Nothing, I would say. All the top tier teams have avoided change. All the blockbuster trades involved teams far from contention or barely in the picture. Of course this is an understandable trend. Teams at the top already have potentially championship rosters. Yet the trading among lesser teams is exactly what seems to be the problem. When there are only a handful of contenders, the other 23 teams are attempting to enter the picture. At the current rate of the NBA, we will have a league divided in two: those who can win a title, and those who are 5 years or more away. Making matters worse, these terrible teams are relegated to smaller markets.
Most of the time I'm quick to offer a half-thought-out resolution that 25% satisfies people, 75% enrages them. This time, however, I've got nothing. I do not want to see the NBA contract. Even though I'm from a big market, I like competitive balance. The NBA could turn into the NFL, implementing a hard cap and no team continuity. But current rules and the history of the league in general will be a major impeding factor.
So I'd like to take this opportunity to pose the following question:
How does the NBA (David Stern) fix this problem?
Hopefully we can get a good discussion going in the comments section.
7 comments:
I don't have an issue at all how the league is going. I like seeing as many great players on the floor as possible and as many great matchups. If every NBA team only had one strong player and 4 role players around him the game suffers. Think of Cleveland's offense the last 7 years. They had the games best player but at times they were brutal to watch. I'm a big fan of contraction and would love to have players like Kevin Love and Blake Griffin play in the playoffs on solid teams. No matter what system we implement their organizations are incapable of being any good.
Brent, I am not in favor of contraction at this point. I think the Clippers may be able to turn it around at some point soon. They almost have to, right? They have Griffin and keep getting more talent. At some point they will mess up and be a contender.
The Clippers will turn it around when Donald Sterling is no longer associated with the team.
Pat, I think Donald Sterling refuses to die or sell the Clippers out of general stubbornness now. I do feel like they may luck into making the playoffs one year.
The Clippers will never be contracted while Sterling owns them because they make money every year. Contraction isn't about competition, it's about turning a profit, which the Clippers do without fail.
I agree the Clippers will never be contracted, but I don't see how the league benefits from having teams in New Orleans, Charlotte, or Memphis. Minnesota could be a great place to have a team but they have been bad for so long its hard to tell. The Clippers might make the playoff by accident, but the highlight of the NBA is the playoffs. I want to see Griffin there every year, not just by accident as an 8 seed one year. I really think they have the talent to be more than that, but it will probably never happen.
Personally, I know the Charlotte area has more money and all of that, but I think if the NBA had put a team in Raleigh then it would have had a better chance of succeeding than the team in Charlotte. Not that Raleigh could support a team, but I would estimate 45% of the Charlotte area was fed up with the NBA after the George Shinn incident when they moved to New Orleans. I knew that team wouldn't get support. If the NBA had done some research they could have seen the same thing. It can go away for all I care.
I sort of wish the NBA would put another team in the Midwest. I know it may not seem that way, but I think with OKC's success it could get support. That won't happen though.
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