So the NBA has a little problem. The league currently has no expected storyline.
There is a parity going on that has not been witnessed since the 90s. It started with the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs that went absolutely crazy and lead to nearly every series hitting 7 games. Small lowbrow teams like the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Golden State Warriors exited the first round with nothing but fire in their hearts. So would it be coincidence that this same batch of teams became the most aggressive in the offseason and in turn have produced some of the best teams currently competing in the NBA right now?
It’s the no-name teams rocking the standings and shaking the NBA upside-down. The best team in the NBA is the Golden State Warriors, which at one point were matching the pace of the 96 Bulls. The best team in the Eastern Conference (and arguably the second-best team in the NBA) is the Atlanta Hawks—which are now known as the Spurs of the East, minus the hardcore fanbase…well minus an actual fanbase. Although Stephen Curry is reaching superstar status, his name still doesn’t hold the weight of a Kobe Bryant, a LeBron James, or even a Blake Griffin. And can the casual crowd even name 5 players for the Hawks?
The Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors are two essentially forgotten East teams that are actually playing darn good ball right now. They combine for a 50-24 record and have better records than the Cavs, the Bulls, and even the Spurs. Creeping up into the conversation are the Milwaukee Bucks (better record than LeBron) and the quietly-surging Detroit Pistons (From dead last to 2 games behind the 8 seed in a span of a couple weeks).
On the Wild Wild West, we have the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers outperforming the more popular casual NBA teams like the Lakers, Clippers, and Thunder. In a season which expected the Clippers and Spurs to fight on top and injury-ridden star-driven teams like the Lakers and Pelicans to mount huge gains, all has fallen by the wayside as we are seeing franchise history-making start after franchise history-making start. While the West is usually a bloodbath, the top 4 teams in the East are separated by just 4 games.
So let’s talk about the popular teams, and then laugh at them. We can start with the tankalicious Boston Celtics, which is actually run by a good coach and with the slightest bit of effort can at least nab a #8 seed. We have the Cavs, which are run by a tired-and-less-aggressive LeBron, the statistical enigma Kevin Love, and the not-quite-there Kyrie Irving. There’s the Kobe-Should-Retire Los Angeles Lakers not going anywhere at all, and even the brother team Clippers despite a good record never looks like a team you should fear.
And of course, there’s the New York Knicks. What a joke of a team. Not enough words can describe the sorry behaviors of that organization…..should have kept Jeremy Lin and done your best to keep that squad intact all those years ago.
So how can the NBA market the “big games” when all the “big teams” are doing terribly? Both teams in the NBA Finals a season ago are struggling, the expected Eastern Conference contenders are in the lower end of the playoff spectrum, and all of the biggest stars are playing for mediocre teams. It was an unprepared parity that flipped the league upside down. Unlike the NFL and MLB (especially…especially), the NBA markets itself through superstars as opposed to the chance that your hometown team can make the postseason and create some memories.
The NFL and its constant hype 16-game schedule allows for everyone to believe that their team has a shot. If they win a few in a row, Super Bowl is in conversation. Even the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns had a few weeks of hype before succumbing to an unfortunate end. MLB despite having a 162 game season is enjoying the sheer balance of talent amongst every franchise in the market. Even the Houston Astros had the phenomenal hitter Jose Altuve giving the team some spotlight. And of course, let’s not forget the yearly September baseball which has 12-16 teams still in the playoff hunt.
NBA however runs on dynasties, runs on mainstream teams, runs on bandwagon fans. The NBA fell in love with the Miami Heat because it racked up new fans that wanted to follow a team that would consistently win. NBA secretly loved the Lakers/Celtics rivalry because those two were always winning and in opposite coasts. The NBA loved the Bulls because that team was the King of the Mountain, and to basketball, it’s always more fun when you see dozens of teams try to knock down the champ. Dynasties don’t do as well in other leagues. MLB didn’t benefit from the Yankees winning 3 years in a row, but definitely benefited from the 2001-2006 stretch when a different team won the World Series each season.
This season of the NBA has been pound for pound the most intriguing since the 1998-1999 season when Jordan retired (again), opening the door for any team to take over and win. Currently, we have an entourage of small-market teams that have suddenly become awesome, have suddenly started winning, and have stopped fearing the popular teams with the superstars. The other night the Orlando Magic went into Chicago and took down the Derrick Rose Bulls without issue. But despite the quality of the season, they aren’t translating into huge TV numbers because the NBA simply doesn’t know how to handle parity. It doesn’t know how to figure out how to add intrigue to a season that is led by teams without big names. The hardcore sports fan is enjoying the tossed salad of parity but to the mainstream fan? They probably stopped watching weeks ago....
Just imagine the chaos if we get an Atlanta Hawks/Golden State Warriors NBA Finals. And you think the World Series gets low ratings….
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