Why is the NBA so predictable year after year?

[Hadoop]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_Finals_television_ratings

This year's ratings have been the highest since 98 but are nowhere near the 90's.

As of today (June 13) the chart shown above does not include Game 5 from last night.

Factoring in the ratings from last night this 2017 NBA Finals were both the most-watched (20.4 million) and highest-rated finals in the last 20 years.

 

[Stylizer1]

As of today (June 13) the chart shown above does not include Game 5 from last night.

Factoring in the ratings from last night this 2017 NBA Finals were both the most-watched (20.4 million) and highest-rated finals in the last 20 years.

That's true but the point of posting that was to prove something else.

 

[John Price]

Predictable is annoying because there are basically only 2 teams in the NBA And everyone else has no hope.

Another thing is a team going up by 15 or 20 and then losing. And this happens all the time Remember that Warriors Spurs game 1 WCF where the Spurs were up by like 50 and then GSW came back and won

Let me ask you something, if you saw the Penguins go up 5-0 in a game would the other team storm back on Murray and tie it? It very rarely happens.

 

[Stylizer1]

Predictable is annoying because there are basically only 2 teams in the NBA And everyone else has no hope.

Another thing is a team going up by 15 or 20 and then losing. And this happens all the time Remember that Warriors Spurs game 1 WCF where the Spurs were up by like 50 and then GSW came back and won

Let me ask you something, if you saw the Penguins go up 5-0 in a game would the other team storm back on Murray and tie it? It very rarely happens.

Next season should be more entertaining for the first month. Eventually 3 or 4 teams will separate themselves from the pack with 2 of them being Cleveland and GS and it's the same old song.

 

[Virtanen18]

A high scoring sport has a bunch of lead changes? Wow. And the best team ever assembled came back after the opposing team's top player got injured? UNHEARD OF.

 

[ResilientBeast]

At least the 2 seed in the west will be interesting

1) Golden State
2) Spurs/Rockets/Thunder

We should get a good second and third round in the west at least

 

[John Price]

A high scoring sport has a bunch of lead changes? Wow. And the best team ever assembled came back after the opposing team's top player got injured? UNHEARD OF.

Yeah, what got me thinking was watching the Lonzo Ball summer league game where the Sixers were up by like 15 in the third and the Lakers ended up winning it by 1

And it happens all the time

 

[Virtanen18]

Yeah, what got me thinking was watching the Lonzo Ball summer league game where the Sixers were up by like 15 in the third and the Lakers ended up winning it by 1

And it happens all the time

That's a good thing.

 

[weastern bias]

Oh no, legit comebacks happen, how boring

I wish basketball was more like the NHL where you might as well turn the game off once one team scores 3 goals, not predictable at all

 

[John Price]

Oh no, legit comebacks happen, how boring

I wish basketball was more like the NHL where you might as well turn the game off once one team scores 3 goals, not predictable at all

Multiple teams rebound from 3 goal deficits to tie. The Penguins - Capitals regular season finale was hilarious where The Caps were up 3-0 and then the Penguins ended up winning 8-7

Also Game 7 of Bruins - Flyers comes to mind where Bruins were up 3-0 and then it was tied in the 2nd period. Then you see everyone freak out on HFBoards.

 

[Virtanen18]

I don't even know what point you're trying to make.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

In hockey, you can't have a last possession in which the trailing offensive team can take the lead with one goal. They either just tie it or the other team wins. Lead change in one possession is what's cool about other team sports. It can also happen in soccer when the aggregate rule is in effect.

 

[sjsharks92]

At least the 2 seed in the west will be interesting

1) Golden State
2) Spurs/Rockets/Thunder

We should get a good second and third round in the west at least

The West is gonna be an absolute blood bath. I still think the Spurs and Rockets are a tier above the Thunder but the Thunder no doubt are better than last season.

 

[Stylizer1]

The West is gonna be an absolute blood bath. I still think the Spurs and Rockets are a tier above the Thunder but the Thunder no doubt are better than last season.

But are they better than when they had Durant? I think they are a 4-5 seed.

 

[John Price]

I don't see how the West is going to be a blood bath. The Warriors didn't really lose anyone. The Spurs added folks but showed that they were pretty much all Leonard. Thunder don't scare me. Lakers as much as I bandwagon on Lonzo Ball are still not ready to challenge the Warriors.

No bloodbath here. Warriors would sweep any of those teams again. And there in lies the problem with the NBA. To beat the Warriors you'd have to put LeBron on the Lakers with Ball...and then some other Dream team guys...

 

[Stylizer1]

I don't see how the West is going to be a blood bath. The Warriors didn't really lose anyone. The Spurs added folks but showed that they were pretty much all Leonard. Thunder don't scare me. Lakers as much as I bandwagon on Lonzo Ball are still not ready to challenge the Warriors.

No bloodbath here. Warriors would sweep any of those teams again. And there in lies the problem with the NBA. To beat the Warriors you'd have to put LeBron on the Lakers with Ball...and then some other Dream team guys...

I think a healthy SA would give GS a good run but they are a year old with Manu and parker.

 

[sjsharks92]

I don't see how the West is going to be a blood bath. The Warriors didn't really lose anyone. The Spurs added folks but showed that they were pretty much all Leonard. Thunder don't scare me. Lakers as much as I bandwagon on Lonzo Ball are still not ready to challenge the Warriors.

No bloodbath here. Warriors would sweep any of those teams again. And there in lies the problem with the NBA. To beat the Warriors you'd have to put LeBron on the Lakers with Ball...and then some other Dream team guys...

Agree the Warriors are still the cream of the crop. My comment was more in reference to teams 2-8 in the conference. There is so much star power in the conference that a team with arguably the league's 2 best big men (Pelicans) might not even get into the postseason.

With that in mind the Warriors have a vastly more difficult route to the Finals again this season. Not just compared to the Cavs, but compared to last season. They should still come out on top, but getting past the rockets, Spurs and Thunder will be tougher than last season. Not to mention the 5-8 seeds in the conference could feature teams like the Clippers, T-wolves, Jazz, Pelicans, Grizzlies, or Nuggets. All of those teams either improved in a major way over this offseason or lost a star player but are still very very good. I don't expect much fall off at all for the Jazz and think the Clippers should still be good as well.

 

[sjsharks92]

I think a healthy SA would give GS a good run but they are a year old with Manu and parker.

A healthy Spurs team obviously gives a better effort against the Warriors than they did last season but even then I think it's a 5 game series, 6 at most.

 

[Asiantuntija]

Because luck isn't that big factor in NBA than other sports like hockey or football. No rocket science here. Skills talk in NBA.

 

[Stylizer1]

Because luck isn't that big factor in NBA than other sports like hockey or football. No rocket science here. Skills talk in NBA.

It's easier for a good team to coast, knowing that they can turn it up and beat an average team as opposed to a sport like hockey or football where there are so many more factors involved.

 

[John Price]

I've bashed the NBA repeatedly but I will be glad to eat crow if Lonzo succeeds in the league. He is singlehandedly making the NBA, a league filled with boring uncompetitive series, a must watch sport. I feel compelled to watch every Lakers game now just because of Lonzo.

Lonzo and his father have become heel. And that's what the NBA needed. The NBA didn't need two teams that win literally every conference championship the last three years. Nobody wants to see that. If you saw the Penguins win 3 straight East conference titles you'd be triggered too. It's boring. Nobody likes that.

Lonzo provides excitement. He provides a reason to watch. I am convinced over the last few weeks, watching him play, watching him make a terrible Lakers summer league team relevant, that he is the future of this league. I am convinced that he can play a huge role in making basketball fun to watch again.

I hate the NBA. I hate the lack of defense. This isn't the NBA I grew up watching. But again I will shut my mouth if Lonzo succeed because I am willing to look past the appalling lack of defense, to see Lonzo make plays. That man is a playmaker. And not only is he making plays, he is drawing ATTENTION. His hype makes people watch. This kid is just a 19 year old and everyone is ****ing talking about him ,everyone, thanks to Lavar. Ben Simmons is out there saying "**** Lavar Ball" and a feud is escalating. This is straight out of WWE. This is entertainment. This isn't the same team winning 72 games per season in the most boring way possible. This is DRAMA. This is what the league needs!

 

[Ivan13]

I've bashed the NBA repeatedly but I will be glad to eat crow if Lonzo succeeds in the league. He is singlehandedly making the NBA, a league filled with boring uncompetitive series, a must watch sport. I feel compelled to watch every Lakers game now just because of Lonzo.

Lonzo and his father have become heel. And that's what the NBA needed. The NBA didn't need two teams that win literally every conference championship the last three years. Nobody wants to see that. If you saw the Penguins win 3 straight East conference titles you'd be triggered too. It's boring. Nobody likes that.

Lonzo provides excitement. He provides a reason to watch. I am convinced over the last few weeks, watching him play, watching him make a terrible Lakers summer league team relevant, that he is the future of this league. I am convinced that he can play a huge role in making basketball fun to watch again.

I hate the NBA. I hate the lack of defense. This isn't the NBA I grew up watching. But again I will shut my mouth if Lonzo succeed because I am willing to look past the appalling lack of defense, to see Lonzo make plays. That man is a playmaker. And not only is he making plays, he is drawing ATTENTION. His hype makes people watch. This kid is just a 19 year old and everyone is ****ing talking about him ,everyone, thanks to Lavar. Ben Simmons is out there saying "**** Lavar Ball" and a feud is escalating. This is straight out of WWE. This is entertainment. This isn't the same team winning 72 games per season in the most boring way possible. This is DRAMA. This is what the league needs!

 

[John Price]

Western Conference Playoffs 2017

Warriors 4-0 over Trail Blazers

Warriors 4-0 over Jazz

Warriors 4-0 over Spurs

 

[bluesfan94]

Western Conference Playoffs 2017

Warriors 4-0 over Trail Blazers

Warriors 4-0 over Jazz

Warriors 4-0 over Spurs

Those were hardly the only NBA series.

I think he was more rolling his eyes about Lonzo making Lakers games must watch. I'd watch a Celtics, Wizards, Cavaliers, Spurs, Thunder, Rockets, or Warriors game before I even think about a Lakers game. Probably can add the TWolves to that list now, too.

 

[Ivan13]

Western Conference Playoffs 2017

Warriors 4-0 over Trail Blazers

Warriors 4-0 over Jazz

Warriors 4-0 over Spurs

Good point. Makes sense, not at all poorly thought out.