It is such a shame to see a league that was so focused on ball movement and masterful isolation in an effort to drive to the rim become diluted into a no-defense 5-out 3-point contest. The NBA has reached a ratings cliff, where chic association edition jerseys and haute culture-inspired parquets have become the focal point rather than the avant-garde ball mastery that many children around the world would spend countless hours mastering. Now, you’ll be lucky to even turn on the television and see a player even seriously attempt a one-legged fadeaway.
The lack of originality and fight in players is what has led to the NBA being truly boring to watch this year. Now let me be clear: I am not arguing that the league should bring back true five-on-five team basketball (I will refer you to college basketball and March Madness for that type of product). The NBA facilitates individual talent, and there are some widely accepted changes Commissioner Adam Silver and his office could use to steer the league in a healthier direction for the future.
For the regular season to matter more, fans need to see less of it. This proposition does not sound good to the teams’ owners, especially given the attendance increase from the 2022–23 season to the 2023–24 season. However, the league could still benefit from a more meaningful regular season structure in order to incentivize star talent to move away from the dreaded “load management.”
Professional basketball could do fine with a 64-game season, a calculation that stems from each team playing each other twice during the regular season plus six more divisional matchups). Each game outside of the playoffs mattering more will almost certainly create a chain reaction. Fans will be incentivized to watch more regular season games, and attendance at each game will certainly increase as game availability is now more limited. On its face, this business model seems like company suicide, but scarcity creates an unstoppable demand. The increased hype for each game will almost certainly drive fan interest and would almost match the playoff atmosphere leagues so desperately desire.
We also need more “Iso ball.” The NBA has always emphasized individual talent more than any other league in sports. If the league wants to stay meaningful to any audience, games should not be filled with 5-out sets going around the horn with a shot as interesting as seeing Mark Cuban’s reaction in his courtside seat. The NBA has evolved into a glorified 3-point contest for three quarters of the game, making a two-hour open gym session at LA Fitness appear more entertaining than the 30 rosters of some of the most athletically talented professionals in the entire nation.
Much of my love for the sport comes from its stars. Kevin Durant and James Harden. Playoff Jimmy Butler’s clutch gene. The well-known parquet generals of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday who brought Beantown Banner 18. In this day and age, combined superstar talent is a rarity. If you get at least two of the four in Boston for longer than a quarter of playing time, consider it a blessing. Fans want to see the big names place their fate into their own hands, taking the ball and making clutch plays with every skill in their bag.
