Roundball Roundtable of... Roundness - Part 2

You liked Part 1 of Scribe's first Roundball Rountable of... Roundness? Of course, you did. Here's Part Deux. Once again, the previous questions and bios for those who've come upon this post first.

Everybody JUMP!

Roundball Roundtable of... Roundness - Part 1

Something different for Scribe:

A month from now, the NBA playoffs will take off, getting people into far more heated debates about who’s better than who, which injury hurts more and where will members of the Free Agent Class of 2010 head after the final shot of the season is taken.

So, mark today as special as it’s the first of what will be many roundtables to come. Of course, this isn’t just any blogging roundtable, but one with some twists.

I’ve reached out to three NBA pundits, fans and chatterboxes who can provide different perspectives than what you’ve heard in recent weeks. The questions asked are not going to be “LeBron or Kobe?” and “what’s wrong with _____?”. The responses were quite interesting, to say the least.

Let this roundtable begin with some brief bios on each contributor:

• Stephon Johnson is a name you’ve seen on here before. Beyond having known half my life, he’s a staff writer for the famed New York Amsterdam News, covering a range of news stories as well as hoops for the history African-American weekly paper. In addition, he is also a contributing writer for The Perpetual Post and has done a multitude of music reviews for other websites. Check out his Tumblr and follow on Twitter (Warning: he’s not as good looking as me).
• Rey Moralde is the founder of the very fantastic and popular Los Angeles-based NBA blog, The No Look Pass. Along with great analysis of all four Californian squads (writers for the NorCal teams), if you still think the very existence of Clippers fans is an urban legend or that there’s no such thing as a true Lakers fan, let this site dispel those myths. For further witty banter and superb in-game comedy, you can follow Rey and TNLP on Facebook and Twitter.
• Finally, rounding out this triumvirate is aspiring scribe Kyle Hoffman. A cool cat like Heathcliff (that’s a reference to a Sean Price freestyle), Hoffman is a die-hard Sacramento Kings fan… from Allentown, Pennsylvania? Yes, you read that correctly. A true hoops head, he certainly holds down the fort for other teams as well, as you will read in moments. Follow Monsieur Hoffman on Twitter.

And now, your questions, after the jump...

Unbalanced

If there is one thing missing from the NBA these days, it’s a bitter rivalry. Not the manufactured type that is made from Kobe versus LeBron (and by proxy, Lakers versus Cavaliers) or even Carmelo versus LeBron (Nuggets/Cavaliers). What the NBA fans have clamored for are true, “we can’t stand those guys” rivalries born from seeing the same team more than two times a year and the Finals that may not materialize.

Granted, there are battles between teams that don’t get the national attention during the regular season that they should until the postseason comes around. In the West, San Antonio and Phoenix have provided some fireworks in recent years while Houston and Utah have had intense meet-ups. In the East, Washington and Cleveland traded barbs when the Wizards were a playoff participant while Boston and Chicago are likely to carry over their classic first-round series into the 2009-10 campaign.

However, the truth is that within the same geography is where sports’ greatest passions stir. Though the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings had a war of words earlier this decade, it was such a one-sided affair that it’s rarely brought up as one of the NBA’s most known rivalries. Not since the New York Knicks and Miami Heat traded fists and baskets have there been those kinds of regular season games that were hyped because of pure, unabated hatred within the division. Knicks-Heat (or Knicks against everybody in the 1990s) didn’t need to be aesthetically pleasing or be full of offensive superstars with great smiles to attract a crowd because mean mugging and hard fouls made the country ask “what else can these guys do to each other?”

The rule changes that essentially handcuffed defenses took a bit of the necessary surliness out of natural rivalries, but it does not mean that they can’t be reborn. If there’s one area that can be tweaked to bring back these kinds of games, it’s in team schedules themselves. To reemphasize division rivalries, I believe that the 82-game schedule can be modified in a similar vein of their major league peers.

They could take the slightly unbalanced schedule that baseball and the NHL use which features more games within the division, yet will retain the logistics of having visits from every team within the league. They could also rotate two interdivisional games between the other ten teams that would guarantee an equal amount of visits to every city over a five-year period in the way the NFL does in its schedule.

Sounds confusing? Let it be explained by using the Knicks’ schedule (trying to get to some games this season, so sue me for using the local team):

Current NBA Schedule: (H=home, A=away)

4 games apiece versus teams within the Atlantic Division (2H/2A) = 16 games

• Boston, New Jersey, Toronto and Philadelphia all split home and away dates evenly.

3-4 games apiece versus teams in other divisions within the conference = 36

• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (one series of 2H/1A, one series of 1H/2A) = 6
• Cleveland visits New York once while the Knicks play there twice this year. Milwaukee comes to New York twice while the Knicks play there once.
• 4 games apiece against three teams in the Central Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Chicago, Detroit and Indiana have even splits of home and away games this season
• 3 games apiece against two teams in the Southeast Division (one series of 2H/1A, one series of 1H/2A) = 6
• Orlando visits New York once while the Knicks play there twice this year. Miami comes to New York twice while the Knicks play there once.
• 4 games apiece against three teams in the Southeast Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Charlotte, Washington and Atlanta have even splits of home and away games this season.

2 games apiece versus teams in the Western Conference (one home, one away) = 30

82 total regular season games (41 home, 41 away)

Got it? Good.

Suggested NBA Schedule:

5 games apiece versus teams within same division = 20 games

• Five games apiece against two teams (3H/2A) = 10
• Here, Boston and New Jersey would come to MSG three times and the Knicks would visit both markets twice.
• Five games apiece against two teams (2H/3A) = 10
• Here, Toronto and Philadelphia would come to MSG twice and the Knicks would visit both markets three times.

These teams will alternate the third home game every other year; the Celtics would visit New York a third time one year and host the Knicks a third time the following season.

3-4 games apiece versus teams in other divisions within same conference = 30 games

• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (2H/1A) = 6
• Here, Cleveland and Milwaukee would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. Next season, this could switch depending on the teams.
• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (1H/2A) = 6
• Here, Detroit and Indiana would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. Next season, this could switch depending on the teams.
• 4 games apiece against one team in the Central Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Chicago would have the even split of home and away games this season. This four-game series would rotate among the remaining teams in the division until all five teams in the division played this series within five years.

Repeat the Central Division plan for the Southeast Division:

• Orlando and Miami would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. The Knicks play Charlotte and Washington twice in those cities and host them once this season. They would have the four-game series with Atlanta. Similar to the Central Division, teams would alternate all three kinds of series over five seasons.

2 games apiece versus teams in the Western Conference (one home, one away) = 30

• This would remain unchanged.

82 total regular season games (41 home, 41 away)

Of course, there are logistical reasons for why games are scheduled in the current format that us fans and the media aren’t exactly privy to or don’t keep up with. For example, every season a few teams will go on lengthy road trips for annual events such as conference and national tournaments in college sports or local events like the famous San Antonio Stock and Rodeo Show that keeps the Spurs away from home for about two weeks in February. There is also the fact that ten cities house both NHL and NBA teams in the same arena, making scheduling an intricate dance during the offseason for both leagues. Finally, relocation and expansion have spread the pool of games a bit thin; the NBA has certainly done a great job in trying to retain the pre-Charlotte/New Orleans/Memphis/Oklahoma City schedule with respect to travel itineraries.

Yet, it’s unlikely that there will be a change in the amount of teams in the league any time soon. Despite economic uncertainties and mismanagement of some franchises, this would be the perfect time to explore changing the schedule to give a bit more meaning – literal and emotional – to crowning division champions with the added value of a properly calibrated unbalanced schedule.

Paramnesia

Paramnesia is the "scientific" name for a familiar, but simultaneously unusual phenomenon, déjà vu.

And so here while there are three rematches of the 2007 postseason this spring, the one that may have a longer-lasting effect on a player's career started on Saturday in Salt Lake City.



So one year later, Tracy McGrady finds himself going against the same exact team with nearly the same exact circumstances. There is no doubt that he is one of the most talented players to ever grace an NBA court. There is no doubt that provided a lucky break here and there during the postseason, his name would be in the conversation of one of the all-time greats. Yet, with not only four prior first-round eliminations and a Game 1 loss to the same team that knocked his Houston Rockets last year - the Utah Jazz - you just might get used to seeing this clip making the rounds once again.

What do you think of T-Mac? Is he the best to have never won a playoff series? Is he not doing enough in your eyes? Is it all just hard luck?

Thoughts highly encouraged to be posted here, not on Facebook or MySpace.

Unappreciated

They have the most successful player of the last ten years. They have the quickest point guard in the NBA (accompanied by the most famous fiancee in the world) . They have the new King of Flop who also happens to be an offensive threat whether starting or coming off the bench. They have the league's premier shutdown defender under 6'9" whose name isn't synonymous with a brawl with fans. They have a coach who despite his new found fashion (loving the no-tie look plenty), still carries a proven playbook with three championships from interchangeable parts and one stalwart on the low block.

They are the San Antonio Spurs.

They are also the most unappreciated team in the state of Texas.

It was said that for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Utah Jazz, the Spurs couldn't sell out their own building. This could have prompted the continued bemoans of the NBA from media heads and casual fans, but instead, it didn't even conjure up a whisper. You would think that the team that has won three NBA titles since 1999 would never have to worry about filling a few seats, but no! Suddenly, some Spurs fans remembered their good fortunes and headed for those empty sports in Game 2.

Wow, thanks for showing up!

The Houston Rockets coughed up a first-round Game 7 against the Jazz, leading to Jeff Van Gundy's dismissal. The Astros are treading water, despite the addition of Carlos Lee and Mark Loretta (underrated - ask San Diego and Boston). The Texans are happy that Matt Schaub hasn't been sacked yet. The Mavericks... you know what happened there. The Texas Rangers aren't lighting up the AL West, the Dallas Stars didn't pull a Brett Hull to at least advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Dallas Cowboys are showing some leg in those practice shorts. Kevin Durant is likely headed to the Pacific Northwest and those Longhorns are attending summer classes... stop laughing.

The best show in town can't get love from its own fans. They have become the NBA's version of the Atlanta Braves, another franchise that can't fill Turner Field unless the Boston Red Sox or either New York franchise comes to town. Of course, what may come to mind is that at least the Spurs have won three titles while the Braves only have one to speak of. Yet, how many teams in each sport can say that they have a chance to even contend year in and year out? Not many. How many teams have been able to utilize every avenue of player acquisition without sacrificing their contention status or their future plans as these two teams? Same answer. So why the apathy towards winning franchises?

It is easy to say that in the case for Los Bravos, they have fourteen consecutive division crowns and five National League pennants since 1991, but only one World Series championship to show for their playoff appearances. It's funny when you think about it because there are perennial losing teams such as the Chicago Cubs that never have an issue with selling out Wrigley Field. So, why haven't the Braves been a big draw? It's because Atlanta is an apathetic pro sports town that shows more love for the SEC and ACC. The colleges feature predominantly homegrown talents and the roots between the universities and the Southern states are deeper than anything pro sports can offer, even though the Braves are the oldest team in North America. If this success happened in Milwaukee or in the birthplace of the team in Boston, the loyalty would run just as deep as that of the Georgia Bulldogs. Yet, in Atlanta, there seems to be a fatigue from only bringing one title to the city as the 1995 World Series brought the lone major pro championship. Each year since, they have run into better teams (the '99 Yankees), teams with greater momentum (SF Giants in 2002) or with respect to the late Eric Gregg, poor calls at the plate ('97 Marlins). Yet, each year, they've been in the playoffs, something that was not guaranteed before the addition of the Wild Card in '95. It's been said that fans are tired of being good enough to be there, but never good enough to win. Which is why the apathy towards the Spurs is so baffling.

San Antonio might as well have been a town for Wild West re-enactments to most of America. It's hard to believe that it is the seventh-largest city in the United States, but other than its military history and the River Walk, San Antonio is known solely for its Spurs. One would think that the franchise would be better served playing in another city such as Kansas City, which is starved for an indoor pro team or Las Vegas, which is the object of many Americans' desires. Yet, thanks to luck and a shift in power from the Eastern to the Western Conference, the Spurs have been as close to a dynasty that the NBA has since Michael Jordan ruled the world. Even with the Los Angeles Lakers' threepeat in the early 2000s, people knew that eventually, the team would be pulled asunder because of the strong personalities Jerry Buss and Jerry West put together. The Spurs got lucky in drafting Tim Duncan back in 1996 and proceeded to unload much of the pressure from David Robinson. When they won their first title in 1999, they won with Sean Elliot, Mario Elie, Steve Kerr, Avery Johnson and Malik Rose. In 2002, they still managed to take a title with Robinson, Kerr and Rose along with Kevin Willis and Steve Smith, but they added youth in Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Stephen Jackson to make the stretch run. Two seasons later, they had a different mix of young and old, but Parker and Ginobili were mature enough to take pressure away from Duncan and Bruce Bowen gave opponents fits on defense. Finding Parker and Ginobili in the '02 Draft may have not been heralded at first, but they have kept San Antonio in contention into the era of increased offense and limited defense. Gregg Popovich hasn't changed his playbook much, but with general manager RC Buford, he has been able to change parts, if necessary. While the style of play and the players themselves aren't endearing to most NBA fans and writers, they just win. That is an expected criticism from outsiders, but from fans in the San Antonio region? It's hard to believe that this is so, but if the Game 1 turnout implies that the fan base isn't enthralled with the team, then there is something wrong.

You can afford to be bored with winning all of the time if you have a longstanding history of doing so. Frequent winning isn't just luck, but immense skill coupled with circumstance. In other words, when the rules are changed or the owner's wallets aren't open, winning at the highest level can be nearly impossible. Yet, it is strange to know that a team can wear our their welcome by doing what they are supposed to do; get Ws, build for championships today and beyond, provide excitement for their loyalists. Atlanta and San Antonio should be grateful to have teams that can bore them by playing at an elite level year after year as there are many cities that would gladly trade all of their collegiate and professional teams for one year to call themselves the home of champions right now. They have to be careful with this apathy towards achievement.

They could be the home of the Pirates, Cubs, Mariners, Royals, Hawks, Blackhawks, Sacramento or Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Cardinals, Lions, etc.

Or worse yet, they could be Yankee fans feeling the oh-so-dreadful six-season title drought.