Official Detroit Pistons thread

[froot loops]

You may try to split hairs on how you don't care, but it's obvious this is burning you up.

[Forsh]

I don't think the Pistons could afford Durant and Horford.

Obviously they would've had to dump some salary ... it would've been doable

[chemiclord]

You may try to split hairs on how you don't care, but it's obvious this is burning you up.

Yeah. I'm irritated. Even pissed off. I didn't deny it, either... so what's your point?

Oh that's right. Like usual, you don't have one.

I dislike "superteams" because I think they're bad for the game. Supposedly, Durant agreed... until he had his chance.

So fuck him.

[froot loops]

If huge interest and huge ratings = bad for the game, I agree.

At least you are being less wishy washy about the whole thing now.

[chemiclord]

If huge interest and huge ratings = bad for the game, I agree.

At least you are being less wishy washy about the whole thing now.

Huge interest? HAH. If you live in Oakland or Cleveland, perhaps. Anywhere else has already given up interest in this coming season because they already know they have no chance.

Huge ratings? THAT'S believable. Hate watching IS a thing. It's how Mayweather got bank for years.

[chemiclord]

Here are the chances of reaching the Finals for each team.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlanta Hawks: 0%
Boston Celtics: 0%
Brooklyn Nets: 0%
Charlotte Hornets: 0%
Chicago Bulls: 0%
Cleveland Cavaliers: 100%
Detroit Pistons: 0%
Indiana Pacers: 0%
Miami Heat: 0%
Milwaukee Bucks: 0%
New York Knicks: 0%
Orlando Magic: 0%
Philadelphia 76ers: i%
Toronto Raptors: 0%
Washington Wizards: 0%

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Dallas Mavericks: 0%
Denver Nuggets: 0%
Golden State Warriors: 99%*
Houston Rockets: 0%
Los Angeles Clippers: 0%
Los Angeles Lakers: 0%
Memphis Grizzlies: 0%
Minnesota Timberwolves: 0%
New Orleans Pelicans: 0%
Oklahoma City Thunder: 0%
Phoenix Suns: 0%
Portland Trail Blazers: 0%
Sacramento Kings: 0%
San Antonio Spurs: 1%*
Utah Jazz: 0%

* - Pending Tim Duncan's retirement, which if happens will adjust the chances to 100% and 0% respectively.

This is "interesting" in Froot Loop's world.

[froot loops]

It isn't just my world, it is the world of TV ratings, if those two get to the finals it will draw a massive TV rating for the rubber mqtch. There is no doubt about that. With Durant, we are talking a TV rating the NBA has not seen maybe since the late 80s whe cable hadn't yet exploded.

You may not like superteams but they drive the interest. And if Durant is a hypocrite, so be it, I don't think he cares. Really, who cares if an athlete is a hypocrite? That anti-Lebron thing you were trying to peddle was years old rubbish, he turned heel a long time ago. That team was known around the league as the worst to deal with.

[chemiclord]

And if no one cares until the Finals, how long do you think THAT model will be sustainable?

How much interest do you think there will be in Cleveland/Golden State IV? How about V?

You need more than two teams with a realistic shot in order for that interest you claim is there to sustain itself. Regular season ratings are nearing all-time lows. ESPN and TNT might be "content" with trading NBA Finals for now... but without a more compelling product by next negotiation, the NBA might find their next big contract isn't there.

[froot loops]

That has been the model for the NBA for years. The Decision as annoying as it was, drove interest in the league and contributed to the latest huge TV deal.. It has always been a league of a couple main event teams and the rest being jobbers. While there is a remote chance they will lose you as a fan, but they will pick up more.fans to replace you. A third matchup of those two teams will be blockbuster as will the coverage.

The NBA cannot buy this amount of publicity.

There has rarely been a time in the NBA where there has been more than 4 teams that were legit contenders.

[whatever_gong82]

The problem with the NBA is twofold.

Because it only takes 1 great player on a team to make it competitive, it is easy to "fix" a team fast.

The other situation is the current mind set of the player. No loyalty, which I don't necessarily have a problem with since owners are also not loyal, but the mind set that, fuck the NBA and the fans, I'm gonna get my ring no matter what.

The players only think in short term, don't care about big picture of product or legacy.

The ratings for this year's Finals were solid, so I don't think that the average NBA superstar is all too worried about legacy.

While the NFL sells the team, rather than the individual, the NBA is always more about the personalities than the team.

Remember how low the ratings were for the 2005 NBA Finals when the then NBA Champion Detroit Pistons lost in 7 games to the San Antonio Spurs?? 2 teams that were defensive minded, almost void of personality (Outside of Hall Of Fame Head Coaches Larry Brown for Detroit and Gregg Popovich for San Antonio), at least to the rest of America.

Ironically, when Detroit won the NBA Finals the year before, the ratings were outstanding, because they were up against the L.A. Lakers that had 4 Hall Of Famers on their team, and a Hall Of Famer Coach in Phil Jackson.

[jaadam4]

That Durant, Harden and Westbrook team would have been good for awhile had they kept them together

[Cody_Russell]

I agree with chemiclord's NBA Finals odds. That was pretty much how it was last season too.

I "dislike watch" the NBA.
It's great because you know players from college, though hardly any are the 4 year college starters unfortunately.
The NBA Draft is excellent because it's a draft.
However, watching actual NBA games... I have issues with several things.
Due to how there are like 100+ possessions a game, each possession is pointless. The importance of each NBA possession is equal to a lap in a NASCAR race.... Oh wow, Pistons are up 8. The Hornets can erase that lead in 2 minutes of game time (or really fast), making that 8 point lead unimportant.
Too many fouls... defense isn't a thing anymore. If you touch a player, it's a foul.

Perhaps rule changes have made the NBA more of a broad appeal... Therefore, that's why viewers are up.
The NBA is basically that crappy movie "Jurassic World" right now. Very broad in appeal, makes a lot of money. Lacks any substance.

[chemiclord]

I agree with chemiclord's NBA Finals odds. That was pretty much how it was last season too.

I "dislike watch" the NBA.
It's great because you know players from college, though hardly any are the 4 year college starters unfortunately.
The NBA Draft is excellent because it's a draft.
However, watching actual NBA games... I have issues with several things.
Due to how there are like 100+ possessions a game, each possession is pointless. The importance of each NBA possession is equal to a lap in a NASCAR race.... Oh wow, Pistons are up 8. The Hornets can erase that lead in 2 minutes of game time (or really fast), making that 8 point lead unimportant.
Too many fouls... defense isn't a thing anymore. If you touch a player, it's a foul.

Perhaps rule changes have made the NBA more of a broad appeal... Therefore, that's why viewers are up.
The NBA is basically that crappy movie "Jurassic World" right now. Very broad in appeal, makes a lot of money. Lacks any substance.

Problem is, despite Froot's assertion, viewers AREN'T up. In fact, they've been dropping with the exception of the playoffs (and even then only really the later rounds). And I suspect even those numbers will start dropping once it becomes clear that we're looking at Cleveland/Golden State III and there's literally no one else that has even a puncher's chance to change that.

Despite what Froot says, it wasn't so much the "superteams" that drew interest and ratings, it was the hope that those teams would fail. Even during that "Big Three" era in Miami, there were a handful of teams that could threaten them.

This coming year, it's looking like you can pencil in what teams will be playing in the Finals already. I don't see too many people finding that compelling at all, especially now that the "Can Cleveland pull it out?" narrative is done.

But we'll see I guess.

[froot loops]

The NBA final game 7 was the highest rated finals since the 98 finals with Jordan against the Jazz.

Of course the superteams drive interest, if you are rooting for the superteam to fail you are still interested. Duh.

What I am asserting is as contoversial as claiming the sky is blue. There has never been a time where you can picture many teams being legit contenders to a title.

[fontes91]

A 73 win team just added arguably the 2nd best player on the planet. GS shares the ball and are efficient. Barring injury I just don't see them losing. But I didn't see it this year either. You never know. Their Vegas odds are at 4-5 to win it all.