The NBA and its fans got exactly what they wanted. They got Cavs-Warriors III. They got LeBron vs. Curry. As a result, they'll probably get bonkers ratings for the NBA Finals, which they'll likely use to promote the "health" of the game and display how "great" the NBA is. And all of that will be an illusion. Because the NBA has a pretty serious problem that it conveniently turns a blind eye to.
Now, I'm not here to criticize the NBA or its fans. To each their own. If you're a fan of the NBA, more power to you. But even the biggest NBA fan in the world can't deny that the league definitely has a problem on its hands. And it's a problem that's pretty obvious to everyone.
So, what is this problem you ask? The NBA is so uncompetitive it's beyond boring. The Warriors, who went 73-9 during the regular season last year, are 12-0 in this year's playoffs. They've won those 12 games by an average of 16.3 points. The Cavs have actually lost a game (and they acted like the world was over when they did). Their average margin of victory in their other 12 games was 14.2 points, although that's a little skewed since they actually played four reasonably close games against Indiana (1, 6, 5, 4) while also notching 44- and 33-point routs against Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.
It was in the Conference Finals that the lack of competition in the NBA was really exposed. Boston was the higher seed in the East, but it's not like that actually mattered. Other than the one game the Celtics won, Cleveland was never even challenged. The Western Conference Finals were even more of a joke. San Antonio was supposed to be the "only team" capable of beating Golden State. Instead, after a 113-111 loss in Game 1, they were embarrassed by 36 in Game 2, then lost their two home games by 12 and 14.
These were supposedly the second-best teams in each conference, yet they were absolutely no match for either Cleveland or Golden State. Which makes you wonder why the NBA even bothered with the regular season and first three rounds of the playoffs only to end up with the inevitable matchup between the same two teams that have played in the last two Finals.
This isn't the first time we've seen a dominant run by a team. The Yankees have had a few stretches where they won a few World Series in a row, and their have been plenty of Stanley Cup dynasties from the Canadiens to the Islanders to the Oilers. And we've of course been witnessing the Bradicheck Patriots roll through the NFL for the last 15 years.
Except in each of those cases, it was never the same two teams dominating the league. And that's the biggest difference. There was at least some level of suspense that came with the regular season in those cases, even if was just to see who was going to lose to that dynasty in the finals.
And in the other three leagues, there's at least the possibility of the top team getting upset. Prior to last year's Cubs, when was the last time the best team in baseball won the World Series? The Packers won the Super Bowl as a 6-seed a few years ago. In the NHL, you see it all the time. In fact, the Predators were seeded 16th of the 16 playoff teams this season. But when was the last time you saw an upset in the NBA Playoffs? Exactly.
In the NBA right now, there are 28 teams that basically have no chance. This in a league with a salary cap. A salary cap, which is something that in every other league is designed to level the playing field by preventing teams from stockpiling the best talent. In the NBA, the "salary cap" is just the opposite. Somehow, despite the existence of a "salary cap," it was possible for LeBron to make his own fantasy team in Miami and the Warriors to somehow have enough money to sign Kevin Durant. The rich continue to get richer. Everybody else has no chance.
I think it's an NBA rule that LeBron James plays in the Finals. Because this isn't just his seventh straight Finals appearance, it's the seventh straight time that his team reached the Finals with very little effort. Can you seriously tell me that the entire Eastern Conference bowing down to King James for the better part of a decade is good for the game? Especially now that the Western Conference teams are doing the same thing with Steph Curry?
Of course, like I said earlier, the NBA likely doesn't view this as a problem. People still love LeBron and they still love Curry and they still love the dominance of the Cavs and Warriors. And I hope they do get a competitive Finals. I also hope this year is an aberration and there will be more than two teams in the NBA next season. Because right now, the Cavs and Warriors might as well be the UConn women. Their games are that non-competitive.
Unless you're a fan of one of them, watching the same two teams bludgeon everyone else year after year isn't entertaining. It's boring. And boring is a problem. Whether the NBA wants to admit it or not.
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