Isaac
Years ago

Donaghy scandal vs lowly teams tanking

I've just been reading a bit of doom and gloom on TrueHoop where various writers and so on give their verdict on the Donaghy scandal and its potential impact on the league. The responses range from largely indifferent (Mark Cuban, for example, saying that fans are there for entertainment and will get over it) to those that are more wary.

It made me wonder - as an NBA fan, after the initial hubbub, what's a bigger issue for you:

1. The Donaghy Scandal - a reportedly dodgy ref fixing games for money over the last two years (probably the line rather than the results themselves, IMO).

2. Teams tanking games from quite early in the season to maximise their chance at a top draft pick.

And let's throw in another option so people can rank them.

3. The Play-off format failing when the conferences are far from equal.


One reason I'm asking is that all the drama (understandably) is surrounding Donaghy as the issue du jour, but there's barely a whisper about changes to the other two.

Personally, I'd go with Play-offs, tanking, Donaghy. And the tanking might only be close to the play-off format because it drives me nuts in fantasy comps. Donaghy is a distant last - I just pity the decent refs who are now going to cop all sorts of comments and allegations because of the actions of, presumably, a single person.

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Bizzy  
Years ago

Extemely good questions asked there Isaac.

My order would be:

1. Teams Tanking Games - This is a real pet hate of mine, teams just start throwing games so early in the season it's almost pointless playing them as all they are concerned about is having the best chance of getting the No. 1 pick. One thing that does make me smile is when the teams that do tank, miss out on the top 3 picks anyway,

2. Play-off Format - this is a problem that would quite easily be fixed, but the NBA doesn't seem to want to do a damn thing about it.

3. Donaghy - Yes this has put a real damper on the last two years and especially last years play-offs but ultimately would a team like Phoenix really have won the title last year?

The NBA head office have made so many changes and made the NBA into such a huge money pit that betting scandals are being brought into the game.

As I read somewhere else, an article by Chris Sheridan on ESPN I think, the betting scandal is the least of the NBA's worries, fans have been turning away since the end of the Bulls Dynasty, I think fans are just fed up with the way the NBA has sent the league. I for one, still love the NBA but as I have outlined above, I cannot stand teams tanking games.

Reply #143144 | Report this post


You dont think phoenix could have beaten the cavs, bizzy, when they were the only team to challenge the spurs?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Phoenix would have to get past the Spurs first

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TR  
Years ago

There has been heaps of speculation for years of the dodgyness of the NBA.

Teams tanking, it's always going to happen. Ryan Gomes was interviewed last week over the comments he made last season in relation to the Celtic losing and getting more ping pong balls.

I'd like to see the the lottery selections for team records after the All-Star game, or even the last 30 games of the season. The first half of the season is irrelvant to your lottery position. The ping pong balls are decided in the last 42 games.

I laughed when Boston and the Bucks, the biggest tankers last year finished with the 5th and 6th pick. Beware the wraith of Stern!!!

There was an ESPN article about the play-off system and I'd like to see the NBA get rid of the divisions as a format and seed the Top 16 teams regardless of conference. The last East/West team is deemed the conference champion and if it's two West teams standing at the end then so be it.

Example being last season:

#1 v #16 = Dallas V Orlando
#2 v #15 = Phoenix V New Jersey
#3 v #14 = Spurs V Washington
#4 v #13 = Houston V Golden State
#5 v #12 = Detroit V LA Lakers
#6 v #11 = Utah V Denver
#7 v #10 = Cleveland V Toronto
#8 v #9 = Chicago v Miami

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Kent Brockman  
Years ago

A ref changing the course of a game and potentially history has to be the bigger injustice.

How would players like Barkley and Ewing feel if it was games they where in that was part of the investigation. Many years of hard training and tuff schedules to have a ref make all of your efforts for nothing.

Tanking games is always going to be around but i dont see it as such a huge issue. Teams still run the risk of ending up with a dud pick , so there is still risk involved even if they do get a better pick.

The inbalance of the conferences is always going to be swings and round abouts, not too long ago the East was where it was at. Chicago, New York and Detroit leqading the way and making fo rthe better play off series'.

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Bizzy  
Years ago

Let's try and get this thread moving?

What are some other playoff formats people would like to see?

TR you make a good point about having the lottery around the All-Star break, however would that mean teams would tank games early in the season then try and win some on the road home?

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Kent Brockman  
Years ago

I dont see what the difference in changing the format is.

The best team will win at the end of the day.

Who cares if the 2 best teams meet in a conference final and then the winner of that goes on to beat the other conference winner.

Yes the " 2 best teams" wont be in the final , but the two best teams will face each other at some point. The better team will advance.

Chicago / New York series where great as where Detroit / Chicago.

They were often better than the West series at the time.

Vary rarely do you have a LA v Boston scenario where the 2 best teams face each other.

Reply #143216 | Report this post


the better teams care, because they dont get $$ for finals. if phoenix and san an were the 'best' teams, phx sure missed out on a lot of revenue from two series.

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Isaac  
Years ago

Also, the Finals series is meant to be the best against the best, not a bland drubbing. Note how badly the Finals series rated in the US this year, and remember that the league is all about competition and entertainment.

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