2024-25 NBA Thread

[WilyWestbrook0]

All right, so we're coming up on Christmas and there's lots of talk about how ratings are really down this season. They've been on a downward trend for 12 years, but it's been an especially steep drop this season. I've read some discussions about it and these are the most common criticisms:

1) Too much 3 point shooting. The Boston Celtics are taking over 50 a game; that's too much. A lot of teams are doing it without great ball movement, either -- just guys dribbling and dancing and then chucking (think Jordan Poole). The Cavs take just under 40 but they do it with great team passing and ball movement. Unfortunately most teams aren't as pretty to watch.

2) Bad reffing; either too many fouls or not enough. Very inconsistent.

3) Streaming.

I think one can also make a case for the top teams and stars not being what people are used to. People are used to dominant teams and American stars, like MJ and the Bulls or Shaq/Kobe and the Lakers or LeBron and Curry and the Warriors, etc. But other than the Celtics and Tatum/Brown, a lot of the top teams are now small market teams with younger and foreign stars. OKC has a Canadian in SGA, Cavs are small market, recent champs include foreign guys like Jokic and Giannis, and the newest hyped star is a foreign guy in Wemby. It's harder for the casual fan to root for these kinds of guys and teams. I personally couldn't care less because I love the game for the sake of the game and live in a small market area, but casual fans like big American stars and big teams and also some rivalries. We don't have that right now.

Any other thoughts?

[pwaldo]

Any other thoughts?

While I like to see the NBA meltdown over low ratings that continue to go lower. Outside of the NFL and maybe a few other sporting related things TV ratings are and will continue to go down sharply. It makes no sense to pay for TV or any entertainment when it is given away for free. That's what the NFL does. On Sunday I was able to see games on CBS and FOX and then there was a different FOX game on the "HD FOX" channel. So that was 3 games for the 1 PM starts and there was another CBS game at 4 PM and then at night the Cowboys played against somebody. I think there is a MNF game tonight too. This is all FREE over the air television. Sure they had an NBA game on ABC every once in awhile but I don't even like football and yet I know when the games are on and I have access to them. For the NBA you have to pay a ton for cable and then you don't even get all the games you want. So the NBA and many other things are offering their games to a world that doesn't really exist anymore. People have moved on from cable and you will not pick up new customers/viewers/fans if people can't see the games.

This isn't just the NBA but a lot of media. The question that should be asked is why do I need the NBA? They need viewers and they need fans but people don't need the NBA. So maybe don't treat your remaining fans like garbage and do things to try and expand your audience. Otherwise they need to stop complaining. Either evolve or die. This isn't the previous other generations where people kept paying for or viewing stuff that gave them the finger. The younger generations are done with that and a lot of the older media doesn't get that. What they did before isn't working and they are either too stubborn or stupid to get it or change. Not saying the NBA will go out of business anytime soon but there is a bubble that non NFL sports are going to experience where they are paying the players millions and the revenue will suddenly dry up and they won't be bringing in enough to cover salaries.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Such a fun end to this year of 2024. Great performances from the Thunder and Cavaliers tonight. I've loved these small market teams for years, and to watch them dominate quietly without fanfare is actually quite satisfying

[pwaldo]

Such a fun end to this year of 2024. Great performances from the Thunder and Cavaliers tonight. I've loved these small market teams for years, and to watch them dominate quietly without fanfare is actually quite satisfying

Yeah it seems like they are both the top teams in each conference this season. And unless something drastic happens the MVP race will come down to SGA versus Jokic. Edge probably goes to SGA just because the Nuggets are awful without Jokic and I doubt they will finish high enough in the standings for him to get another MVP award. Even though he probably deserves it more this season as he is having his best season yet.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Yeah it seems like they are both the top teams in each conference this season. And unless something drastic happens the MVP race will come down to SGA versus Jokic. Edge probably goes to SGA just because the Nuggets are awful without Jokic and I doubt they will finish high enough in the standings for him to get another MVP award. Even though he probably deserves it more this season as he is having his best season yet.

Really looking forward to the Jan 8 matchup between the Cavs and Thunder. I do think the Cavs are the deeper team and they have the better offense. They should win the first game at Cleveland, and especially with Chet out; OKC has no one who can guard Mobley, who has made the proverbial leap this season and should be put on the All-Star team even if the common fans aren't knowledgeable enough to know just how good he is now.

As for the MVP, yeah, SGA is likely the favorite so far. Jokic is carrying the Nuggets, who severely lack depth, but MVPs are almost always given to players on teams who at least are leading their divisions, so SGA would be the most likely candidate. Meanwhile the Cavs are so balanced that they don't have any dominant guy and could have as many as four All-Stars, although Jarrett Allen might not make it. With all the complaints people have of the league these days, they should watch the Cavs, who play the game the right way -- "ethical basketball," as Allen calls it.

[pwaldo]

With all the complaints people have of the league these days, they should watch the Cavs, who play the game the right way -- "ethical basketball," as Allen calls it.

I don't know about anybody else but I don't have a problem with the league now because I really always viewed the regular season as pointless. It was basically you tuned into the playoffs or some special game like Jordan versus the Knicks. Back then I don't even think you could watch every game for a team so unless you attended the game in person you didn't see many games prior to a certain year. Where they lost me was basically taking the fun out of the last copule of regular seasons games where you had the drama of a team trying to make the cut. Now with the play in nobody good isn't really in danger of missing the playoffs ever. Especially the East which is total garbage. So with the drama and juice out of it you just seemingly sit around forever waiting for some meaningful basketball.

And this isn't just a problem with the NBA. Baseball made the whole regular season pointless by allowing so many teams into the playoffs. It was perfect with the 1 game playoff to determine the Wild Card winner but now so many teams are playing and having days off in the MLB playoffs that it makes playoff excitement and momentum nearly impossible.

[WilyWestbrook0]

Wow did that Cavs/Thunder game live up to the hype! I was right that Cleveland would win due to their bigs and depth, but OKC gave them a great fight. 30 lead changes. Really hope this is a Finals preview. And another regular season contest is just around the corner. Can't wait!

[pwaldo]

Wow did that Cavs/Thunder game live up to the hype! I was right that Cleveland would win due to their bigs and depth, but OKC gave them a great fight. 30 lead changes. Really hope this is a Finals preview. And another regular season contest is just around the corner. Can't wait!

At this point you can really make the argument that the Cavs are playing like the best team in basketball. They haven't really fallen back to the pack and they have played lights out basketball almost all season. They will be a juggernaut to deal with if they are healthy and nobody picks up a star at the trade deadline to stop them. Probably the biggest thing that will hold them back at this point will be that the NBA probably wouldn't be too happy with them making the NBA Finals at this point but other than that in a weak Eastern Conference they have to be favored.

[WilyWestbrook0]

At this point you can really make the argument that the Cavs are playing like the best team in basketball. They haven't really fallen back to the pack and they have played lights out basketball almost all season. They will be a juggernaut to deal with if they are healthy and nobody picks up a star at the trade deadline to stop them. Probably the biggest thing that will hold them back at this point will be that the NBA probably wouldn't be too happy with them making the NBA Finals at this point but other than that in a weak Eastern Conference they have to be favored.

Yeah I like them more than the Celtics at this point. Boston chucks up 50 3 point shots a game without much regard for the kind of ball movement that Cleveland uses. I think Cleveland's biggest challenge will be a healthier Thunder team. Caruso will likely be back for the next regular season game against them next week; it will be harder for Darius Garland to put up the kinds of numbers he did in the game last week if Caruso defends him a lot. And of course when Chet gets back that gives them another major weapon on offense as well as as guy who can defend Mobley. But he won't be in the game next week; it would have to wait if they met in the Finals.

[pwaldo]

Yeah I like them more than the Celtics at this point. Boston chucks up 50 3 point shots a game without much regard for the kind of ball movement that Cleveland uses. I think Cleveland's biggest challenge will be a healthier Thunder team. Caruso will likely be back for the next regular season game against them next week; it will be harder for Darius Garland to put up the kinds of numbers he did in the game last week if Caruso defends him a lot. And of course when Chet gets back that gives them another major weapon on offense as well as as guy who can defend Mobley. But he won't be in the game next week; it would have to wait if they met in the Finals.

Yeah the Celtics have been a little off their game this year. The competition in the East outside of the Cavs has been really bad with the Bucks and Sixers struggling and the Knicks starting a little slow yet the Celtics have underperformed. You'd have to put them behind the Cavs and Thunder at this point and they seem to be losing steam instead of gaining it for a young core team that won it all last year while looking pretty dominate.