Back on floor, and through the roof

Where drama happens, finally.

Where drama happens . . . finally?

It’s not just an advertising slogan, it’s true. The best part for the NBA, it’s back on the floor!

Even as the league cooled from hot-hot-hot in the ‘90s, it never lacked drama. It’s just that too much was off the floor, especially with the guys’ new habit of leaving it to go into the stands (Auburn Hills 2004, New York 2006).

Throw in Western Conference domination, controversies over suspensions, basketballs and dress codes, one-sided or low-scoring Finals . . . and there’s your NBA in the New Millennium!

Stuff hasn’t stopped happening off the floor (see: Kobe Bryant; New York Knicks), but recently it has been overshadowed by events on the floor.

Can you imagine an Eastern Conference with elite teams as legitimate as the West’s?

Can you imagine a postseason in which tension actually builds as it goes along?

Last spring’s Playoffs From Hell ran through June 14 but were basically over a month before, after Amare Stoudemire left the bench in Game 4 of the Phoenix Suns’ second-round series with San Antonio as players milled around but didn’t actually fight.

With Stoudemire suspended for Game 5, the Spurs won in Phoenix, eliminated the Suns back home in Game 6, then dispatched Utah, 4-1, and Cleveland, 4-0.

For this season’s turnaround, as for so much of the NBA’s success, it can thank Red Auerbach, or his memory.

It’s true, Minnesota Vice President Kevin McHale’s decision to pass up Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom for Al Jefferson and some faceless guys who are presumably his entourage may not have been too swift, but it was pure Lakers and Celtics!

With the pride McHale took in the tradition Auerbach built, the former Celtics great couldn’t endure the thought of sending Kevin Garnett to the Lakers.

For this, Commissioner David Stern blesses McHale’s name. The Celtics bless McHale’s name.

With Bynum happening, the Lakers bless McHale’s name. I don’t even think Kobe’s upset anymore.

Now there are two real powers in the East, the Celtics and Detroit Pistons, sharpening their swords to resume their old rivalry after all these years.

The Pistons, attitudinal as usual, have a solid operation under Joe Dumars, who reinvigorated his cranky old team with an entire young platoon: Jason Maxiell, Jarvis Hayes, Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson.

However, they still don’t get many easy baskets, especially against good defensive teams -- like Boston -- and they still have Rasheed Wallace.

Only Philadelphia fans can challenge Detroit fans’ belief that everyone and everything is arrayed against them, which resonates through the Pistons.

As tough defensively as the Pistons always are (No. 2 in the league), they get relatively few fouls (No. 19) because they move their feet instead of hacking.

Not that they appreciate the officials’ discernment. The Pistons are always among the leaders in technical fouls -- last season they had 73 to No. 2 Indiana’s 58 -- with a team-wide commitment to complaining about everything.

Wallace can go off at the mere sight of an authority figure (as Stern once sighed when asked about Wallace’s latest conspiracy rant, “If it’s Friday, it must be Rasheed Wallace.”)

Of course, not everyone can get 23 points and 15 rebounds against Tim Duncan as Wallace did in the Pistons’ win in San Antonio last week.

Rasheed is actually mellowing with age. Unfortunately, he has a long way to go and he can’t play until he’s 70.

Late in the pivotal Game 5 of last spring’s East finals when LeBron James scored his memorable 48 points, Rasheed called off Coach Flip Saunders’ defense leaving a timeout huddle, telling his teammates to play man-to-man.

In the confusion, James drove in for an uncontested layup.

It shouldn’t be surprising that after winning the first meeting in Boston, the Pistons weren’t happy after the Celtics shut them down in the rematch in Auburn Hills.

A Detroit Free Press headline asserted: “Celtic mocks Detroit fans; Piston says: ‘They’re acting like they won the title’ ”

It was awful. Several Celtics popped their jerseys. James Posey chanted “Deee-troit basketball!”

“They’re a little more happy than I know we were when we won our game out there,” Chauncey Billups said.

“It was just like a regular game for us with two good teams playing. They were kind of playing like it’s the Super Bowl, man.”

Actually, the Celtics, who are assuredly edgy on the floor but humble off it, were respectful.

Paul Pierce called the Pistons “a great team,” noting, “We’re still learning from them what it’s like to be in these type of games.”

Wallace did one of his patented head-back, eye-rolling despair numbers, left without showering, noting later it was “just a lot of stuff I ain’t going to mention.”

He meant Saunders’ small lineup, which he hates, and the guards not throwing him the ball.

The Pistons moldered after Larry Brown left in 2005, basking in self-congratulation while blaming shortfalls on Saunders, so the Celtics are the wake-up call they needed.

Now, after all these years, presenting The Land Across the Mississippi!

Best of all, it’s no foregone conclusion that any team will come out of either conference or which one will be favored after they do.

It’s called suspense, and boy, can this league use it.

mark.heisler@latimes.com