12 teams currently at .500 or above

[Spurminator]

If the season ended today, there would be four Playoff teams with sub-500 records (two in each conference.) Scary.

For anyone wondering, that would be the fewest 500-or-better teams since the 1985-86 season, when the NBA had 23 teams.

Hooray mediocrity!

[boutons_]

The NBA has 10 or 12 too many teams.

There isn't enough player, coaching, GM talent to have 30 competitive teams, to have 30 x 8 rotation players worth watching.

But "it's a business" (NOT the game of basketball) so if the NBA and teams can make money while delivering a perennially shitty mediocrity for 82 x 30 = 2460 games/season, they'll keep doing it.

[Medvedenko]

It's not mediocrity it's parity....when a team wins, there is always a loser. Not everyone can be over .500. I have no problem with this state of the NBA.

[Spurminator]

It's not parity, because parity implies that a greater number of teams are contenders to play for the Championship. That's not the case this year. If anything, there are FEWER Championship contenders this year than usual... five at most.

What's happened is there are a LOT of mediocre teams, but few absolutely HORRIBLE teams for them to beat up on. So I guess you could say there's parity among the non-contenders. Guess it'll make the race for the 8th seed "interesting"...

[timvp]

If anything, there are FEWER Championship contenders this year than usual... five at most.
Isn't that how it is every year, though? When's the last time a team won a championship when going into the season they were not considered a top five team? You'd have to go back a long, long time ... if it ever happened at all.

In the NFL or in baseball, you can come out of nowhere to win a championship. That doesn't happen in the NBA.


What's happened is there are a LOT of mediocre teams, but few absolutely HORRIBLE teams for them to beat up on.
Agreed. The two "horrible" teams in the league (Boston and Memphis) both got their superstars back recently so there really isn't a team out there that really, really sucks. Usually there are a handful of horrible teams.

[Spurminator]

Isn't that how it is every year, though?

I think by Playoff time there is usually reason for more than five teams to think they have a chance. Like the Sacramentos and the Denvers of the past couple of years. I'm just not seeing that "7th or 8th seed no one wants to play" scenario shaping up this year, unless Wade comes back in time for Miami to sneak in, but they wouldn't really qualify as a normal 8 seed.

[1Parker1]

I think early injuries this year have also affected the huge amount of average and below average teams.

Also, there seems to be a LOT of teams who just seem to be cashing it in early, knowing they aren't going to get anywhere this season and waiting for the offseason and draft to make drastic moves. Philly, Memphis, Boston, Wolves, Nets, etc.

But I agree with Timvp, 5 championship contenders sounds about average.

[1Parker1]

I think by Playoff time there is usually reason for more than five teams to think they have a chance. Like the Sacramentos and the Denvers of the past couple of years. I'm just not seeing that "7th or 8th seed no one wants to play" scenario shaping up this year, unless Wade comes back in time for Miami to sneak in, but they wouldn't really qualify as a normal 8 seed.


Lakers could be a possible 7th or 8th seed that no one would want to play.

But I understand your point and I guess your right. A lot of it also has to do with the fact that the Eastern conference is really, really bad. And the Western conference while they're better, just has a huge divide between the contenders and the pretenders. But even the West Pretenders are better than some of the East contenders. (if that made sense...:oops)