2013 NBA Playoffs

[crashcarson15]

If you have a problem with what Lebron did, you're basically saying you dislike free agency, and that players should always accept that they're no more than pawns. It's one of the few times in a player's career that he can actually go where he wants to (or to put it another way, work in the city he wants to work in), but I guess if he goes there with another good player, that's bad. "Yeah, he's free to sign with any team he wants...but not when that guy goes there, too."

The complaint has always been that athletes are overpaid, and only care about money. We've wanted to believe in this notion that they care as much as we do about winning. Albert Pujols turns down his home team because the Angels offered him a few million dollars more, and nobody bats an eye. But when a guy takes a pay cut to build a winning team, he gets bitched out. You can't win.

I don't have a problem with free agency.

The problem I have is that today's players are pussies. They're much more concerned about advancing their brand and protecting their image than they are about improving the overall game for the NBA. Players are so afraid of not winning a ring that they're colluding together. Players are so afraid of losing that they don't participate in the league's showcase event (Slam Dunk Contest). For today's player, it's all about selling themselves over doing what's best for the totality of the league/sport. NBA players aren't the only ones guilty of that, but they are the biggest offenders, by far.

I used to be a big basketball fan back in the mid-90's. The economics of sports (and the Hawks becoming a terrible team) eroded my fandom towards basketball. I work for the team, and I'd like to be a decent fan of the sport again. A big part of that fandom stems from there being a genuine drama and relative unknown of what can happen. That just isn't there in the NBA right now. Playing for their country aside, it's much more entertaining to see superstars having a general hatred of each other and having that desire to want to always beat them.....not teaming up to form these superteams.

This is probably one of the better posts that'll be made on the subject.

Look, LeBron has every right to team up with Wade and Bosh, definitely. That doesn't mean I want him to do well for doing it, though. It'd be great to see an NBA with the top stars on different teams, with something at least closer to the parity we see in the NHL. That's what'd get me back watching more often.

[crashcarson15]

Hallelujah!

I'm not a big NBA guy, but this is already a hell of a series. You're really missing out if you don't tune in.

Pacers in 6. I really believe it.

[See Red]

Hallelujah!

I'm not a big NBA guy, but this is already a hell of a series. You're really missing out if you don't tune in.

Pacers in 6. I really believe it.

I believe it as well. This is a very good Pacers team and Dwyane Wade hasn't exactly been Dwyane Wade. I really thought Lance Stephenson was going to lose this game for Indiana late with as many bad decisions as he made. Was surprised to see Lebron lose this game for Miami with two late turnovers. Great series so far.

[cameroncrazie07]

Has anyone else been sorta, I don't know, unimpressed by the Heat so far these playoffs? I mean the Milwaukee series was a joke, they really only played great two times last series (Games 2 and 4, and even gm. 4 was more of Chicago's offensive derpness then anything else), and now this series they've been pretty outplayed in both games. They might still win it all but it's certainly not gonna be a cakewalk like some thought.

[Lights Out]

It'd be great to see an NBA with the top stars on different teams, with something at least closer to the parity we see in the NHL. That's what'd get me back watching more often.

Like I said earlier, the NBA had that for a while in the mid-2000's, and ratings were low. The quality of basketball was pretty low, too, considering most of the superstars were essentially one-man shows with poor supporting casts and iso-heavy offenses built around volume chucking from the star - hence why even guys like Gilbert Arenas were considered superstars or close to it back then. Even with the stars spread out and some version of parity, San Antonio's Big Three dominated.

Superstars can't do it alone, but then people find stacked teams with superstars objectionable. As unfortunate as it is for small and less-desirable markets, the nature of basketball means that those are the teams that win.

[StillS]

Has anyone else been sorta, I don't know, unimpressed by the Heat so far these playoffs? I mean the Milwaukee series was a joke, they really only played great two times last series (Games 2 and 4, and even gm. 4 was more of Chicago's offensive derpness then anything else), and now this series they've been pretty outplayed in both games. They might still win it all but it's certainly not gonna be a cakewalk like some thought.

imo Chicago's offensive derpness more of due to Miami switching it up after game 1 loss. And i didn't really expect Miami to dominate, both Bulls and Pacers play excellent team defense and their bigs are a huge x factor because Bosh can't defend the paint.

If Heat make it to the finals they'll have a very tough time guarding the likes of Duncan or Z-Bo/Gasol.

[IceCap]

It'd be great to see an NBA with the top stars on different teams, with something at least closer to the parity we see in the NHL. That's what'd get me back watching more often.

Like I said earlier, the NBA had that for a while in the mid-2000's, and ratings were low. The quality of basketball was pretty low, too, considering most of the superstars were essentially one-man shows with poor supporting casts and iso-heavy offenses built around volume chucking from the star - hence why even guys like Gilbert Arenas were considered superstars or close to it back then. Even with the stars spread out and some version of parity, San Antonio's Big Three dominated.

Superstars can't do it alone, but then people find stacked teams with superstars objectionable. As unfortunate as it is for small and less-desirable markets, the nature of basketball means that those are the teams that win.

So why even have a thirty team league if that's the case?

[Lights Out]

Contraction would be a good thing for the NBA, but it's probably not going to happen anytime soon.

[Nyk33]

If Miami doesn't make it to the NBA finals this year prepare for another Lebron free agency bonanza. He is going to be a free agent in 2014 and I can see the Lakers, among other teams, making a huge push for him and are going to realize the amount of egg he would have on his face.

[IceCap]

Contraction would be a good thing for the NBA, but it's probably not going to happen anytime soon.

So we're stuck with a thirty team (at least!) league where every year any given twenty-five teams are just cannon fodder/token playoff slot fillers for the five teams that actually have a shot? Why should I care as a fan? Why should I bother supporting the Raptors if AT BEST they can hope to sneak in as a 7 or 8 seed only get steamrolled come the first round? Yeah, contraction (and not just a one or two team contraction) would fix a lot of issues, but as you said that won't happen. So if the current state of affairs is the "best" case scenario for the league then why should I even bother?

[rams80]

Contraction would be a good thing for the NBA, but it's probably not going to happen anytime soon.

So we're stuck with a thirty team (at least!) league where every year any given twenty-five teams are just cannon fodder/token playoff slot fillers for the five teams that actually have a shot? Why should I care as a fan? Why should I bother supporting the Raptors if AT BEST they can hope to sneak in as a 7 or 8 seed only get steamrolled come the first round? Yeah, contraction (and not just a one or two team contraction) would fix a lot of issues, but as you said that won't happen. So if the current state of affairs is the "best" case scenario for the league then why should I even bother?

I dunno. People like La Liga, so I guess this is similar to that.

[vmd9]

Yeah let's get rid of all the teams except for those in Miami, New York, LA, Chicago, and Boston. Man that would be an amazing NBA! Ratings would be at an all time high. LA doesn't need two teams, so we can dump the Clipppers. Wonder how he'd feel about contraction then?

There is a ridiculous amount of arrogance coming from fans of big market teams. You continuously talk down and pretend like small markets don't even deserve teams. Even though plenty of these teams are strong. You look at the stars of these teams (Love, Irving, Curry, etc) and act like we don't deserve them either.

[Lights Out]

Ridiculous overreaction. Nobody's saying that only big markets deserve to have teams. But for teams like the Bucks, for example, who have tenuous fan support at best, are losing money, and owe money to the league, contraction needs to be considered.

There are plenty of "small" markets (by NBA standards) that have proven deserving of their teams - OKC, the Bay Area, and Utah come to mind. Nobody's arguing for them to lose their teams. I don't really see the "big market arrogance" here.

[ninersdd]

I don't think the Bay Area is really a small market. The combined Bay Area population is 7 million, that isn't small at all.

[The_Admiral]

Yeah, that was an oops.

The NBA does have an interesting juggling act in its future, though. The international explosion of basketball has blown up the talent pool, and it's only getting bigger. Surely the 12th man of today is head and shoulders above the 12th man of, say, 1993. There is at least one city that wants the NBA but can't have it. All this should, by rights, point to expansion, yet the nature of basketball and its roster composition, especially in an era where people just want to pway with their fwends, makes a 32-team league completely unreasonable, as accommodating the players and cities knocking on the door will only give them an enfeebled product that ultimately poisons the market.

[Lights Out]

I don't think the Bay Area is really a small market. The combined Bay Area population is 7 million, that isn't small at all.

Perception doesn't always match up with actual market size in the NBA though. Miami is the 16th ranked television market yet the Heat are considered a big-market team.

[zpqmaowl]

[ninersdd]

The Spurs won the West in a sweep.

Plus it looks like the Kings will get rid of Geoff Petrie as GM. About damn time.

[Still MIGHTY]

So... Spurs vs Heat?

Huzzah. Basketball is saved.

We went from possibilities of Golden State or Memphis or Indiana, but nope. Same old, same old. Build me up with possibilities, and crush me with your reality, NBA.

[CS85]

Spurs vs Heat?