Why are NBA TV ratings down so much?

[msgkings322]

Also needing a mental break from the pressure he put on himself.

Think that had a lot to do with it

How much of the 'Stern made him take a break because the gambling stuff was becoming a problem' take do we buy?

 

[tlance]

How much of the 'Stern made him take a break because the gambling stuff was becoming a problem' take do we buy?

No way I believe that.

MJ was a cash cow for the league. Just don’t think that is in anyone’s best interest.

And if the gambling stuff really was so bad that it would have warranted a year + suspension?

Details would have come out by now.

 

[Batman]

Here's a good illustration of the outsized importance of the 3pt shot.
Tonight's Nuggets/Cavs game:

The Nuggets....
> Shot 47.9% from the field and took 2 more shots than the Cavs who shot 50% = Pretty Even
> Won at the free throw line 16-22(72.7%) verses the Cavs 10-16(62.5%)
> Won the rebounding battle 49 to 47
> Had more steals, 12 to 9
> Had more blocks, 5 to 3
> Turnovers were even, 15 each
> Denver committed fewer fouls, 13 to 17

Old school thinking says Denver did pretty well on most of the fundamental basketball skills that coaches emphasize. You would expect Denver to win this game, or at least for it to be very close.

Not so. The game wasn't close.
The Cavs shot 22-48 on threes and Denver shot 6-24. That sealed the win for the Cavs and nothing else really mattered.

That's all too common today's NBA.
Whoever wins the 3 point battle probably wins the game.
The value of the long ball is so out-sized that winning in all the other areas of the game(areas that used to define a solid and well-coached team) isn't very important.

I'm not complaining. The games can still be very exciting.
I'm just pointing out how the game has changed and why some people who were raised with the old-school, fundamental skill-based basketball don't like seeing those skills lose importance to guys chucking it up unchallenged from 26 feet and being celebrated for hitting at a 36% clip.

 

[msgkings322]

Here's a good illustration of the outsized importance of the 3pt shot.
Tonight's Nuggets/Cavs game:

The Nuggets....
> Shot 47.9% from the field and took 2 more shots than the Cavs who shot 50% = Pretty Even
> Won at the free throw line 16-22(72.7%) verses the Cavs 10-16(62.5%)
> Won the rebounding battle 49 to 47
> Had more steals, 12 to 9
> Had more blocks, 5 to 3
> Turnovers were even, 15 each
> Denver committed fewer fouls, 13 to 17

Old school thinking says Denver did pretty well on most of the fundamental basketball skills that coaches emphasize. You would expect Denver to win this game, or at least for it to be very close.

Not so. The game wasn't close.
The Cavs shot 22-48 on threes and Denver shot 6-24. That sealed the win for the Cavs and nothing else really mattered.

That's all too common today's NBA.
Whoever wins the 3 point battle probably wins the game.
The value of the long ball is so out-sized that winning in all the other areas of the game(areas that used to define a solid and well-coached team) isn't very important.

I'm not complaining. The games can still be very exciting.
I'm just pointing out how the game has changed and why some people who were raised with the old-school, fundamental skill-based basketball don't like seeing those skills lose importance to guys chucking it up unchallenged from 26 feet and being celebrated for hitting on 36% of them.

Some good points here

 

[Batman]

Some good points here

I'm mostly sober.

 

[UK Cowboy]

Anyone who watched the Lakers defensive effort against Miami can tell you why

 

[chappee11]

Here's a good illustration of the outsized importance of the 3pt shot.
Tonight's Nuggets/Cavs game:

The Nuggets....
> Shot 47.9% from the field and took 2 more shots than the Cavs who shot 50% = Pretty Even
> Won at the free throw line 16-22(72.7%) verses the Cavs 10-16(62.5%)
> Won the rebounding battle 49 to 47
> Had more steals, 12 to 9
> Had more blocks, 5 to 3
> Turnovers were even, 15 each
> Denver committed fewer fouls, 13 to 17

Old school thinking says Denver did pretty well on most of the fundamental basketball skills that coaches emphasize. You would expect Denver to win this game, or at least for it to be very close.

Not so. The game wasn't close.
The Cavs shot 22-48 on threes and Denver shot 6-24. That sealed the win for the Cavs and nothing else really mattered.

That's all too common today's NBA.
Whoever wins the 3 point battle probably wins the game.
The value of the long ball is so out-sized that winning in all the other areas of the game(areas that used to define a solid and well-coached team) isn't very important.

I'm not complaining. The games can still be very exciting.
I'm just pointing out how the game has changed and why some people who were raised with the old-school, fundamental skill-based basketball don't like seeing those skills lose importance to guys chucking it up unchallenged from 26 feet and being celebrated for hitting at a 36% clip.

A couple points:

-62.5% from the line is an abomination for pros.
-48(!) 3pt attempts in a single game by a single team is quite a stat. I’m guessing that is somewhat common in today’s game, though.

 

[logic]

Here's a good illustration of the outsized importance of the 3pt shot.
Tonight's Nuggets/Cavs game:

The Nuggets....
> Shot 47.9% from the field and took 2 more shots than the Cavs who shot 50% = Pretty Even
> Won at the free throw line 16-22(72.7%) verses the Cavs 10-16(62.5%)
> Won the rebounding battle 49 to 47
> Had more steals, 12 to 9
> Had more blocks, 5 to 3
> Turnovers were even, 15 each
> Denver committed fewer fouls, 13 to 17

Old school thinking says Denver did pretty well on most of the fundamental basketball skills that coaches emphasize. You would expect Denver to win this game, or at least for it to be very close.

Not so. The game wasn't close.
The Cavs shot 22-48 on threes and Denver shot 6-24. That sealed the win for the Cavs and nothing else really mattered.

That's all too common today's NBA.
Whoever wins the 3 point battle probably wins the game.
The value of the long ball is so out-sized that winning in all the other areas of the game(areas that used to define a solid and well-coached team) isn't very important.

I'm not complaining. The games can still be very exciting.
I'm just pointing out how the game has changed and why some people who were raised with the old-school, fundamental skill-based basketball don't like seeing those skills lose importance to guys chucking it up unchallenged from 26 feet and being celebrated for hitting at a 36% clip.

The whole problem comes down to the one word that I bolded. Defense of needs to be played all the way from half court now with how good the three point shooters are.
I think that they need to get rid of the corner 3 and just make it an arc to the sideline. And maybe back it up a foot or two.

 

[Batman]

The whole problem comes down to the one word that I bolded. Defense of needs to be played all the way from half court now with how good the three point shooters are.
I think that they need to get rid of the corner 3 and just make it an arc to the sideline. And maybe back it up a foot or two.

Bingo.
I think that would restore balance to shot selection.

Most of the action that decides who wins a basketball game shouldn't be happening 24+ feet from the basket.
The post up, penetration and mid-range game needs to matter a little more.

 

[tlance]

Bingo.
I think that would restore balance to shot selection.

Most of the action that decides who wins a basketball game shouldn't be happening 24+ feet from the basket.
The post up, penetration and mid-range game needs to matter a little more.

I need to push back a little here.

Just because the shot is from 24’ doesn’t mean all the action is.

Penetration matters a lot. It is just that the best play is to kick for 3 if you can’t get all the way to the rim.

Post play and midrange aren’t coming back in mass because they are inefficient for most players.

There will always be the Jokic and DeRozan type players who are able to score efficiently on play types that aren’t efficient for the average player, but I also feel like it is unwise to try to teach a kid to play like DeRozan because if they fall short of his efficiency levels, they won’t be useful on the court.

 

[Batman]

I need to push back a little here.

Just because the shot is from 24’ doesn’t mean all the action is.

Penetration matters a lot. It is just that the best play is to kick for 3 if you can’t get all the way to the rim.

Post play and midrange aren’t coming back in mass because they are inefficient for most players.

There will always be the Jokic and DeRozan type players who are able to score efficiently on play types that aren’t efficient for the average player, but I also feel like it is unwise to try to teach a kid to play like DeRozan because if they fall short of his efficiency levels, they won’t be useful on the court.

Good points.

What did you think of Logic's suggestion to eliminate the corner three?

 

[Batman]

The penetration kickouts usually go to the corner for a three.

 

[msgkings322]

Good points.

What did you think of Logic's suggestion to eliminate the corner three?

A number of posters here including myself think that’s a good idea. Not sure about lance

 

[tlance]

Good points.

What did you think of Logic's suggestion to eliminate the corner three?

Don’t like it.

Don’t think it accomplishes much at all.

 

[ArlingtonCowboys100]

I haven’t watched NBA in more than a decade but I thought it was more popular than ever. It turns out that the ratings have been horrible this season.

“The NBA has experienced a significant drop in audience to start the season, reports Puck News. ESPN viewership is down more than 27 percent and TNT is down 16 percent.”

ESPN ratings are apparently an all-time low for NBA on that network. Any idea why this is happening?

Maybe the officiating bothers people? Seems rigged

 

[logic]

Don’t like it.

Don’t think it accomplishes much at all.

I actually disagree. I think it accomplishes a ton. It allows more interior defense on drives when teams go five out because collapsing from the corner would not be punished by giving up the easiest 3 pointer. It is also much harder to dish behind you on a drive than to kick it to the corner.

 

[logic]

Maybe the officiating bothers people? Seems rigged

No more than any other sport

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Don’t like it.

Don’t think it accomplishes much at all.

I dont like it either

 

[chappee11]

Maybe the officiating bothers people? Seems rigged

It always bothered me because the whole game comes down to 100 “blocking v charge” judgement calls by the refs. And they probably get half of those wrong anyway. It’s not much different than the endless pass interference calls/non-calls that have mostly ruined football.

They also stopped calling traveling in the NBA. They need to enforce that better.

 

[tlance]

I actually disagree. I think it accomplishes a ton. It allows more interior defense on drives when teams go five out because collapsing from the corner would not be punished by giving up the easiest 3 pointer. It is also much harder to dish behind you on a drive than to kick it to the corner.

Ok, but I don’t want to make the game easier for the defense by removing an area of the court that you have to defend.

Seems artificial to me.

Personally I like pace and space. I don’t believe there is any problem here.

People who long for the 90s aren’t going to watch either way.