If the playoffs started today, would any of these EC matchups interest you?

[johnstarky]

Cleveland vs Toronto

Orlando vs Charlotte

Atlanta vs Miami

Boston vs Miwaukee

Aside from rooting against the Cavaliers, this will probably be the most uninteresting first round of Eastern Conference matchups that I will be watching.The NBA in general has featured many unwatchable games this season.I don't know what the national television ratings are for ESPN and TNT whenever they show NBA games, but I don't see these networks benefiting when 10 of the 16 teams making the playoffs this season come from small market cities.

Just a few years ago, the NBA had the lowest rated finals of their entire history.As competitive as these players are, do people really care about watching Kevin Durant and Lebron James carry their teams to the NBA finals this season? Is David Stern going gaga over a potential first round match up between Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder and Carmelo Anthony's Denver Nuggets? I know the NBA is a star driven league and many people have the tendency to root for individual players over the NBA teams that they play for, but I cannot see the casual basketball fan looking forward to 8 weeks of mostly mediocre match ups.

[p0nder]

I don't really understand the problem? are these small market teams? I mean, clevland is, but they have lebron, so everyone watches them. T.O. is a big market when you consider they rep all of Canada, not just the ~5 million people in the city. Charlotte and milwaukee are small market, but are Miami, Atlanta and Orlando "small market teams" now?

I agree that the NBA would greatly benefit from a NY team in the playoffs, but these match ups don't seem all that small/boring to me. (aisde from boston and milwaukee)

[StreetDreams21]

I think what he means is that all these match ups are boring as hell. I mean, Atlanta vs. Miami for the second year in a row? IIRC, that series went to seven games last year, with EVERY GAME being a blowout in favor of the hometeam. Who wants to see that?

As for the other matchups, no underdog team has a chance of winning, at all. To me it looks like Toronto just threw together players to tell Bosh to stay (which I doubt would work). Cavs will sweep them. The other two matchups dont interest me either.

However, If the Bobcats get the 8 seed, they will play the Cavs, who they swept in the regular season. We have seen how Jackson loves to kill 1 seeded teams, so that would definitely interest me. Doesn't look like it'll happen, though.

[smokes]

I think what he means is that all these match ups are boring as hell. I mean, Atlanta vs. Miami for the second year in a row? IIRC, that series went to seven games last year, with EVERY GAME being a blowout in favor of the hometeam. Who wants to see that?

As for the other matchups, no underdog team has a chance of winning, at all. To me it looks like Toronto just threw together players to tell Bosh to stay (which I doubt would work). Cavs will sweep them. The other two matchups dont interest me either.

However, If the Bobcats get the 8 seed, they will play the Cavs, who they swept in the regular season. We have seen how Jackson loves to kill 1 seeded teams, so that would definitely interest me. Doesn't look like it'll happen, though.

I don't know why the Bucks vs Celtics matchup is so badly recieved. I could see the Bucks taking it possibly. I agree Bobcats vs Cavs would be interesting.

But yeah the East sucks big time compared to the West. All those matchups are gonna be interesting to watch. Especially Spurs vs Lakers if it stays the way it is.

[johnstarky]

I don't really understand the problem? are these small market teams? I mean, clevland is, but they have lebron, so everyone watches them. T.O. is a big market when you consider they rep all of Canada, not just the ~5 million people in the city. Charlotte and milwaukee are small market, but are Miami, Atlanta and Orlando "small market teams" now?

I agree that the NBA would greatly benefit from a NY team in the playoffs, but these match ups don't seem all that small/boring to me. (aisde from boston and milwaukee)

NBA ratings have been down since the late 90's.The days of seeing teams like the Bulls, Knicks, Pacers, and Rockets dominate in the playoffs have left a lot to be desired now.When Michael Jordan's Bulls were playing in the NBA finals 12 years ago, it was the highest rated finals in NBA history.When Lebron James and his Cavaliers were playing in the NBA finals 3 years ago, it was the lowest rated finals in NBA history.I'm sure if Lebron had made the finals with the Lakers or the Knicks that year, most of the country would have tuned in to watch it and the NBA would have benefited a lot.

Miami, Atlanta, Orlando and Toronto are nothing in comparison to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston.I'm sure that the NBA would be making more money now if all those cities had teams that were competing in the playoffs.The NBA suffered a lot during the last decade because of teams like the San Antonio Spurs dominating almost every year.

[johnstarky]

I don't know why the Bucks vs Celtics matchup is so badly recieved. I could see the Bucks taking it possibly. I agree Bobcats vs Cavs would be interesting.

But yeah the East sucks big time compared to the West. All those matchups are gonna be interesting to watch. Especially Spurs vs Lakers if it stays the way it is.

I agree Smokes, who the hell would want to sit in front of their TV watching a 7 game series featuring the Milwaukee Bucks as one of the teams? That team does not have a player that interests me and Milwaukee has always been a ghost city.