So what do you think of the NBA right now?

[crazyduke3]

I've long not been to big on the NBA but this year just seems like the pits to me.

The NBA lottery is still an awful awful idea. As a Charlotte fan, we were snake bitten twice, including missing out on Anthony Davis ( more on him later.)

The playoffs are always come down to the same team in the finals, but it seems we'll get one new team in the Eastern Conference this year so that will be cool.

It's near impossible for teams to rise out of the pits into Championship level unless they some how get a hold of 2-4 mega stars. Without that, your best hope is some fun playoff runs. Just go back and look at NBA finals history, it's usually always the exact same teams in there. Like a small market team? Don't dream of them going to the NBA Finals!

But the worse for me is the players. Especially this year. Players couldn't care less about the team that drafted them and the fans who scream their heart out for them. They especially don't care about their contracts. Lebron, to me, is a poison. He could not care less if his teammates or coach get dumped as long as he gets the players, coaches he wants. Teammates, if they aren't all stars, are just trade fodder to him. If they aren't in a massive market, or winning big every year they don't want any part of your team. Guys like Jimmy Butler and Anthony Davis. Kyrie also. He outright said he would resign but now says he doesn't know. Dude you gave your word now you are going back on it? It's all about joining with other stars. There are still some good dudes in the league who love their teams. Kemba Walker has continually professed his love for Charlotte and hopes to not be traded. A guy like Rudy Gobert who's taken pride in the team he plays for. There are others and good on them.

The NFL isn't perfect. Yeah the patriots are there often. But the NFC has had a new team the past 6 years, the last two were bottom dwellers just a few years ago. The players should have a little more respect and power than what they do, but they make a lot of money too so it ain't like they are given slave labor. But regardless of what team you pull for, they can climb out of the depths and do something one day. In the NBA? Ha, you're wasting your time.



The short version; I'm not a fan of the NBA, what about you?

 

[df64]

Not a game to begin with. The way teams are built today makes it even worse. Not enough continuity. It is a problem in all sports, but with the cap and small rosters, it is highlighted even more in the NBA.

 

[FearTheBeard]

I root for the Blazers, but won’t watch unless it’s the playoffs for the most part. I’ll watch the Finals if it’s a good matchup. I was never a big Lebrun fan, but I did root for Cleveland over GS the past few years. Mainly bc of Kyrie and then bc it was one on five.

 

[ttk2002]

I wish they would go back to the physicality of the 80's

 

[skysdad]

I root for all Duke players. Q does one heck of a jib with the NBA thread doesn't he. OFC

 

[Mac9192]

The nba is garbage. Just in a hurry to get the talent to their arenas as fast as possible. All the while, these kids aren’t ready to be men. Big problem right there, imo. Got to find a better way instead of giving irresponsible teenagers butt loads of money.

 

[QC Dukie]

I would rather watch paint dry, than watch an nba game. It’s just brutal for me to watch. When the highlights come on, I turn the channel.

 

[skysdad]

I don't like it because of the way certain players control the league. I'm not talking about controlling the actuall league. OFC

 

[DukefanKY]

I used to watch years ago when Wilkins was with the Hawks. I was a big Dominique fan. After he retired, I quit watching for awhile. I have tried to get into it here and there but just cant really seem to latch on. Plus, the Hawks generally suck, so they are not really offering much motivation to watch!!

 

[jnastasi]

It’s a terrible product. Hate seeing the players control the league like they do. They all want to play on super best friend teams all while trying maximizing their “brand” and “image”. Now we have a player owning a sports agency and dictating where other players go. 90% of the league doesn’t play defense. 95% of games are 3pt crazy. We all know who’s going to win the championship. What’s to like???

 

[Jnood]

It is shit!

 

[Shatterthesky22]

The NBA 's biggest issue is it's 82 game season. About halfway through the season the players(especially stars) stop caring because by that point you generally know who the top.teams are and as long as they win enough to maintain a top-4 seed they're good. They need to cut the season back, like go to 62 games. That way each game means more and gives smaller market teams better chances to make a push into the playoffs. Same should go for NHL and MLB, way, way too many unnecessary games.

The playoffs should be paired down to this: 1st round-Best of 3, 2nd round-Best of 5, Conference and NBA Finals-Best of 7. This would help eliminate unnecessary fatigue from players, coaches, fans, and push out a better on court product. The NFL is so huge because it's short, easy to follow and has a single elimination tournament where anything can happen. Not unlike the NCAA'S that even people who don't give a shit most of the season jump on the bandwagon as soon as the tourney rolls around.

 

[smashmouth5]

Reseed for the playoffs. Use East and West to qualify for playoffs then seed the teams 1-16. Golden State is impressive to watch but I do wish they had a way to balance the league out. Also more Bluedevils playing for the Hornets.

 

[spike05rk]

Haven’t watched in years.

 

[chov1125]

If the Knicks get KD, Kyrie and either Zion or RJ I’ll start watching again....But nothing ever works out for the Knicks

 

[jwill133]

The NBA is amazing, I'm a big fan.
It has its problems, don't get me wrong, the tampering is out of control. But player movement like this is exactly what the NBA wanted.

I don't know, maybe it's just me. But I enjoy a league where a guy like Lebron who came from the worst projects you have ever seen has more power than the billionaire owner who can just use money to get whatever he wants. To each his own though.

It is Super Bowl week, have you heard more news about the super bowl or about Anthony Davis/Porzingis trade etc?????? Exactly. The NBA is doing just fine.

 

[CRAZIE4LIFE]

Spoiled divas crying about not making enough, or "I'm tired of not having all the spotlight on me" even though they refuse to play without other divas and be loyal to the little market teams that drafted them.

 

[mo.st.dukie]

I don't understand why it's so bad for players to want to leave their team. I mean, if you or I don't like our job, the company we work for, or the city we live in what do we do? We go and find another job, company, and/or city even if the one we are leaving gave us our first big break. That is VERY common.

If you have a poorly run franchise you will suffer. And that BS about small market teams or bad teams not being able to build up. Come on, freaking Oklahoma City had a powerhouse because they built through the draft and some players have wanted to sign there, like Paul George.

Both Golden State and Toronto were one of the worst teams in the league not that long ago and now are the two best. This is due to good management, great draft picks, and, in the last few years, players wanting to sign there. The Lakers, meanwhile, haven't really been good in almost a decade and New York has been trash since the 90's. Houston has only recently had a resurgence. Teams like Portland, Denver, Utah, and Indiana have also built really solid teams, I wouldn't consider them to be large market teams. And let's not forget, one of the great NBA dynasties was in San Antonio. There's very clear evidence that small market teams can do quire well and even better than LA, New York, and Chicago. If your particular small market team sucks then they are doing something wrong.

And of course it's tough ro have a great team without a megastar or 4. It's basketball, one star player can have a huge impact. And in the professional league, where it's supposed to be difficult to win, almost every team has at least one star player so the teams with multiple star players tend to be the best.

The NBA is absolutely a players league. The players are the employees and the product, they shpuld have control over things. I do think that rubs people the wrong way for some reason.

 

[jwill133]

Next season is setting up to be one of the greatest seasons ever.
As long as KD leaves the Warriors, which he better, becuase yes it's stupid already knowing they are gonna win the title this year. Everything I'm hearing says KD to the Knicks is already a done deal.
The Knicks could have KD, Kyrie, and Zion/RJ.
The Lakers could have Lebron, AD, + (insert third star.)
The Celtics are always interesting and could possibly lose Kyrie.
The Bucks could win 65 games.
The Nuggets are gonna be good for a long time
The Rockets have Harden who is having possibly the greatest individual season since Wilt Chamberlain.
The Warriors will go back to playing the most beautiful basketball ever because with KD they play much more one-on-one.
The Cavs could win 20 games.

IMO being a Duke fan currently should go hand in hand with being an NBA fan, considering we have essentially become an NBA farm system.

 

[mo.st.dukie]

In regards to the length of the regular season and playoffs, I have mixed thoughts on it. On the one hand, it is a long season and individual games tend to have a reduced level of importance. On the other hand, the large number of games does allow for statistical anomalies and human error to be sifted out and to have less of an impact on the larger picture. For instance, poor officiating, bad calls, and missed calls simply don't have nearly as much of an impact in the NBA as it does other sports. Even if a ref made a bad call in crunch time, it's just one game out of 82. In other words, the large number of games allows for the cream to rise to the top.

Is that the most exciting thing in the world? Eh not really. We tend to find controversy and upsets to be the best entertainment in sports. The NBA is about superstars and dynasties, it has been for a long time going back to the early days of the league. There is room in sports entertainment for a league that is driven by superstars and dynasties. Clearly the NBA has found plenty of people who enjoy that entertainment because the league is doing very well and has great opportunities for growth.

 

[dukesince91]

It is Super Bowl week, have you heard more news about the super bowl or about Anthony Davis/Porzingis trade etc??????

The super bowl.

 

[tate12]

Don't watch it at all. Lost interest after the Bird/Magic years. I loved the Wilt, Russell, Oscar and West days though.

 

[christophero]

I don't watch it either. Occasionally the NBA finals.

 

[MyDudeG]

I still love watching the NBA. Say what you want about it, but the talent level in the league right now is higher than it has ever been. No longer are players confined to certain positions on the floor. We have 7 footers with guard skill sets and the game is about placing the highest skill level at every position. I'm for sure hoping that KD leaves this summer though because that will hopefully add more parity to the league. I still think that if KD had stayed with the Thunder, that 2016-2017 NBA season could have been one of the best in recent memory. Lebron and Kyrie going for the repeat with the Cavs, KD and Russ looking for revenge against GSW, and the Warriors looking to regain their throne. Plus you still have teams like the Spurs who could definitely make a run at the title. So many great storylines before KD pulled that weak move.

 

[jrtplaya]

I enjoy the product. Everyone says the defense is a joke but plug in some of these super athletes into the 90s and a lot of them would have their way. Again it's a players league. Look at baseball their two best free agents can't even get signed yet. The NFL you're an injury or two away from your season getting wasted. Hockey is only interesting during the playoffs. I for one enjoy watching the best players fighting it out for rings. Toronto and Milwaukee are top of the East but small markets are suffering?

 

[crazyduke3]

I follow what’s happening closely but don’t really watch till conference finals. As said earlier, these guys make insane money but act so entitled and insulted. True these star players help generate incredible amounts of money. But do not discount that the owners GIVE THEM the platform and opportunity to do so. And at the end of the day, I’m more sympathetic to the guy who owns the franchise and pays the employees aka the players. But both need each other.


Like Anthony Davis’s dad saying “ after what Boston did, I don’t want my son playing for them!!!” Kinda like how your son is demanding his team to let him go?

 

[crazyduke3]

I enjoy the product. Everyone says the defense is a joke but plug in some of these super athletes into the 90s and a lot of them would have their way. Again it's a players league. Look at baseball their two best free agents can't even get signed yet. The NFL you're an injury or two away from your season getting wasted. Hockey is only interesting during the playoffs. I for one enjoy watching the best players fighting it out for rings. Toronto and Milwaukee are top of the East but small markets are suffering?

You know of a bigger market in the country of Canada than Toronto?

 

[jwill133]

Also...spare me the “overpaid babies” nonsense that people like to direct at NBA players. Anthony Davis just walked away from an extra 80 million dollars to get away from a terribly ran organization.

Sorry if it hurts your feelings that NBA stars are more valuable than a NFL/ MLB Star.

Given the salary cap, most NBA stars are underpaid. Lebron would get 100 million a season if there was no salary cap like baseball.

 

[jrtplaya]

You know of a bigger market in the country of Canada than Toronto?

I meant that so in the context of major franchises who constantly win. Toronto isn't one of those. Free agents don't team up to go there.

 

[crazyduke3]

Also...spare me the “overpaid babies” nonsense that people like to direct at NBA players. Anthony Davis just walked away from an extra 80 million dollars to get away from a terribly ran organization.

Sorry if it hurts your feelings that NBA stars are more valuable than a NFL/ MLB Star.

Given the salary cap, most NBA stars are underpaid. Lebron would get 100 million a season if there was no salary cap like baseball.

So terribly ran they offered him 80 million dollars! What a slap in the face!

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

Michelle Beatle juice likes the NBA so I hate it. Just for that reason. It gets her jolly’s off talking about it. Makes me want to puke. Id say she shags a lot. She looks like a beat up hoe. Oh and she acts like somebody that had their head banged against the head board to many times. Did I just say that out loud?

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

She agrees

 

[denverexpat]

Last week on College basketball, Sir Charles called it terrible...i concur with his opinion.

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

I love it now

 

[dukiejay]

I’m a huge NBA fan, and probably watch more of it than I do college basketball.

The NBA is really the only players league in professional sports. That turns a lot of people off. They don’t like seeing the product holding the cards, as weird as it sounds to say it.

Does it suck that we know who is going to win the title this year? Yep. But it’s really no different than it has ever been. I mean, if MJ doesn’t retire the Bulls probably win eight titles in a row. With the exception of Detroit in 1989, the Lakers and Celtics swept the 80s.

I love Charles Barkley. He’s one of my favorite athletes of all-time. I disagree with him though about the product being terrible. What he doesn’t like is how the game has changed. IMO, that doesn’t equate to a terrible product.

 

[jwill133]

NBA haters in the 90’s: “nothin but a bunch selfish thugs who only care about money and don’t care about winning.”

NBA haters today: “No loyalty with these guys, all they want is to team up and go to the finals every year.”
-literally all these guys care about now is winning.


Like WHAT DO YOU WANT? You want them to put winning first, well teaming up is the best way to win.

 

[Bludvls1]

I may watch the NBA Finals if nothing else is on. All of the preliminaries leading up to the finals are painfully boring.

 

[pisgah101]

Hate it

 

[crazyduke3]

NBA haters in the 90’s: “nothin but a bunch selfish thugs who only care about money and don’t care about winning.”

NBA haters today: “No loyalty with these guys, all they want is to team up and go to the finals every year.”
-literally all these guys care about now is winning.


Like WHAT DO YOU WANT? You want them to put winning first, well teaming up is the best way to win.

To be fair, I didn't really watch the NBA in the 90's I was even 10 till 2001, so I have no deep comment about the product then.

But if you enjoy it, good. I wish I shared that. Nothing wrong with liking it.

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

The teams arnt loyal to their players so why should the players be loyal to their team. Way I see it.