Curse the NBA schedule — A key to the league’s decline
When we think of the many things that plague the NBA, usually the first thing that comes to mind is something that goes on inside the arena or at a night club afterwards. However, we’ve been saying for years that the NBA needs to seriously think about improving its television schedule, and after looking at next season’s, that opinion is stronger than ever.
The NBA released the schedule for the 2007-08 season on Thursday and, once again, it’s been very poorly organized. Few people realize it, but it’s often the nationally televised games that keep fan appeal high, which often leads to better ratings during the playoffs and NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the NBA and their television affiliates have failed to realize this, and the league will continue to suffer as a result.
Aside from the NBA Finals, which has rapidly decreased in ratings collectively over the last five years, the NBA’s regular season television ratings have finished between a 2.0 and a 2.5 ratings score from 2002 – 2006. While this rating compares favorably to the NHL, it is extremely low by NBA standards. Since then, over a third of NBA games on ABC have registered a 2.1 or lower rating. Twice in March 2004, ABC registered a 1.1 rating, the lowest rating on a broadcast network in NBA history.
ESPN, ABC’s affiliate, hasn’t done much better. The March 28, 2004 telecast featuring the Dallas Mavericks and the team with one of the worst records in the NBA, the Orlando Magic, was outdrawn by the NCAA Division II Basketball Championship game on CBS.
ABC has routinely had games register ratings of below 2.0, and has set record lows for NBA network TV ratings in each of its first two seasons. On March 19, 2006, a rained-out NASCAR telecast got a higher television rating than ABC’s presentation of the Los Angeles Lakers-Cleveland Cavaliers game.
With that in mind, I looked at the newly released schedule hoping that things had changed, but they apparently haven’t. The league continues to neglect one of the fundamental parts of the game today, and then wonders why ratings are at record lows.
For example, the Seattle SuperSonics, one of the worst teams in the entire league last season, plays on national television twice during the first three days of the season, while Houston at Utah, a matchup of arguably two of the top five teams in the league and a rematch of last seasons best playoff series, sits on the shelf. Sure, we all want to see new rookie Kevin Durant, but twice in the first week seems a little excessive. Plus, the Sonics are now one of the youngest teams in the league and aren’t even close to being able to hold their own in their matchups against Denver and Phoenix.
Everybody’s excited to see both Seattle and the Portland Trailblazers develop over the next couple of years, but nobody believes either will be a contender this year. However, the Utah Jazz, who easily won the Northwest Division and went to the conference finals last year, only play on national television six times compared to eight times by Seattle and twelve times by Portland, also of the Northwest Division. Fans don’t want to see the leagues newest stars get crushed night in and night out, they want to see contenders who have young stars of their own and will actually be playing in the post-season. The Denver Nuggets, also of the Northwestern Division, only won one playoff game last year, so playing sixteen times on national television seems a bit excessive for such an unproven team.
I don’t have too much of a problem with Phoenix playing a whopping twenty-three times, but they could have spread it out among other teams a bit. By season end, I for one, get bored of seeing the same teams playing each night, even if they’re a really good team. What if a major injury to Steve Nash or Amare Stoudemire took place? It’s certainly a possibility and it seems rather risky for the league to put all their eggs into one basket, when injures are a big part of the game.
I’m also concerned that watching twenty-two Laker games is going to make me go into convulsions by the end of the season. Last season they played twenty-four regular season nationally televised games and I about hung myself. The team didn’t pull the trigger on the Jermaine O’Neal trade this summer, and is absolutely horrible without Kobe Bryant, so any game that he misses (he’s missed five or more games in three of the last four seasons) is sure to be another wasted evening of very low television ratings. Even when he is playing, the Lakers aren’t anything better than a borderline playoff team and although he’s a big star, he isn’t worth watching that many times during the course of the season.
Same goes for the Miami Heat. With Shaquille O’Neal’s obvious decline in production due to his age, and D-Wade’s uncertainty due to his off-season shoulder surgery, is it wise to slot them for twenty-two nationally televised games? Probably not. Even with Wade and O’Neal together and healthy, they couldn’t win one playoff game last season, and have done nothing to their roster since then to assume they’ll be back contending for championships anytime soon. So if you’re keeping score, between the Lakers, Nuggets and Heat, that’s only two playoff wins last year and sixty nationally televised games for the 2007-08 season. None of those three teams did anything significant during the off-season to suggest they’ll be any better this year, either.
Another thing that is bad for the league is repeated games being televised. Last year we had to see Dallas and Phoenix duke it out multiple times, and again this year we’ll see them play against each other three times on national television. It’s getting old. Yes, we all know Steve Nash used to play for Cubes and the Mavericks; we don’t need to be reminded three times per season. This year, however, it’s Cleveland and Chicago who’ll go at it three times on national television. This must be quickly becoming the league’s newest rivalry, as both teams are in the same division, and are arguably the favorites to have the best record in the East this year — but three times per year? Gimme a break. I’d much rather see Toronto more than only once (yes, you read that correctly) or maybe Milwaukee, Memphis, Philadelphia, and Charlotte more than once. A couple of those teams will contend for a playoff spot this year, then in the playoffs we’ll wonder how this unknown team came out of nowhere, like we did with Golden State last year.
The bottom line is the NBA schedule has some serious flaws, and until they clean it up, the league is never going to reach its maximum potential. It’s of course impossible to make everybody happy, but at least put some winners on national television more than just a handful of times. It’s clear that the product isn’t watered down, just that the schedule makes no sense. So the next time you’re socializing with friends around the watercooler and you discuss the NBA having such poor ratings or that the fan base isn’t what it used to be, remember what type of product the league is showcasing on national television.
August 3, 2007 at 2:00 AM
*looks with contempt at the NBA Television Schedule*
You KNOW Barclay’s going to have a field day on TNT regarding the low number of Jazz games picked up, considering he was railing on about it during the 2007 playoffs. Really, who cares about watching the Sonics and Blazers get smashed into the ground besides Seattle and Portland fans (who both have their OWN home stations who will be covering the games)? And the Lakers having so many televised games? Oh please…
On a side note, the Jazz OPEN this season with a rematch of their playoff series against Golden State IN Oakland…yet no one wants to televise that one? Man, being an East Coast Jazz fan is irritating…
August 3, 2007 at 12:45 PM
This is a joke by the NBA! Let’s hype up the schedule. There is 82 games the last time I checked. All the teams are going to play each other. Who cares about the regular season anyway, the players don’t until playoff time. Like I care who plays on Christmas. I rather watch a bowl game or an NFL game during that time.
August 3, 2007 at 12:53 PM
I thought every team had to be on at least once. I do not see the Philadelphia 76ers on the schedule even once. Too bad, they are an up and coming young team with some entertaining players.
August 3, 2007 at 2:15 PM
Totally disagree with Schark1011. I’d watch the NBA over football anyday.
3 games on Christmas is a bit much though, especially since the matchups aren’t all that great. TNT and ESPN count for something I guess. But NBATV shouldn’t even count as national TV; no one I know has it. Then on some Sundays and the finals they put the NBA on ABC (a real national broadcast) and for people like me (and many like me)who don’t have cable or satellite we aren’t in a rhythm of watching. Sunday afternoon – always a football game. Sat afternoon? The same with college. The NBA needs some consistency.
And I agree I am sick of the Lakers on TV all the time. I feel the same way with 4,000 RedSocks vs Yankees on ESPN. Can’t find the remote fast enough.
August 3, 2007 at 2:17 PM
You want variety but don’t think bad teams should be on tv? Make up your mind.
August 3, 2007 at 4:24 PM
I’d much rather watch Oden vs. Durant (first meeting between the two teams) on Christmas than Podunk State play Podunk U in some unknown bowl game in Memphis or Boise. As for the NFL, I don’t believe they play on Tuesdays.
August 3, 2007 at 4:29 PM
As people know I don’t think that the league is in decline, mainly because the league is far more profitable than it was in the glory days of Magic and Bird, and has no problem attracting the best talent in the world and producing an exciting, competitive product. Declining TV ratings have something to do with the quality of the game, but also with a lot of TV alternatives out there. In terms of total number of NBA fans in the world, it’s increasing greatly around the world every year.
Still, this TV schedule has got to be one of the worst in years. The Jazz only on TV six times is outrageous.
A problem the NBA has right now is that stars drive TV ratings, but the biggest stars are not on the best teams. This isn’t anyone’s fault, it’s just chance (if anything a result of more susccessful “team play” that everyone loves) The exception maybe the Heat or Cavs, if you consider them two of the better teams in the league. Nash, Dirk and Timmy are stars but not the kind that are going to get people to tune in like they did to Jordan back in the day.
August 3, 2007 at 6:06 PM
“You want variety but don’t think bad teams should be on tv? Make up your mind.”
Yes, I want variety, and to not see bad tweams play more than ten times, like we have with the Blazers, Heat, and Wizards. Is it so much to ask for them to put contenders on more than just a handful of times?
“I’d much rather watch Oden vs. Durant (first meeting between the two teams) on Christmas than Podunk State play Podunk U in some unknown bowl game in Memphis or Boise.”
Steve, that’s okay that they put Seattle vs Portland on national television (and I may watch as well), but both of these teams will completely blow next year, so seeing them on national television eight or more times when much better teams are playing television much less is a complete joke.
August 3, 2007 at 6:37 PM
Robert have fun wasting your Christmas watching teams who don’t look interested in playing until the last two minutes of the game! The regular season in the NBA SUCKS! Now if it was college basketball it would be a different story.
August 3, 2007 at 6:44 PM
Since this article was featured on ESPN’s TrueHoop blog this morning, we’ve received a massive amount of hits to the site today — breaking our record for hits from June 28th, the day of the NBA Draft.
August 3, 2007 at 6:59 PM
[...] Curse the NBA schedule — A key to the leagues decline When we think of the many things that plague the NBA, usually the first thing that comes to mind is something that goes […] [...]
August 3, 2007 at 8:46 PM
Yeah Schark, if it were college we’d be treated to swingmen who can’t hit open jump shots and point guards who have no idea how to run an offense hold onto a lead at the end of games. It’s not hustle, it’s lack of body control and fundamentals, along with a lot of screaming and chest pumping that is mistaken for “passion”. People who are professionals and have pro-level skills seem calmer, but it’s not apathy, it’s composure.
You have some coaches in college who make well into 6 figures, whose strategy is basically, “Space out the floor and pass it around.” (some, not all)
TrueHoop came through for us! Awesome. Abbott really does read a lot of blogs.
August 4, 2007 at 5:07 AM
Schark: 8 timeouts in the last 2 minutes (like college B-Ball) is extremely fun.
August 4, 2007 at 6:25 AM
Yeah, the upcoming schedule sucks, but it’s nothing compared to the NBA’s poor officiating. Does anyone outside San Antonio think NBA officials aren’t completely corrupt? Game four of the Western Conference Finals was so poorly called that it even got the Mormons in Utah to throw numerous items onto the court at the end of the game! People complain about the poor officiating in game three of the Spurs-Suns series– and rightly so– but that game was nothing compared to the one I just mentioned in Utah.
My point is this: if the NBA can’t even clean up its officiating crew, how in the world can we expect it to produce a nationalized television schedule that makes sense?
August 4, 2007 at 9:48 AM
“Robert have fun wasting your Christmas watching teams who don’t look interested in playing until the last two minutes of the game! The regular season in the NBA SUCKS! Now if it was college basketball it would be a different story.”
Schark, does that mean you’re not coming up to see the Knicks with me next season? Maybe some Big East Tourney?
August 4, 2007 at 9:54 AM
BTW Andrew, great post! and congrats on the blog success.
August 4, 2007 at 1:20 PM
Christian, Schark wouldn’t spend all that money on the Big East tourney because he’s an ACC guy, remember? Hopefully I can make it though…it should be really good again this year.
August 4, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Brian, I agree that game four was a really poorly officiated game, but the fans in Utah are not that mild-mannered. It’s not that hard to set them off—they’ve thrown things on the court before, even in the regular season. Whether they’re Mormons or not (a lot in SLC aren’t), some Utah people are scary. It’s not quite the Palace or Philadelphia, but it’s meaner than LA, Phoenix, SA, Orlando, Charlotte, etc.
A schedule is easier to get right than officiating. Calling games and managing refs is very hard. Understanding that the Lakers shouldn’t be on TV 20 times is easy.
August 4, 2007 at 2:11 PM
Where you are right: Seattle playing twice in week one is such a painful mistake. Durant will be great eventually, but he will get smothered in that early brutal schedule.
Oden vs. Duncan will be like Chuck Norris vs the youngest brother from SURF NINJAS.
Repeat games are awful. Phoenix v Dallas 2 times, Dallas San Antonio 4 times, it is terrible. And worn out.
Where you are wrong:
Watching Kobe is always exciting. He can score on anybody and do things that nobody else can. Love him or hate him, I have never been bored while watching him play. To go further, I live in L.A. and IF Kobe leaves L.A., I will be forced to order the NBA league pass just so that I can watch EVERY game he plays. He is so exciting.
The Suns are the most exciting team in the NBA and make every game fun to watch. Of the top 10 basketball games played last year, the Suns or the UT Longhorns were involved in 8 of them.
Who doesn’t want to watch A.I. play? Especially alongside Melo? Especially alongside Melo, Camby, Kenyon Martin, and Nene? Unproven? Because they lost to the champs in 5 very close games?
August 4, 2007 at 11:49 PM
Adam – You’ve written some very good points. A.I. is one of my favorite players to watch so I totally agree, and that may not have been the best example to use. They need to win though, in order to be shown that many times, in my opinion.
I’m not sure I agree with the Kobe mention though. I realize there may be some bias opinion there since you are from LA, but those of us who aren’t have had a hard time watching him night in and night out (with little supporting cast) over the last couple years. Unless he goes for 50 or more, the games are boring as hell.
Those of us on the East coast don’t always stay up for the late games, so we need more than just the Lakers, Suns, and Mavericks shown for the early game. Unlike the West coasters, some of us really only watch one game per night unless it’s an unbelievable matchup.
August 5, 2007 at 5:42 PM
Steve said, “I’d much rather watch Oden vs. Durant (first meeting between the two teams) on Christmas than Podunk State play Podunk U in some unknown bowl game in Memphis or Boise.”
Did you see the ESPY awards this year? Apparently more than a few sports fans would rather see Boise State play in a bowl game than watch the Lakers and crybaby Kobe. Their game with Oklahoma last season was THE game of the year in college sports. There are great athletes and coaches in all levels.
August 5, 2007 at 5:43 PM
Steve – just so you know, I’m a native of Idaho and although I loath the Boise State Broncos (who regularly tromp on my Idaho Vandals) I was blown away by that game.
August 8, 2007 at 12:40 AM
Kobe is exciting enough that he deserves 10 nationally televised games all by himself, but the current Lakers are lame enough that that’s all there should get. With the Lakers as they are now there’s a good chance that some of those games will be without Kobe as Andrew said, or blowouts. This TV schedule is doomed to have many blowouts and have people tuning out by the end of the 3d quarter.
August 13, 2007 at 9:43 PM
The word from Kobe’s monkey boy Ric Bucher us that he’ll either have a legit star by his side this coming season or damend a trade. Right now he’s playing quiet but q\watch out. I would love to see the Lakers trade Kobe for a bag o marbles and then watch them play 20 games on national tv.
September 15, 2007 at 12:47 PM
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November 15, 2007 at 3:38 PM
“With Shaquille O’Neal’s obvious decline in production due to his age, and D-Wade’s uncertainty due to his off-season shoulder surgery, is it wise to slot them for twenty-two nationally televised games? Probably not. Even with Wade and O’Neal together and healthy, they couldn’t win one playoff game last season, and have done nothing to their roster since then to assume they’ll be back contending for championships anytime soon.”
Were we right on the money on this one or what? It’s too bad the league doesn’t care about their ratings in the United States.
December 18, 2007 at 12:28 AM
Tom
Wow, nice blog.
March 2, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Those twenty two televised Miami Heat games are looking really good right about now!