Big markets rule today’s NBA

By David Mullen

More than any other professional sports league, the NBA has an undeniable major market bias. Supported by its suitors, the NBA philosophy is “the bigger the market, the more people there are to ‘Just do it’ with Nike products, ‘Do the Dew,’ dip the Doritos and insure that, like a good neighbor, Jake from State Farm will be there.”

The NBA marketing reach is worldwide. China is such an important market to the NBA that the league will give a no-look pass to human atrocities. Slam dunks are shown in Shanghai and ballers are big in Beijing. To the league, human rights are as relevant as the Houston Rockets.

Nationally, the NBA and their shills have a fascination with New York and Los Angeles teams. Both the Knicks and the Lakers get a lopsided share of attention. New York is America’s largest market, and Los Angeles has LeBron James.  

Case in point: On October 14, “SportsCenter” on ESPN, an NBA network suitor, showed only Los Angeles Lakers highlights, including a James layup, from a preseason game against Sacramento that the Kings won by 47 points. Not one Sacramento highlight because there aren’t enough NBA sponsor Coinbase Cryptocurrency consumers in California’s capital, and “King” James doesn’t play for the Kings.     

Otherwise, the NBA is in a good place. Fan interest is high, and it crosses generations and ethnicities. Teams are very competitive. A wealth of talent has come from the college ranks and foreign countries. The 2022-23 season has no clear-cut favorite. But the NBA will be once again focus on marketing James, entering his 20th NBA season. 

James is seeking two major milestones this season. He is 1,326 points away from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring mark. He will probably get it, and we will see every second of the pursuit. He also can unseat Shaquille O’Neal as the most oversaturated product endorser on the airwaves. He will probably get that, too.   

Nationally, we won’t see enough of the young and disciplined Dallas Mavericks. Dallas made it to the Western Conference Finals last season yet are still considered by pundits and oddsmakers as a middle of the conference team. Jason Kidd is getting no consideration for Coach of the Year honors, despite the Mavs looking like a team ready to blow the lid off a can of NBA sponsor Pringles.

Dallas is viewed as a team with one superstar — MVP candidate Luka Doncic — and a cast of unfamiliar players lacking flash. These players thrive in the role of underdog. The job Kidd did in improving the Mavericks team defense cannot be overlooked. Once a sieve, the Mavericks were fifth in the league in team defense in 2021-22.     

Much has been said about the loss of free-agent guard Jalen Brunson to the Knicks. Little has been said about the return of Tim Hardaway, Jr. from a season-ending injury last season or Spencer Dinwiddie playing a full season as a starter. Both can average 20-points per game.

The Mavs added Christian Wood, who will provide an inside defensive and scoring presence that last year’s Mavericks lacked. Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith fit well into Kidd’s system. Surprise, America! This Mavericks team is very good.

Several teams could win the Western Conference. But winning the conference title isn’t that important anymore. Ask the World Champion Golden State Warriors, a No. 3 playoff seed last year. They return looking for one more title, as Stephan Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond “Clubber” Green are aging out. Coach Steve Kerr knows that and has youth on his side with Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole.   

Los Angeles has a contender with the second-fiddle Clippers. If the LA team with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and newly acquired John Wall can stay healthy, the Clippers will be making a playoff run while the LA team with James will watch their star hawk the new iPhone in a TV ad.

The Phoenix Suns had a great regular season and their worst game when it counted the most, against the Mavs in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. Chris Paul and the team have not improved. 

YouTube star Ja Morant helped make the Memphis Grizzlies a popular pick in the West, but they are still young and need a more methodical approach. The Denver Nuggets have two-time league MVP Nikola Jokic and an excellent coach in Michael Malone. But Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, Jr. must make big contributions for the Nuggets to find gold. 

Once again, the hopes of the New Orleans Pelicans lay in the lap of Zion Williamson. In training camp, his lap looked significantly smaller than in previous years. They are still a scorer away. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards are fine players, but the Minnesota Timberwolves overpaid for the services of Rudy Gobert, a move they will regret for years to come.

The Eastern Conference is rife with talent. The conference champion Boston Celtics have Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. After suspending head coach Ime Udoka for inappropriate behavior, Boston turns to the league’s youngest coach, 34-year-old Joe Mazzulla. Celtics forward Al Horford is 36. 

The Philadelphia 76ers have MVP candidate Joel Embiid and James Harden, the Milwaukee Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and a healthy Khris Middleton, the Miami Heat have Jimmy Butler, the Atlanta Hawks have Trae Young, and the Brooklyn Nets have unpredictable Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. The Knicks have Brunson, Julius Randle and an aging Spike Lee. 

I immediately discount teams with Harden, Durant and Simmons because of chemistry issues. The Toronto Raptors won the NBA crown in 2019 and added Otto Porter, Jr. who brings a winning attitude from the Warriors. 

The surprise team in the East will be the Cleveland Cavaliers. They got Donovan Mitchell to fit in with Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. I think he is the perfect puzzle piece.

Throughout the last 12 seasons, Dallas and Los Angeles have the same number of NBA titles (one). New York hasn’t won a crown since 1973. In 2022-23, both LA and New York have two teams or quadruple the chances against Dallas’ one. I still like the Mavericks’ chances better. But ultimately, it will be the Warriors and the Bucks in the NBA Finals. 

The NBA, with the help of their suitors, will continue to push the big market teams and foreign interests to generate profits. Forget that better basketball is played in Boston, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix. Memphis and Dallas. The NBA’s biggest concerns are what times the NBA Store on 5th Avenue and the Foot Locker in Beverly Center open and what product  LeBron James is peddling this week.