a little man could rule in the land of giants? And is it possible a point guard could really be this outstanding? Watch Chris Paul and find out the answers for yourself. He can beat you any which way you’d like. Now if only he had a few teammates on the wings to help him…

Brain Damage: To Don Nelson. If you were the coach of a go-nowhere team that was overloaded with young talent, do you think you would have the arrogance to ignore that youthful promise and stick with veterans that create no future, and no real worthwhile present, for your team? If so, than what Don Nelson is doing makes perfect sense to you. To the rest of us, ignoring Anthony Randolph and Steph Curry to the extent he has seems criminal at best.

Eclipse: To Cleveland Management. How do you block out the brightest thing in the NBA’s sky? You stick a vain, slow, and decaying big man in the middle of the paint on offence and tell him to still get to the rim. You surround him with perfectly below-average wingers that all have the same strengths and weaknesses. And you retain a coach that couldn’t diagram a successful offensive set against a team of Grade 9 defenders. The King deserves better. Hopefully next summer, he gets it.