So, I thought I would try something a bit different with my NBA Preview. I actually wish I had thought of this a couple weeks ago when I put together my NHL preview, which was essentially a random scattering of NHL news. Instead, I thought that I would do what basically every sports writer does when they preview a season, make a power poll. Only mine would be ever-so-slightly different. I'm going to make my preview based not on how well I think the individual team will do but instead on how the team is run and how their business model works. I will post Part 1 today, with teams 30 down to 16, and with teams 15 down to 1 hopefully tomorrow.
30. New York
Okay, so it may be a little strange to rank the highest valued NBA team at the bottom of the list. But it's pretty difficult to argue with it to be honest. Sure they are worth 600 million dollars and they do a pretty decent job with exposure in the New York market thanks to their TV network, but they still take the cake at the bottom. If this team knew how to run its operation even remotely well, they would essentially be a license to print money. The New York market is the country's pre-eminent basketball market and the Knicks, when they are running successfully, rival even the Yankees in terms of New York popularity, and their merchandise sales are almost unimaginable. They get docked big time for how long they stuck with Isaiah Thomas, but I am at least intrigued by the Mike D'Antoni hiring, and we could be looking at a rapid ascent if things turn around for them.
29. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clips have a similar advantage to the Knicks in that they play in a massive market. Unfortunately, they have been the second rate team since Day One, and have consistently failed to do anything about it. Donald Sterling for years refused to sign any of the promising youngsters that passed through the organization, and they became an absolute punchline in the mid-90's. Sure, they have turned things around somewhat in recent years, but this team is still a shell of what it could be. The first step to redemption, though, is probably to move out of LA. While LA may be a massive city, it will always be a Laker town first and foremost, and nothing the Clips do can change that. A move to Anaheim or San Diego or any other relatively large city would be a plus for the team so that they can develop their own identity.
28. Oklahoma City
Obviously they can't be judged by what they have done in OKC, but here's what I do know: The Seattle ordeal could not have been handled any worse, and it makes me wonder if similar PR blunders could happen down the line. The last thing they need is to alienate a city where people are just growing accustomed to them. All of this and we haven't even mentioned the mess on the court. They lucked into a superstar in Kevin Durant, but the rest of the team is a walking disaster. And let's note ven get into their name. I mean, really? Thunder is the best they could do?
27. Memphis
Nothing like voluntarily moving to a tiny market with no history of professional basketball support and only moderate college basketball support. The team has been nothing but a stink bomb on the court, too, and the Pau Gasol trade pissed off a lot of very, very casual fans.
26. Minnesota
The Minnesota experiment in basketball has been a so-so affair for the NBA, but this organization gets docked heavily for its decision to consistently stick with the god awful Kevin McHale, the worst GM in sports. They also get docked for having one of the most unbelievable talents of this generation in Kevin Garnett and completely wasting him by surrounding him with mediocre talent at best and lottery level talent at worst.
25. Charlotte
Yes, I suppose you could make the argument they are still going through the growing pains of an expansion franchise, but they have done very little to establish themsleves in a basketball hotbed. They have also made the ridiculous mistake of consistently overvaluing local talent like Sean May and Ray Felton and also selecting college stars with mediocre pro potential like Emeka Okafor and Adam Morrison. Plus, Bobcats as a nickname?
24. Indiana
Once upon a time, the Pacers were the model for smaller market basketball teams. Then, the Melee at the Palace happened and the franchise has never recovered. It broke up a legit title contender in the East, and led to the team sticking with the wildly overpaid Jermaine O'Neal for far too long. It also led to an appalling number of bad trades and poor relations with fans who took to disliking the thuggish image their team adopted. It's one thing for fans to ignore these tactics when the team is winning, but when things begin to crumble (and they always do) it becomes an increasingly tough sell. And am I the only one who has noticed that Larry Bird is not so hot at running an organization? You wouldn't know it listening to the media, though...
23. Atlanta
These guys actually get something of a boost because the ATL is a notoriously fickle sports town. The Braves struggled to sell even when they made the playoffs roughly 40 consecutive seasons. The city lost its hockey to Canada for god's sake, and was given a new one to ignore a few years back, and ignore they have. And the Falcons have developed a weird dynamic with the city that I'm not really sure I can explain, except to say that many fans stuck by Michael Vick even when he clearly let the team down and held him in higher regard then the franchise. That may be somewhat different now that the franchise looks headed in a promising direction, but its still worth mentioning.
22. New Jersey
The Nets have been a mostly well-run franchise, save some of the very recent moves like the Richard Jefferson trade. They also are clearly doing the smart thing by angling for a shot at LeBron in a few seasons, a move that would bolster their visibility to unfathomable heights. So why are they all the way down here you ask? Simple. They have absolutely BUTCHERED this move to Brooklyn thing. It feels like they announced it back in 1994 or something. Yet they are still stuck in Jersey for probably 3 more seasons. For the life of me, I don't understand this hanging in limbo mentality they have developed. Their fans have also begun to respond to this, as they played to about 78% capacity last season, and I'd be stunned if that number did anything but head further south in the coming year. Just get into Brooklyn already, even if your 10 quintillion dollar super complex isn't ready yet. Build the damn arena and worry about your malls, restaurants and movie theaters later on.
21. Golden State
I really don't get the Golden State thing. Why do they insist on calling themselves that? Why not Oakland? Oakland has an excellent connotation with the urban community that mostly is involved in basketball. Other then that, I suppose they aren't a horribly run team, but they have been a doormat for years, and even though they made a playoff run two seasons ago and have some talent on the roster, at no point have they ever appeared to be building for a championship.
20. Portland
This bunch is rapidly ascending, as a year or two ago they likely would have been 28th on this list ahead of only the mega market failures. Now they appear to have figured out how to make use of their biggest asset: Paul Allen's untold riches. They will always be at something of a disadvantage because of Portland's small market, but Allen can make up for all of that in the luxury tax age. If they make the playoffs as expected this year thanks to a very promising nucleus, their steady climb upward will continue, but this is the highest they can go with such little real on-court success.
19. Philadelphia
Similar to the Minny T-wolves, they get docked big time for ruining their shot with a rare talent like Allen Iverson. They consistently paired him with players who didn't fit his mold, and while they did get to one Final, no one really thought they would beat the mighty Lakers. Now, they appear to be a middle of the road Eastern Conference squad and nothing more. PS, I loathe the Elton Brand signing. You people do realize he very recently tore his leg up right? You also realize, as Bill Simmons pointed out the other day, that they re-unite the top two players from a terrible Clippers team of a few years ago.
18. Denver
Denver is another one of these teams that drives me absolutely insane. They appear to be more then content to remain stuck firmly in the middle to lower tier of their conference. And now, they may not even be that good, as most think they aren't going to even get into the postseason, despite having a roster that is almost entirely composed of players at or past their peaks. I predict we look back at this team wasting Carmelo Anthony the same way I just talked about Philadelphia and Minnesota wasting AI and KG.
17. Milwaukee
Milwaukee is a seriously small market, and therefore they are at a serious competitive disadvantage. You would think that would make them very, very careful about spending. Instead, it appears to have made them desperate to keep players that perform well and sign and trade for players to step into roles bigger then they should be given. Guys like Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, and Bobby Simmons epitomize the struggles of this Bucks team. They are all nice enough players who are relied upon too heavily by the Bucks.
16. Washington
The Wiz continue to let Gilbert Arenas be the face of the franchise and choose what role he will play on the court despite the fact that he missed almost all of last season, will miss at least two months of this season and for all we know, may be mostly finished thanks to the serious knee issues he has encountered. But hey, Wiz, keep hitching your wagon to him, by all means.
15. Sacramento
Granted the Kings have had a rough few years, there isn't much hope looming on the horizon, and the team is likely close to bottoming out, but some credit must be given to the Maloofs for the value they have injected into the franchise. They put together a legitimate title contender some years back, and it's not out of the question that they could do it again. Plus, if an NBA team is going to tap the ripe hot spot that is Sin City in the next decade, it makes perfect sense for it to be the Maloofs, the Sin City masters themselves.
14. Miami
It seems like eons ago that this team won the title, doesn't it? Dealing away Shaq was the right move, though, and this team should be a legitimately intriguing squad if D-Wade can stay healthy and Shawn Marion doesn't turn into a basket case (I'd say both are 50-50). You have to give the Heat organization props for getting Pat Riley to stay involved in the franchise for over a decade. They also get major props for selling their team to the hard-nut-to-crack Miami fan base.
13. New Orleans
I give George Shinn and his crew serious credit and a serious break here for sticking with the fine folks of New Orleans when they needed them most. This team could have easily jumped ship to Oklahoma City, as the fans there became legit fans of this team. But they remained loyal, and while that isn't necessarily a virtue in most business circles, in these extreme circumstances, it should be. Still, their attendance has been lacking despite the excellent on-court play, and there are major questions as to whether they can remain long-term in New Orleans.
Part Deux should be up tomorrow evening.![]()
30. New York
Okay, so it may be a little strange to rank the highest valued NBA team at the bottom of the list. But it's pretty difficult to argue with it to be honest. Sure they are worth 600 million dollars and they do a pretty decent job with exposure in the New York market thanks to their TV network, but they still take the cake at the bottom. If this team knew how to run its operation even remotely well, they would essentially be a license to print money. The New York market is the country's pre-eminent basketball market and the Knicks, when they are running successfully, rival even the Yankees in terms of New York popularity, and their merchandise sales are almost unimaginable. They get docked big time for how long they stuck with Isaiah Thomas, but I am at least intrigued by the Mike D'Antoni hiring, and we could be looking at a rapid ascent if things turn around for them.
29. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clips have a similar advantage to the Knicks in that they play in a massive market. Unfortunately, they have been the second rate team since Day One, and have consistently failed to do anything about it. Donald Sterling for years refused to sign any of the promising youngsters that passed through the organization, and they became an absolute punchline in the mid-90's. Sure, they have turned things around somewhat in recent years, but this team is still a shell of what it could be. The first step to redemption, though, is probably to move out of LA. While LA may be a massive city, it will always be a Laker town first and foremost, and nothing the Clips do can change that. A move to Anaheim or San Diego or any other relatively large city would be a plus for the team so that they can develop their own identity.
28. Oklahoma City
Obviously they can't be judged by what they have done in OKC, but here's what I do know: The Seattle ordeal could not have been handled any worse, and it makes me wonder if similar PR blunders could happen down the line. The last thing they need is to alienate a city where people are just growing accustomed to them. All of this and we haven't even mentioned the mess on the court. They lucked into a superstar in Kevin Durant, but the rest of the team is a walking disaster. And let's note ven get into their name. I mean, really? Thunder is the best they could do?
27. Memphis
Nothing like voluntarily moving to a tiny market with no history of professional basketball support and only moderate college basketball support. The team has been nothing but a stink bomb on the court, too, and the Pau Gasol trade pissed off a lot of very, very casual fans.
26. Minnesota
The Minnesota experiment in basketball has been a so-so affair for the NBA, but this organization gets docked heavily for its decision to consistently stick with the god awful Kevin McHale, the worst GM in sports. They also get docked for having one of the most unbelievable talents of this generation in Kevin Garnett and completely wasting him by surrounding him with mediocre talent at best and lottery level talent at worst.
25. Charlotte
Yes, I suppose you could make the argument they are still going through the growing pains of an expansion franchise, but they have done very little to establish themsleves in a basketball hotbed. They have also made the ridiculous mistake of consistently overvaluing local talent like Sean May and Ray Felton and also selecting college stars with mediocre pro potential like Emeka Okafor and Adam Morrison. Plus, Bobcats as a nickname?
24. Indiana
Once upon a time, the Pacers were the model for smaller market basketball teams. Then, the Melee at the Palace happened and the franchise has never recovered. It broke up a legit title contender in the East, and led to the team sticking with the wildly overpaid Jermaine O'Neal for far too long. It also led to an appalling number of bad trades and poor relations with fans who took to disliking the thuggish image their team adopted. It's one thing for fans to ignore these tactics when the team is winning, but when things begin to crumble (and they always do) it becomes an increasingly tough sell. And am I the only one who has noticed that Larry Bird is not so hot at running an organization? You wouldn't know it listening to the media, though...
23. Atlanta
These guys actually get something of a boost because the ATL is a notoriously fickle sports town. The Braves struggled to sell even when they made the playoffs roughly 40 consecutive seasons. The city lost its hockey to Canada for god's sake, and was given a new one to ignore a few years back, and ignore they have. And the Falcons have developed a weird dynamic with the city that I'm not really sure I can explain, except to say that many fans stuck by Michael Vick even when he clearly let the team down and held him in higher regard then the franchise. That may be somewhat different now that the franchise looks headed in a promising direction, but its still worth mentioning.
22. New Jersey
The Nets have been a mostly well-run franchise, save some of the very recent moves like the Richard Jefferson trade. They also are clearly doing the smart thing by angling for a shot at LeBron in a few seasons, a move that would bolster their visibility to unfathomable heights. So why are they all the way down here you ask? Simple. They have absolutely BUTCHERED this move to Brooklyn thing. It feels like they announced it back in 1994 or something. Yet they are still stuck in Jersey for probably 3 more seasons. For the life of me, I don't understand this hanging in limbo mentality they have developed. Their fans have also begun to respond to this, as they played to about 78% capacity last season, and I'd be stunned if that number did anything but head further south in the coming year. Just get into Brooklyn already, even if your 10 quintillion dollar super complex isn't ready yet. Build the damn arena and worry about your malls, restaurants and movie theaters later on.
21. Golden State
I really don't get the Golden State thing. Why do they insist on calling themselves that? Why not Oakland? Oakland has an excellent connotation with the urban community that mostly is involved in basketball. Other then that, I suppose they aren't a horribly run team, but they have been a doormat for years, and even though they made a playoff run two seasons ago and have some talent on the roster, at no point have they ever appeared to be building for a championship.
20. Portland
This bunch is rapidly ascending, as a year or two ago they likely would have been 28th on this list ahead of only the mega market failures. Now they appear to have figured out how to make use of their biggest asset: Paul Allen's untold riches. They will always be at something of a disadvantage because of Portland's small market, but Allen can make up for all of that in the luxury tax age. If they make the playoffs as expected this year thanks to a very promising nucleus, their steady climb upward will continue, but this is the highest they can go with such little real on-court success.
19. Philadelphia
Similar to the Minny T-wolves, they get docked big time for ruining their shot with a rare talent like Allen Iverson. They consistently paired him with players who didn't fit his mold, and while they did get to one Final, no one really thought they would beat the mighty Lakers. Now, they appear to be a middle of the road Eastern Conference squad and nothing more. PS, I loathe the Elton Brand signing. You people do realize he very recently tore his leg up right? You also realize, as Bill Simmons pointed out the other day, that they re-unite the top two players from a terrible Clippers team of a few years ago.
18. Denver
Denver is another one of these teams that drives me absolutely insane. They appear to be more then content to remain stuck firmly in the middle to lower tier of their conference. And now, they may not even be that good, as most think they aren't going to even get into the postseason, despite having a roster that is almost entirely composed of players at or past their peaks. I predict we look back at this team wasting Carmelo Anthony the same way I just talked about Philadelphia and Minnesota wasting AI and KG.
17. Milwaukee
Milwaukee is a seriously small market, and therefore they are at a serious competitive disadvantage. You would think that would make them very, very careful about spending. Instead, it appears to have made them desperate to keep players that perform well and sign and trade for players to step into roles bigger then they should be given. Guys like Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, and Bobby Simmons epitomize the struggles of this Bucks team. They are all nice enough players who are relied upon too heavily by the Bucks.
16. Washington
The Wiz continue to let Gilbert Arenas be the face of the franchise and choose what role he will play on the court despite the fact that he missed almost all of last season, will miss at least two months of this season and for all we know, may be mostly finished thanks to the serious knee issues he has encountered. But hey, Wiz, keep hitching your wagon to him, by all means.
15. Sacramento
Granted the Kings have had a rough few years, there isn't much hope looming on the horizon, and the team is likely close to bottoming out, but some credit must be given to the Maloofs for the value they have injected into the franchise. They put together a legitimate title contender some years back, and it's not out of the question that they could do it again. Plus, if an NBA team is going to tap the ripe hot spot that is Sin City in the next decade, it makes perfect sense for it to be the Maloofs, the Sin City masters themselves.
14. Miami
It seems like eons ago that this team won the title, doesn't it? Dealing away Shaq was the right move, though, and this team should be a legitimately intriguing squad if D-Wade can stay healthy and Shawn Marion doesn't turn into a basket case (I'd say both are 50-50). You have to give the Heat organization props for getting Pat Riley to stay involved in the franchise for over a decade. They also get major props for selling their team to the hard-nut-to-crack Miami fan base.
13. New Orleans
I give George Shinn and his crew serious credit and a serious break here for sticking with the fine folks of New Orleans when they needed them most. This team could have easily jumped ship to Oklahoma City, as the fans there became legit fans of this team. But they remained loyal, and while that isn't necessarily a virtue in most business circles, in these extreme circumstances, it should be. Still, their attendance has been lacking despite the excellent on-court play, and there are major questions as to whether they can remain long-term in New Orleans.
Part Deux should be up tomorrow evening.
