The State of the NBA Today

Junkyard Dog · Nov 2, 2014

Rocket River said: ↑

My biggest issue with the NBA and to an extent the NFL
is that . .. i always feel like some critical call or no call is going to happen to favor the team that is 'suppose to win'

I remember when the Kings got Jobbed against the Lakers
Since then . . . and Donaghy . . .alot of it now suspect

I feel like I am watching WWE

Rocket River
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I agree. The refs control the game too much of the time. A lot seems suspect. There's no way Donaghy was the ONLY crooked ref. Is it rigged? I'm not 100% sure, but I can never give up watching the best game EVER.

plutoblue11 · Nov 2, 2014

ghettocheeze said: ↑

Lately, I've been slowly losing interest in the NBA in general over the course of the past few years. I thought about it at length and I am beginning to realize why. The league is too concentrated on a handful of topics. Mostly superstar worship: LeBron, Kobe, etc. and their dynasties. To put in the simplest way for me. LeBron has won his two titles already. How more exciting will it be to watch his 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th title?
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You just describe the 1980s version of the NBA...one conference dominated by one team over a league full of mediocre teams. While, the conference was simply top-heavy.

It's becoming redundant much like the league in general. Honestly, the last time I enjoyed watching a team win a title was back in 2004 - a decade ago when the Pistons pulled the shocker. Since then, we have seen a steady stream of Lakers, Spurs, and Heat dynasties sprinkled with a Celtics or Mavericks title run once in a while. There is no parity in this league.
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There's more league parity in 2014 than there was in the 80s and 90s.

Therefore the outcome is much or less predictable and hence less exciting. The game still has exciting players and talent to watch, but so much of the spotlight is given to a handful that others are completely overshadowed. So, we no longer have heated rivalries with equal talent on both sides. Instead, we focus on the same group superstars to create an entire season's worth of storylines.
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am.

That is what's missing in the NBA. Right now, we have penciled in The Cavs or Bulls vs. most likely the Spurs in the Finals. There are no cinderella stories one can get behind. No Legion of Doom that makes playoff series interesting to watch again.
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Shouldn't we let the season play out.

Just my thoughts, and I'm always excited about the Rockets making a run but there is nothing much to root for outside that to compel one to watch an entire 82-game season when the outcome is easily predictable.
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The league would be more fun, if the Rockets were a championship contender.

plutoblue11 · Nov 3, 2014

ghettocheeze said: ↑

I don't usually post much on these boards, so I just wanted to share some thoughts about the league and see if anyone else feels the same.

Lately, I've been slowly losing interest in the NBA in general over the course of the past few years. I thought about it at length and I am beginning to realize why. The league is too concentrated on a handful of topics. Mostly superstar worship: LeBron, Kobe, etc. and their dynasties. To put in the simplest way for me. LeBron has won his two titles already. How more exciting will it be to watch his 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th title?

It's becoming redundant much like the league in general. Honestly, the last time I enjoyed watching a team win a title was back in 2004 - a decade ago when the Pistons pulled the shocker. Since then, we have seen a steady stream of Lakers, Spurs, and Heat dynasties sprinkled with a Celtics or Mavericks title run once in a while. There is no parity in this league. Therefore the outcome is much or less predictable and hence less exciting. The game still has exciting players and talent to watch, but so much of the spotlight is given to a handful that others are completely overshadowed. So, we no longer have heated rivalries with equal talent on both sides. Instead, we focus on the same group superstars to create an entire season's worth of storylines.

In comparison say the NFL - still a league of dynasties (Patriots, Steelers, Giants) has better storylines like the recent Seahawks, Ravens, Packers, and Saints Superbowl runs. Each was unique to a season where it was exciting to root for them as a fan outside of your home team.

That is what's missing in the NBA. Right now, we have penciled in The Cavs or Bulls vs. most likely the Spurs in the Finals. There are no cinderella stories one can get behind. No Legion of Doom that makes playoff series interesting to watch again.

Just my thoughts, and I'm always excited about the Rockets making a run but there is nothing much to root for outside that to compel one to watch an entire 82-game season when the outcome is easily predictable.
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The LeBron James Factor And NBA Television Ratings
http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybr...on-james-factor-and-nba-television-ratings/2/

Opening Night in the NBA on TNT saw a 48 percent drop in ratings and a 49 percent drop in viewership from last year. This year saw a 1.5 rating with an average of 2.3 million for the national broadcast compared to a 2.9 rating with 4.5 million viewers last season. Why the difference? It wasn’t because it went up against a World Series game (although that certainly was a factor). It was because the Cleveland Cavaliers and King James weren’t part of the programming.

Yet, on the second night of Opening Week of the NBA on TNT, the Cavs played the New York Knicks, and ratings were, as expected, high. That game pulled a 2.6 rating with an average of 4 million viewers, up 50 percent over the comparable telecast window last season which saw the Chicago Bulls play the Knicks for a 1.8 rating with 2,643,000 million total viewers.

Just how much of an affect did LeBron’s return to Cleveland have compared to overall regular season ratings on TNT? The telecast was up 117 percent in U.S. household rating and 111 percent among total viewers compared with TNT’s average audience for an NBA regular season game last year (1.2 U.S. HH rating; 1,870,000 total viewers). The telecast – peaking with a 2.9 U.S. HH rating and 4.5 million total viewers from 10:30-10:45 p.m. – earned a 27.2 metered market rating in Cleveland and a 7.0 local rating in New York.

The Knicks/Cavs telecast also registered significant growth across all key demos including a 56 percent increase in People 18-49 and a 60 percent improvement among Men 18-49 over the same telecast window in 2013. The Cavs-Knicks game on the second night of the NBA regular season was up 116 percent among People 18-49 and 122 percent in Men 18-49 over TNT’s average demos for the NBA regular season last year.

This is both good and bad, or more correctly, adds context. Flatly looking at the numbers and saying this year or that shows overall interest or decline in the NBA does not paint the picture properly. The NBA is so tightly tied to its super stars to generate interest that who is in game, outweighs the team that is competing. Ask yourself what the ratings would have been if LeBron doesn’t go back to Cleveland and it’s the same matchup.

For the NBA and its broadcast partners, no one thing drives viewership like super stars. If the Cavaliers miss the playoffs, and let’s say, it’s the Spurs again against say, the Knicks (I’m simply using that team as it’s in the league’s biggest market with Carmelo Anthony as a star), is there little doubting that ratings will be down considerably, even with New York in the mix?

Where LeBron James goes, so goes the NBA… and the television ratings.
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aelliott · Nov 3, 2014

ghettocheeze said: ↑

I don't usually post much on these boards, so I just wanted to share some thoughts about the league and see if anyone else feels the same.

Lately, I've been slowly losing interest in the NBA in general over the course of the past few years. I thought about it at length and I am beginning to realize why. The league is too concentrated on a handful of topics. Mostly superstar worship: LeBron, Kobe, etc. and their dynasties. To put in the simplest way for me. LeBron has won his two titles already. How more exciting will it be to watch his 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th title?
Click to expand...

When was the NBA any different?

1950's - Lakers 3 titles, Boston - 3 titles

1960's - Boston 8 titles

1970's - Lakers 2 titles
Boston 2 titles

1980's - Boston 3 titles, Lakers 4 titles

1990's - Chicago 6 titles, Houston 2 titles

2000's - Lakers 4 titles, San Antonio 3 titles

2010's - Miami 2 titles.

There's always been teams winning multiple titles in every decade. At least it isn't the Celtics vs Lakers every year.

rm365 · Nov 3, 2014

The NBA has become a pansy league just like Kobe said.

All the flopping and the touch fouls. It's almost unwatchable sometimes.

I would be surprised if anyone who watched basketball in the 80's and 90's didn't agree with me.

I'm sure that it is the love for the game and not this league which compels people to keep watching this trash.

This is not to say there aren't great games every now and then but for me the calls really take away from the experience.

Liberon · Nov 3, 2014

I just wanna know how guys bleed so easily from just a lil wack? Most guys in the league have their names trimmed well to handle the ball anyways.

ivanyy2000 · Nov 3, 2014

The league just doesn't have enough talent for 30 teams. Nearly 1/3 of the teams are downright garbage. A lot of the games are meaningless and not competitive at all.

Plus the flopping and tic tac calls. Harden got what, 14, 15, 18 FTs the last three games? I am sure, other than Rox fans, very few fans come to arena watching Harden shooting FTs.

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The State of the NBA Today

Junkyard Dog Member

plutoblue11 Member

plutoblue11 Member

aelliott Contributing Member

rm365 Contributing Member

Liberon Rookie

ivanyy2000 Contributing Member

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