Anyone else feel like the NBA is the most balanced it's been in a long time?

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Ghost_Protocol

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It feels so much more competitive than before. I'm not a super hardcore NBA fan, I usually tune in to follow a handful of teams (lakers, miami, san antonio), but lately I've been finding myself tuning into watch teams I usually don't care about. When's the last time the Bulls, Knicks, Clippers, Magic, and the Thunder were all seriously competitive in the same season? Is this a result of the lockout? If so, I feel like it was worth it.
 
I wish there was an NBA thread for all this.
 
Ghost_Protocol said:
It feels so much more competitive than before. I'm not a super hardcore NBA fan, I usually tune in to follow a handful of teams (lakers, miami, san antonio), but lately I've been finding myself tuning into watch teams I usually don't care about. When's the last time the Bulls, Knicks, Clippers, Magic, and the Thunder were all seriously competitive in the same season? Is this a result of the lockout? If so, I feel like it was worth it.
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lol wat
 
Still not good enough though. Lack of parity is the worst thing about the NBA right now, and while it's improving, it's nowhere close to NHL and NFL.
 
No, only someone that doesn't watch the NBA would think so. The Magic, the Knicks, and the Clippers are not that good. None of those teams would seriously challenge the Heat.

There are only 2 or 3 teams that can win it all. It's just like it always is.
 
Tabris said:
Still not good enough though. Lack of parity is the worst thing about the NBA right now, and while it's improving, it's nowhere close to NHL and NFL.
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NBA will never have parity, one player has too much influence on a team.
 
Why the hell would anyone (outside of fans of small market teams) even want "parity?" Maybe the situation is different in baseball or football, but I like watching great teams play great basketball. How would the NBA become better if the talent level for every team in the league ranged from somewhere between the Pacers and the Bucks? I'd rather see the best players in the league at each others' throats come May and June. Otherwise we're just robbing ourselves of instant ESPN Classics. There's a reason anytime a classic game is replayed, both teams were stacked. See the Lakers vs. Celtics in the '80s.
 
its only "balanced" because they let just about every team into the playoffs. How many different teams have won in the last 20 years? seems like there are more back to back championships than any of the other sports.
 
Lothar said:
No, only someone that doesn't watch the NBA would think so. The Magic, the Knicks, and the Clippers are not that good. None of those teams would seriously challenge the Heat.

There are only 2 or 3 teams that can win it all. It's just like it always is.
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Yup.
 
It only looks that way to novice eyes. The list of contenders:

Bulls
Heat
Thunder
Spurs


Maybe you can add in the Lakers if they figure out their PG issue. But that's it. Everyone else is currently on the outside looking in.
 
Easiest way to balance the NBA? Get rid of the draft lottery. Dumbest system in sport other than the BCS.
 
It's not even close to be being balanced. The Bulls, Heat, and Thunder are the runaway best teams right now. There are tons of teams struggling- Hornets, Bobcats, Wizards, Pistons, Raptors. There might be a few teams that are better then they've been recently, like the Clippers, but it's not more balanced then it has been in the past.
 
Lothar said:
No, only someone that doesn't watch the NBA would think so. The Magic, the Knicks, and the Clippers are not that good. None of those teams would seriously challenge the Heat.

There are only 2 or 3 teams that can win it all. It's just like it always is.
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This.

NBA Champions in the last 32 Years:
Lakers
Celtics
Bulls
Detroit
Houston
Heat
Dallas
Spurs
76ers

Pick from that list. One of those teams is your champion this year.
 
Windu said:
its only "balanced" because they let just about every team into the playoffs. How many different teams have won in the last 20 years? seems like there are more back to back championships than any of the other sports.
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that's something more leagues should follow. more playoff teams i mean.
 
I'd also be in support of going back to a 5 game first round playoff series. Then at least you might get some upsets every once in a while. No 7 or 8 seed is gonna beat a 1 or 2 seed in 7 games.
 
Dreams-Visions said:
It only looks that way to novice eyes. The list of contenders:

Bulls
Heat
Thunder
Spurs


Maybe you can add in the Lakers if they figure out their PG issue. But that's it. Everyone else is currently on the outside looking in.
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Only Spurs if Manu is healthy.

Without him, they're not contenders.
 
Darkgran said:
This.

NBA Champions in the last 32 Years:
Lakers
Celtics
Bulls
Detroit
Houston
Heat
Dallas
Spurs
76ers

Pick from that list. One of those teams is your champion this year.
Click to expand...

Thunder fans are gonna be maaaaad...
Funny you wouldn't go back one more year to '79.
 
Ninja Scooter said:
its because there is no time to practice so everyone sucks equally.
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Have to agree with this. In reality though there are only 4-5 teams that I think are true contenders. Being a Bulls fan it pains me to say this, but Miami is the cream of the crop. They certainly can be beat, but when they are on I think they are clearly the best. The fact that they probably won't be really tested until the ECF is an interesting situation though and probably speaks against any sort of real parity.
 
Not really. There is a few new good teams, but thats eventual considering that players age and bad teams keep getting high picks. It will still most likely be the same teams in the Finals.
 
Amory said:
I'd also be in support of going back to a 5 game first round playoff series. Then at least you might get some upsets every once in a while. No 7 or 8 seed is gonna beat a 1 or 2 seed in 7 games.
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Even though both of these did happen in the last two playoffs.

In 2010, 7th seeded Spurs beat the 2nd seeded Mavs.

In 2011, 8th seeded Grizzlies beat the 1st seeded Spurs.
 
Malvolio said:
Have to agree with this. In reality though there are only 4-5 teams that I think are true contenders. Being a Bulls fan it pains me to say this, but Miami is the cream of the crop. They certainly can be beat, but when they are on I think they are clearly the best. The fact that they probably won't be really tested until the ECF is an interesting situation though and probably speaks against any sort of real parity.
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talent wise no question they are at the top... but year after year lebron has managed to completely fold whenever he gets close. I don't know if he has it in him - he's been given years of excuse, I think he just doesn't have the personality to deal with all the criticism. And a distracted lebron is just too much for wade and co. to overcome.
 
Amory said:
No, they should. But the spots should be locked based on who has the worst record, like in the nfl.
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No, then mid-level teams will all tank when there's a LeBron on the horizon. The lost revenue of a season is economically worth it when it guarantees you at least 5 years (or a career) with a LeBron.

It is worse for the fans because it is not a dozen games being tanked, its 82 games being tanked.
 
Amory said:
No, they should. But the spots should be locked based on who has the worst record, like in the nfl.
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I disagree, that encourages teams to tank at the end, especially in a sport like basketball when it just takes a few players who decide to play to lose and there are so many more games that it could happen in. I would actually go in the other direction. Expand the lottery for every non-playoff slot rather than just the first 3 picks. Give a team right on the edge the opportunity to get a better pick other than hitting it lucky in the first 3.
 
It seems that way because no one has time to practice. The cream is taking longer to rise to the top. I think there are 3 exceptions, Miami (just immensely talented), OKC (very talented and young, all the back to backs won't affect them as much) and the Spurs (same coach and core stars for years).

Teams like LAL and Dallas.. if they got more practice time I think they'd look a lot better since LAL has a new coach and Dallas, we lost a lot of players in the offseason.
 
Gaborn said:
I disagree, that encourages teams to tank at the end, especially in a sport like basketball when it just takes a few players who decide to play to lose and there are so many more games that it could happen in. I would actually go in the other direction. Expand the lottery for every non-playoff slot rather than just the first 3 picks. Give a team right on the edge the opportunity to get a better pick other than hitting it lucky in the first 3.
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That's already how it works.

The 8th worst team (Clippers) won the lottery last year.
 
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