Los Angeles Lakers at
Denver

Want to know why the NBA’s ratings tanked after Michael
Jordan’s retirement? Well, "Michael Jordan’s retirement" had a lot to
do with it, but part of the problem was the star power ideal that the NBA just
assumed fans were interested in.

That they’d be lining up to watch an Allen Iverson-led Sixer
team or Vince Carter-led Raptors team on national TV, despite the fact that
both players had pretty average supporting casts, and were led by coaches that
wanted the ball walked up court every time out. Despite the fact that it wasn’t
really all that fun to watch the games that these stars were taking part in.

The result would be a huge gob of 82-77 contests, on national
TV. Contests that often featured either Iverson or Carter (through some fault
of their own, I submit) having to toss up several desperation perimeter shots
as the shot clock wound down, finishing with a 12-28 mark from the field as the
fair-weather fans lamented the supposedly selfish ("look at that horrible
shot!") players who couldn’t shoot ("12 of 28?").

The league, and its networks, would constantly choose these
players and these teams over contests featuring teams that were aesthetically
pleasing, and likely to give you a better night out. It was a penny-wise and
pound-foolish maneuver that set the league back years.

The issues are still in place, if to a much smaller extent.
The networks have gotten better, make no mistake, but you still see some signs
of the past. Look at ESPN’s decision to schedule a Spurs/Cavaliers game over a
Lakers/Nuggets contest.

I know the Lakers don’t need any more national TV
appearances, because we all know this team’s middle name by now. I understand
that the Nuggets — before the Chauncey Billups trade and when the TV schedule
was being drawn up — were thought to be a team hoping to just make the
playoffs in 2009, returning to a stage that saw them trounced by Los Angeles last year.

And I also know that the Cavs and Spurs met up in the 2007
Finals, while both teams practice the sort of fundamental-heavy defensive brand
of ball (read: they walk the ball up court) that the purists supposedly love
(but never tune in for).

Still … which would you rather?

Enjoy your weekend.

Los Angeles Lakers:
44-10, 94.8 possessions per game (5^th), 114.4 points scored per 100
possessions (1^st), 105.4 points allowed per 100 possessions (7^th).

Denver Nuggets: 94.2 possessions per game (6^th),
109.2 points scored per 100 possessions (9^th), 106.6 points allowed
per 100 possessions (10^th).

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Let the games begin!

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