The NBA Cup has been a success for both teams and fans, but why hasn’t it translated into improving the regular season? (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
Both hardcore and casual NBA fans have appeared interested with the higher-stakes games that feature competitive matchups, the league’s star players and even prize money.
The NBA’s in-season tournament has become a resounding success for the second consecutive season. It hasn’t fixed the relative apathy to the league’s regular season, though.
NBA ratings have still decreased. Star players have still missed games due to various injuries. The NBA has fielded mixed reviews for team’s increasing reliance on taking 3s.
What can the NBA do to fix all of these issues? It’s complicated.
Complicated not just because there are not easy solutions. Complicated because the NBA has already made various proposals to address these challenges. Complicated because each topic presents various nuance.
Yes, the NBA’s ratings have dropped. But that coincided with continued cord cutting, a divisive Presidential election and a World Series featuring two marquee teams (Yankees, Dodgers). Despite that landscape, the NBA still secured a lucrative new television deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon. Part of the reason: the NBA still resonates with a digital audience more apt to watch games and highlights through various streaming platforms and social media channels.
Yes, star players have missed notable games. So what else is new with Kawhi Leonard, Zion Williamson, Joel Embiid and Paul George spending more time in the trainer’s room than on the court? Yet, the NBA’s other premier stars in LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo have mostly been durable. Both every star player and every team should have vested interest in both managing them with care and being mindful how much their participation drives both ratings and attendance. But neither the league, teams and players will ever have full control over that issue.
Yes, some teams have become too trigger happy. The Boston Celtics lead the NBA in just over 50 3-point attempts a game. The Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves have taken at least 40 attempts per contest. Even five years ago, only two NBA teams hoisted from deep at that rate. Sometimes that has led to teams playing games as if they’re in a 3-point contest. Other times, though, it simply showcases the NBA’s talent pool showcasing their strong marksmanship, speed and athleticism.
So where can the NBA go from here?
Barring any lockout, the league will never shorten its 82-game season. Owners, players, coaches and arena workers would all face substantial paycuts if that happened. Though it’s unrealistic for even the most passionate fan to watch every single NBA game, that widens the chance for fans to tune in or to buy a ticket when their schedule suits them. This setup also allows teams to experience organic growth with player development, managing rotations and assessing potential deals. So no. The NBA won’t ever change its 82-game season.
So what can the NBA do elsewhere to ensure strong regular-season interest?
It has already invested in steaming and digital platforms amid continued cord-cutting. It already passed a player-participation policy that requires players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for any player awards, an honor that often correlates with players contractually entitled to accomplishment-based bonuses. The NBA already fines teams that aren’t transparent about their injury reports. What else they can do?
The NBA can’t ever dictate to teams how to manage injuries. But if it finds teams are sitting players that are considered healthy enough to play, the NBA should levy stiffer fines and issue game suspensions without pay. The NBA can’t exactly legislate how many 3s a team can take per game. But the league’s competition committee can convene and pass additional rules that help defenses play more physically and incentivize teams to prioritize shot selection based on quality over quantity. The NBA can’t reverse cord-cutting. It can tinker with its streaming options to ensure games are much easier to watch live or on replay without various hiccups. It can also revise its price so to it’s attractive to any consumer.
Will that dramatically fix regular-season apathy? Maybe not. In fairness, the NBA has at least enhanced it with creative ideas.
The NBA’s Play-In tournament has both reduced tanking at the end of the season and created robust competition for both playoff -bounds teams trying to avoid the Play-In and otherwise rebuilding teams fighting to make the Play-In. After initially supporting teams on so-called load management, the NBA has since concluded that such an approach has not significantly reduced injuries. The NBA’s In-Season tournament, now known as the NBA Cup, featured a strong buy-in partly because players always would never say no to an additional $500,000 and a trip to Las Vegas.
The NBA still needs to do more. My hunch is the league will huddle together and address these problems soon.
Mark Medina is a longtime NBA reporter that includes stints as a Lakers blogger with The Los Angeles Times (2010-12), Lakers beat writer with the Los Angeles Daily News (2012-17), Warriors beat writer with Bay Area News Group (2017-19) as well as an NBA reporter/columnist for USA Today (2019-21) and NBA.com (2021-23). Medina is also an NBA insider with Fox Sports Radio and frequent contributor to CBSLA's SportsCentralLA with Jim Hill and with Spectrum Sportsnet.
