# \[The Athletic\] NBA正起势，但最难的部分来了——如何保持势头
**URL:** https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/47669
**Category:** 环球刺讯
**Tags:** 2025-26赛季, 维克托-文班亚马, 格雷格-波波维奇
**Created:** [2026 年6 月 17 日 11:21 UTC](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/47669 "2026-06-17T11:21:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### 作者：  [@TheAthletic](https://chinaspurs.com/u/TheAthletic)
#### 发布日期： [2026 年6 月 17 日 11:21 UTC](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/47669/1 "2026-06-17T11:21:58Z")
By Nick Friedell | The Athletic, 2026-06-17 11:00:57
NBA迎来了一波小高潮。人们对总决赛的关注度极高——[近30年来收视率最高的系列赛](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/47661)就是明证。比赛竞争激烈，场上的对抗强度令人屏息，[比赛过程更是扣人心弦](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/47654)。最重要的是，全世界的球迷都从这一赛事产品中获得了极佳的娱乐体验。
这与漫长而乏味的常规赛形成了鲜明对比。
虽然NBA无法保证纽约尼克斯队每年都能打破[长达53年的冠军荒](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7358911/2026/06/14/knicks-celebrate-nba-title/)，但本次总决赛提醒了人们，当联盟处于最佳状态时，它能够吸引全球观众，并为数百万球迷带来欢乐。同时，它也提醒了人们，如今的常规赛已经变得多么枯燥乏味。我们不能指望在全年的每一个夜晚，都能看到季后赛最后两个月里那种强度的对抗；但如果NBA不能借着尼克斯夺冠之路所创造的能量乘胜追击，缩小季后赛的激情与常规赛的冷淡之间的差距，那么联盟近期积累的大部分好感都将迅速消逝。
NBA必须抓住这一难得的势头。
整个季后赛期间都洋溢着高强度的对抗。外界的讨论热度极高——其中很大一部分集中在22岁的圣安东尼奥马刺队球星维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 身上，[他似乎注定](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/47609)要在勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 和斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 退役后成为联盟的下一代门面。电视收视率同比上升，这在很大程度上得益于联盟与NBC重建的合作伙伴关系，以及每周在公共电视网上的定期亮相。通过NBA新的电视转播协议，数十亿美元正源源不断地注入这项运动，而且[得益于扩军加盟费，未来可能还会有更多资金注入](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7147943/2026/03/26/nba-expansion-history-seattle-las-vegas/)。
几周后，当联盟总裁亚当·肖华 (Adam Silver) 迎来[才华横溢的新一届选秀球员](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/interactive/nba-draft-guide-2026/)时，这一火热势头应该会进一步升温——紧随其后的还有围绕[可能发生的扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 交易](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7353314/2026/06/12/giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-rumors-draft-day-deadline/)的关注度，以及下赛季可能是詹姆斯传奇职业生涯的最后一舞。
而这一切发生之前，常规赛刚刚被一系列阴霾所笼罩：摆烂风气如此盛行，以至于肖华不得不针对下赛季出台新规；博彩丑闻持续发酵；以及围绕洛杉矶快船队和科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard) 的争议。联盟必须设法解决一个已经困扰其多年的问题：如何让82场常规赛显得更有意义？
NBA多年来一直在寻找答案。大约四年前，联盟在一定程度上承认了这一问题，当时它推出了NBA季中锦标赛，试图激发人们对常规赛初期的兴趣。本赛季，尼克斯队在最近成为了历史上首支在同一年夺得NBA杯和总冠军的球队。但到目前为止，这项锦标赛本身的效果褒贬不一，许多联盟观察家质疑，锦标赛带来的后勤问题——特别是给许多球队造成的赛程冲突——对联盟日程表而言是否弊大于利。联盟在发现问题并试图采取行动方面值得赞扬。但关于赛事产品更深层次的问题依然存在。肖华及其团队试图寻找答案的每一个问题，背后都潜藏着两个字：负荷管理。
球员轮休的现象不会消失，尤其是在运动科学持续强调恢复和预防伤病的情况下。负荷管理对NBA的影响是深远且具有破坏性的。自2012年圣安东尼奥马刺队功勋教练格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 在一场全美直播的比赛前轮休了蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 及队内几位顶级球星以来，联盟中关于负荷管理如何改变比赛的例子便屡见不鲜。
在报道了近20年NBA之后，有一场比赛让我记忆犹新。那是2022年12月，布鲁克林篮网队背靠背挑战的第二场。在前一天晚上艰难地在主场战胜亚特兰大老鹰队后，篮网队连夜前往印第安纳波利斯，准备在第二天晚上对阵步行者队。
第二天早上，他们宣布将有八名球员缺席比赛，这让所有人大吃一惊，其中包括甚至没有随队出征的球星凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 和凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving)。篮网队最终因这一决定被罚款2.5万美元，但伤害已经造成。
那天晚上，甘布里吉球馆（Gainbridge Fieldhouse）内的气氛降到了冰点。尽管比赛直到最后都打得很胶着，但球馆里并没有多少兴奋的情绪。球迷们花钱买票，是为了看杜兰特和欧文今年在印第安纳波利斯的最后一次常规赛亮相。当这两位球员都没有登场时，整个球馆仿佛被泄了气一般。
这些年来，我曾多次询问杜兰特，联盟是否应该采取更多措施来改善常规赛。每一次，他都坚定地认为赛事产品本身处于良好的状态。本赛季早些时候，我问了他同样的问题，得到了类似的回答。
“绝对不，老兄，”杜兰特告诉_The Athletic_。“我们打了太多比赛了，老兄。总会有那么些时候，会有一些艰难的比赛，会有一些不忍直视的比赛。这就是篮球的磨砺，你懂我意思吗？会有一些艰难的比赛。会有球员受伤的时候。也会有你最喜欢的球员可能不在阵容中的时候。这是一个长达六个月的赛季。我们打的是高强度、最高水平的篮球。我只想告诉球迷们，和我们一起经历这段旅程。要理解这其中会有起起落落，也要理解一切不可能都是完美的。”
杜兰特的观点不无道理。NBA超级巨星不是机器。他们不是超人。他们和普通人一样，也有起起落落。赛程非常紧凑，尤其是考虑到现在的比赛节奏比十年前还要快。
但要找到让常规赛重回正轨的方法，答案在于联盟必须竭尽全力让其最顶级的球星保持健康并留在场上。比赛节奏更快，球员的爆发力更强，软组织损伤也变得越来越普遍。这就是为什么金州勇士队主教练史蒂夫·科尔 (Steve Kerr) 一直直言不讳地表示，希望看到NBA减少常规赛的场次，以更好地保护球员的健康。
伤病永远是这项运动的一部分。但为了改变常规赛的基调，联盟无法承受明星球员受伤的代价。球星能卖出球票，带来新闻点击量，并激发最大的关注度。根据Statmuse的数据，被许多人视为有史以来最伟大球员的迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan) 在其15个NBA赛季中，场均出场38.3分钟，每年打71.5场比赛。相比之下，杜兰特在下赛季进入其第19个NBA年头之际，场均出场36.7分钟，每赛季打66.7场比赛。而詹姆斯在联盟征战23年后，场均出场37.6分钟，每赛季打70.5场比赛。
伟大往往由他们的稳定性和耐用性来定义——尽管37岁的杜兰特和41岁的詹姆斯在各自职业生涯的尾声都遭遇了各种不同的挫折。对联盟来说，更大的问题是其他明星球员正面临着比以往任何时候都多的伤病。像阿德托昆博和文班亚马这样的超级巨星今年都因伤缺席了相当长的时间。今年早些时候，联盟因伤缺席的比赛场次甚至有望[创下新纪录](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTdR7CWkRS4/?hl=en)。
联盟已经采取措施来解决摆烂问题，但仅靠遏制这一问题并不能解决伤病问题，而伤病同样是许多球迷对常规赛日益冷淡的原因之一。如果明星球员继续因伤缺席一段时间，球迷们仍然会觉得与他们所看到的最终赛事产品脱节。为什么不呢？他们花费了时间和金钱，就是为了看联盟中最顶级的球星。
如果这些球星不能持续留在场上，NBA在过去两个月里建立起来的势头可能会以比到来时快得多的速度消失。
_由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。_
> **点击查看原文：The NBA has momentum. Now comes the hard part — keeping it**
>
> # The NBA has momentum. Now comes the hard part — keeping it
>
> 
>
> The NBA is on a mini heater. The interest in the NBA Finals was off the charts — as evidenced by the fact that it was the [highest-rated series in nearly 30 years](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7367354/2026/06/16/knicks-spurs-abc-espn-tv-ratings-record/). The games were competitive, the intensity on the floor was palpable and [the play was captivating](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7358906/2026/06/16/knicks-spurs-nba-finals-history-close-games/). Most importantly, fans all over the world were entertained by the product.
>
> It was a far cry from the slog of the regular season.
>
> While the NBA can’t guarantee that the New York Knicks are going to snap a [53-year championship drought](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7358911/2026/06/14/knicks-celebrate-nba-title/) every year, the finals were a reminder that the league, at its best, can captivate a global audience and produce joy for millions of fans. They were also a reminder of just how dull the regular season has become. The intensity generated throughout the last two months of the postseason can’t be expected every single night all year, but if the NBA can’t capitalize on the energy the Knicks’ title run created and narrow the gap between playoff excitement and regular-season apathy, much of the goodwill the league has built up recently will fade quickly.
>
> The NBA must take advantage of this rare momentum.
>
> Intensity radiated throughout the playoffs. There was legitimate buzz — much of it centered on 22-year-old San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, [who appears destined](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7354960/2026/06/14/spurs-victor-wembanyama-nba-finals-inexperience/) to become the next face of the league when LeBron James and Stephen Curry retire. TV ratings are up year over year, thanks in large part to the league’s renewed partnership with NBC and regular appearances on network television every week. Billions of dollars are flowing into the game through the NBA’s new TV deal, with even more [money likely on the horizon thanks to expansion fees](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7147943/2026/03/26/nba-expansion-history-seattle-las-vegas/).
>
> That hot streak should gain even more steam in a couple weeks when commissioner Adam Silver welcomes [a talented new draft class](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/interactive/nba-draft-guide-2026/) into the league — followed by the interest that surrounds a [possible Giannis Antetokounmpo trade](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7353314/2026/06/12/giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-rumors-draft-day-deadline/) — and what could be the final year of James’ legendary career next season.
>
> All of it comes after a regular season marred by a tanking epidemic so widespread that Silver implemented new rules going into next season, an ongoing gambling saga and a controversy surrounding the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. The league has to find a way to fix an issue that has been hovering around it for several years: How do you make 82-regular season games feel more meaningful?
>
> The NBA has spent years searching for answers. It acknowledged the issue, in part, almost four years ago when it introduced the NBA In-Season Tournament and tried to drum up interest into early regular-season games. The Knicks recently became the first team to ever win the NBA Cup and finals in the same year this season. But the results of the tournament itself have had mixed results to this point, with many league observers wondering if the logistical issues created by the tournament, specifically the schedule issues it creates for many teams, is doing more harm than good to the league’s calendar. The league deserves credit for identifying the problem and trying to do something about it. But the larger questions about the product remain. Every problem that Silver and his team continue to try and find an answer to is laced with the undertones of two words: load management.
>
> The resting of players isn’t going away, particularly as sports science continues to emphasize recovery and injury prevention. The impact of load management on the NBA has been long-lasting and harmful to the product. The league is littered with examples of how load management has changed the game ever since longtime San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich rested Tim Duncan and several of his team’s top stars before a nationally televised contest in 2012.
>
> After nearly 20 years covering the NBA, one game sticks with me. It came in December 2022, on the second night of a back to back for the Brooklyn Nets. After a tough home win the night before over the Atlanta Hawks, the Nets traveled to Indianapolis to face the Pacers the following night.
>
> The next morning, they surprised everyone by revealing that eight players would sit out, including stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who didn’t even travel with the team . The Nets were ultimately fined $25,000 for the decision, but the damage had already been done.
>
> The atmosphere inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse that night dimmed. There wasn’t much excitement in the building, despite the fact that the game was close until the end. Fans had paid to see Durant and Irving play in their final regular-season trip of the year through Indianapolis. When neither player took the floor, it felt like air had been let out of the arena.
>
> I’ve asked Durant several times over the years whether the league should do more to improve the regular season. Each time, he has been steadfast in his feeling that he believes the product itself is in a good place. I asked him the same question earlier this season and got a similar response.
>
> “Hell nah, man,” Durant told _The Athletic_. “We’re playing so many games, man. There’s gonna be times, there’s gonna be some tough games, there’s gonna be some unwatchable games. It’s just the grind of basketball, you know what I’m saying? It’s going to be some tough games. It’s going to be some times when guys get injured. It’s going to be where your favorite players might not be in the lineup. It’s a six-month season. We play a high intensity, the highest level of basketball. I would just tell the fans to just go through the journey with us. Understand that it’s gonna be some ebbs and flows and understand that it’s not gonna all be perfect.”
>
> Durant’s point is fair. NBA superstars aren’t machines. They aren’t superhuman. They have ups and downs just like everybody else. The schedule is packed, especially considering the game is played at a faster pace than even a decade ago.
>
> But the answer in trying to figure out the way in which to get the regular season back on track is for the league to do everything it can to keep its biggest stars healthy and on the floor. The game is faster, the players are more explosive and soft-tissue injuries have become increasingly common. It’s why Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has been outspoken about his desire to see the NBA cut down the amount of regular-season games to try and better preserve player health.
>
> Injuries will always be part of the sport. But injuries to marquee players are what the league can’t afford in order to change the tenor of the regular season. Stars sell the tickets, drive the story clicks and generate the most interest. Michael Jordan, regarded by many as the greatest player who ever lived, averaged 38.3 minutes a game and 71.5 games a year over his 15 NBA seasons, according to Statmuse. For comparison’s sake, Durant is averaging 36.7 minutes a game and 66.7 games a season as he enters his 19th NBA year next season. James has averaged 70.5 games per season and 37.6 minutes a game after 23 years in the league.
>
> The greats are often defined by their consistency — and their durability — although both the 37-year-old Durant and 41-year-old James have dealt with a variety of different setbacks as their respective careers have wound down. The larger issue for the league is that other star players are dealing with more injuries than ever before. Big names like Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama missed significant time this year due to injuries. Earlier this year, the league was on track to [set a new record for games missed](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTdR7CWkRS4/?hl=en).
>
> The league has taken steps to address tanking, but curbing that problem alone won’t stop injury issues that are just as much a part of the growing apathy that many fans feel towards the regular season. If star players continue to miss stretches due to injury, fans will still feel disconnected from the final product they see. And why not? They spend their time and money to watch the league’s biggest stars.
>
> If those stars can’t stay on the floor consistently, the momentum the NBA has built over the last two months could disappear far more quickly than it arrived.
By Nick Friedell, via [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7367782/2026/06/17/nba-knicks-championship-momentum-whats-next/)
---
### 作者：  [@TheAthletic](https://chinaspurs.com/u/TheAthletic)
#### 发布日期： [2026 年6 月 17 日 22:02 UTC](https://chinaspurs.com/t/topic/47669/2 "2026-06-17T22:02:43Z")
# 热评
> [@David H.](#):
>
> 如果NBA还没准备好或者不愿意缩减82场常规赛，那就需要给赛程增加3周时间，比如比现在提前2周开赛，并在赛季结束时延长1周。取消背靠背比赛。让球员们更容易从往往令人精疲力竭的赛程中恢复过来。
>
> > [@Chris W.](#):
> >
> > @David H. 没错，这是最简单、最容易的解决方案。减少季前赛。提前开赛，并取消大部分背靠背比赛。他们是不会动82场常规赛的。但你可以减少背靠背，这是一个巨大的开始。
>
> > [@Zach S.](#):
> >
> > @Chris W. 你说得太对了。事到如今，季前赛干脆直接取消算了。在10月初开赛，而不是10月的最后10天。
> [@Cyrus T G.](#):
>
> 拜托大家别再攻击NBA常规赛了。实际上，我大部分时间都非常享受NBA常规赛。
>
> 1. 常规赛比大多数季后赛更流畅，无球状态下的拉扯、生拽和纠缠要少得多。虽然我也喜欢季后赛，但我也非常享受许多常规赛。
> 2. 与流行观点相反，大多数比赛的对抗强度都保持在相当高的水平。美职棒（MLB）或美职冰（NHL）的常规赛与大多数NBA比赛并没有明显区别。就像NBA一样，NHL和MLB的球队在季后赛中也会更加努力，并采用不同的战术。这三个联盟的季后赛都是这么运作的。
> 3. 是的，有球队摆烂确实很没意思，我很高兴NBA已经着手解决这个问题，因为我确实认为让健康的球员轮休且不求胜对联盟有害，这确实是NBA的一个污点。但说实话，这些摆烂的球队里有90%纯粹就是实力不行。我的意思是，就算篮网或奇才拼尽全力，他们依然会是弱队，他们的大多数比赛看起来基本上还是那个样子。在美式橄榄球联盟（NFL）中，也有很多垃圾球队和糟糕的比赛。即使你消除了摆烂，你仍然会有以选秀和培养新人为主的年轻球队，他们会是弱队，打出低水平的比赛，有点像棒球里的洛基队。
> 4. 在棒球比赛中，他们要打160多场比赛。为什么人们会认为MLB常规赛比NBA常规赛更有意义或更重要？大多数MLB比赛完全毫无意义，但那些关注数据、单纯喜欢看棒球的球迷赋予了它们意义。而我只是喜欢看篮球，就像大多数棒球迷一样，我不会一直想着季后赛。我难道不能单纯地欣赏一项运动吗？
> 5. 在MLB和NFL中，平庸/中游的球队不会像在NBA中那样经常受到嘲讽和唾骂。这是为什么？为什么在NFL或MLB当一支中游球队很酷，但在NBA拿到36到42胜却是一场彻头彻尾的灾难？也许NBA的撰稿人们需要停止对这些球队的各种侮辱，而作为球迷，也许接受球队表现平庸也是可以的，就像其他职业联盟中也有很多平庸的球队一样。
>
> > [@Dan W.](#):
> >
> > @Cyrus T G. 棒球对身体的消耗根本无法与篮球相比。（唯一的例外是投手的胳膊，而现在他们甚至都不再投完满场了。）这并不是一个合理的比较。
>
> > [@Chuck W.](#):
> >
> > @Cyrus T G. 我再同意不过了，但由于我们现在更专注于迎合泛球迷、“网红”和赌徒，我们可以预见这项运动会变得越来越弱智，就像我们在其他大多数事物中看到的那样。多亏了社交媒体，现在已经是本末倒置了。
> [@Steven O.](#):
>
> 修改那些让防守变得不可能的裁判规则，让看球不再那么令人沮丧。最让人抓狂的判罚是，当防守球员正在退防时，进攻球员沉肩撞向防守球员，然后减速起跳投篮。这怎么能算防守犯规？这对那些“造犯规大师”来说太容易了，而且因为这减慢了比赛节奏，也让球迷感到沮丧。
> [@StatisticsAddic T.](#):
>
> 真是奇怪。我看到的NBA总决赛里，那个所谓的“联盟未来门面”是一个任性的小孩，一边被联盟百般娇惯，一边还试图弄伤对手。
> 为在颁奖台上嘘萧华的球迷感到无比自豪。
>
> > [@Lamberto M.](#):
> >
> > 萧华就是个笑话，看看快船队的丑闻，他简直是直接认怂。
> [@Ryan T.](#):
>
> 赛季推迟一个月开始，将赛季缩减至65-70场比赛，取消或大幅减少背靠背比赛。这是一个开始。如果球队老板抱怨比赛变少了，我的反驳是——那就打进季后赛。与其他任何主流联盟运动相比，NBA季后赛为球队带来额外收入的潜力都要大得多。
> [@W B B.](#):
>
> 扯淡。唯一的问题是那些懒惰的媒体，他们只谈论八卦，而不去分析比赛的战术细节。我每天晚上都看常规赛，而且非常喜欢……
> [@NIck D.](#):
>
> 尼克斯本赛季最糟糕的一段时期就发生在他们夺得NBA杯之后，因为他们必须在其他球队休息时继续打比赛。打进决赛的球队在决赛结束后应该获得额外的休息时间，以确保今后不再发生这种情况。赢得奖杯不应该成为你赛季的累赘。
> [@Ted L.](#):
>
> 看看世界杯，比赛之间的间隔时间之长简直令人惊叹。整整一周！而NBA为每支球队安排了13到15次背靠背，而且经常是四天三赛——期间还要在城市间奔波！然后人们还会问：为什么常规赛的强度不如季后赛？这根本算不上什么谜团……
> [@Josh N.](#):
>
> 这可能是我看过的从首轮到总决赛最精彩的一次季后赛，但最明显的痛点是裁判的判罚以及他们得到的吹罚指示。SGA的假摔是一个铺天盖地的热门话题（以至于《The Athletic》为此写了几篇文章），甚至还有一段视频显示，特朗普在第三场比赛期间向亚当·萧华 (Adam Silver) 质问某次判罚。
> 在我看，今年总决赛和98年总决赛的一个共同点就是对抗强度。球迷们想看到球员在内线肉搏、飞身救球，并闻到一丝火药味。当裁判总是对防守球员吹罚体毛犯规时，比赛很难变得激烈起来。
> [@Brian S.](#):
>
> 我理解，但与此同时，据我所知，NBA并没有预先写好剧本，让纽约尼克斯队击败文班这位正在崛起的世代级超级巨星夺冠，从而创造出如此精彩的故事线。
> 好消息是文班哪儿也不会去，也许尼克斯也是？
> 坏消息是，自他们引入“打一年就选秀”（one-and-done）和“高中直接选秀”（zero-and-done）以来，他们仍然面临着同样的问题——整个联盟缺乏能够提供深度的优秀人才。
> [@abi O.](#):
>
> 在我看来，让一个爱抱怨的瘦弱小屁孩成为你的“联盟门面”，是毁掉过去三个月积累的所有好感最直接的方式。为什么杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson) 不能成为“联盟门面”？他的奋斗历程是每个人都能理解并感同身受的。
> 一个自命不凡、不成熟的身高7尺6的22岁年轻人，绝不是正确答案。
>
> > [@Josh N.](#):
> >
> > @Malcolm H. 每个人似乎都忘了，作为2000年代的联盟门面，科比在跟腱断裂之前，一直都是体育界最令人讨厌的运动员之一。
> [@Obsrvr S.](#):
>
> 联盟需要取消背靠背比赛。
> 以此为基准来决定缩减多少场比赛。六场、八场，还是十场？
> 但老板们不想缩减任何比赛，尽管赛程和比赛节奏所带来的伤病代价已经变得显而易见。
_由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。_
> **点击查看原文：**
>
> #
>
> > [@David H.](#):
> >
> > If the NBA is not ready or willing to reduce the 82 game regular season, it needs to add 3 weeks to the schedule, say start 2 weeks earlier than now and add 1 week to the end. Eliminate back-to-backs. Make it easier for players to recover from the often grueling schedule.
> >
> > > [@Chris W.](#):
> > >
> > > @David H. Yeah, this is the simplest and easiest solution. Reduce Preseason games. Start the season earlier and get rid of most of the B2Bs. They aren’t gonna touch the 82 games. But you can reduce the B2Bs and that is a huge start.
> >
> > > [@Zach S.](#):
> > >
> > > @Chris W. You’re spot on. Preseason games should just be eliminated at this point. Start in early October instead of the last 10 days.
>
> > [@Cyrus T G.](#):
> >
> > Could we please stop attacking the NBA regular season. I actually mostly really enjoy the NBA regular season.
> >
> > 1. The regular games are more free-flowing than most playoff games and there is not near as much off-ball holding, grabbing and clutching. While I do enjoy the playoffs, I also greatly enjoy many regular season games.
> > 2. Contrarary to popular opinion, most games are played at a reasonably high level of intensity. Regular season MLB or NHL games are not discernably different than the majority of NBA games. Just like the NBA, teams try harder and employ different post-season strategies in the NHL and MLB. That is how the post season works in all three leagues.
> > 3. Yes, it is really not fun that there were tanking teams and I am glad the NBA has addressed this because I do believe teams that hold out healthy players and don’t try to win is bad for the league and yes this was a black mark against the NBA. But seriously, 90% of these tanking teams were just bad teams. I mean if the Nets or Wizards had been trying super hard they would still be bad teams and most of their games would have looked basically like how their games looked. In the NFL, there are a lot of junk teams and horrible games. Even if you eliminate tanking you will still have young draft and development teams that will be bad teams and play at a low level kinda like the Rockies.
> > 4. In baseball, they play over 160 games. Why on earth do people believe the MLB regular season has any more meaning or significance than the NBA regular seaon? Most MLB games are utterly meaningless but they are given meaning by fans who care about stats and who just enjoy watching baseball. Well, I just enjoy watching basketball and like most baseball fans I am not constantly thinking about the playoffs. Can I just watching a sport?
> > 5. In the MLB and NFL average/mediocre teams are not constantly ridiculed and reviled as they are in the NBA. Why is this? Why is cool to be an average NFL or MLB team but an absolute catastrophe to be a 36-42 win team in the NBA. Maybe NBA writers need to stop all the insult hurling at these teams and as fans maybe it is fine for teams to be average just like there are many average teams in other professional leagues.
> >
> > > [@Dan W.](#):
> > >
> > > @Cyrus T G. Baseball doesn’t come close to taxing the body as much as basketball does. (The lone exception is pitchers’ arms, and now they don’t even throw complete games anymore.) It’s not a valid comparison.
> >
> > > [@Chuck W.](#):
> > >
> > > @Cyrus T G. I couldn’t agree more, but since we focus far more on appeasing casual fans, “influencers” and gamblers, we can expect to see a dumbing down of the sport, just like we see in most everything else. Thanks to social media, the tail is wagging the dog.
>
> > [@Steven O.](#):
> >
> > Make watching games less frustrating by changing officiating rules that make it impossible to defend. Most frustrating call is when defender is retreating and offensive player lowers their shoulder into the defender, then decelerates and shoots. How is this a foul on the defensive player? Too easy for the foul merchants, and frustrating for fans because it slows the game down.
>
> > [@StatisticsAddic T.](#):
> >
> > Weird. I saw an NBA Finals where the “future face of the league” was a petulant child who was coddled by the league while trying to injure opponents.
> > So proud of the fans who booed Silver at the podium.
> >
> > > [@Lamberto M.](#):
> > >
> > > Silver is a joke, look at the Clippers scandal, he simply drop his pants
>
> > [@Ryan T.](#):
> >
> > Start the season a month later, reduce the season to 65-70 games, eliminate or greatly reduce back-to-back games. That’s a start. If team ownership complains about less games, my retort is - make the playoffs. The NBA playoffs have more potential for additional team revenue than any other major league sport.
>
> > [@W B B.](#):
> >
> > Rubbish. The only problem is lazy media who only talk about gossip rather than the x’s and 0’ of the game. I watch the regular season every night and love it….
>
> > [@NIck D.](#):
> >
> > The Knicks worst stretch of the season came right after their NBA Cup victory as they had to play games while other teams rested. The teams in the finals should get extra rest after the final game to ensure this doesnt happen again moving forward. Winning the cup should not be a hindrance to your season.
>
> > [@Ted L.](#):
> >
> > It’s wild to look in at the World Cup and see how much time there is between games. A week! The NBA schedules 13-15 B2Bs for each team, and often 3 games in four nights - with travel between games! Then people ask: why aren’t the regular season games as intense as the playoffs? Not much of a mystery…
>
> > [@Josh N.](#):
> >
> > This was perhaps the most exciting playoffs I’ve watched from the first round to the Finals, but what was the most glaring painpoint was the officiating and how refs are instructed. SGA’s flopping was an overwhelming storyline (so much to the point that The Athletic wrote a couple articles about it), and there’s even a video of Trump asking Adam Silver during Game 3 questioning a call.
> > In my opinion, one common denominator between this year’s Finals and '98 is intensity. Fans want to see players battle in the paint and dive for loose balls and smell a hint of bad blood. It’s hard for games to get intense when refs are always calling touch fouls against defenders.
>
> > [@Brian S.](#):
> >
> > I get it, but at the same time the NBA didn’t script (as far as I am aware of) the fantastic story line of a New York Knicks championship over the emerging generational superstar that is Wemby.
> > The good news is Wemby isn’t going anywhere and maybe the Knicks aren’t either?
> > The bad news is they still have the same problems they have had since they introduced 1 and done and 0 and done, a lack of talent to provide depth throughout the league.
>
> > [@abi O.](#):
> >
> > Having a whiny skinny brat as your “face of the league”, is in my opinion, the surest way to kill off any good feel vibe of the past 3 months. Why can’t Jalen Brunson be the “face of the league”. His life journey is something everyone can understand and feel a part of.
> > An entitled and immature 7-6" 22 year old, is not the answer.
> >
> > > [@Josh N.](#):
> > >
> > > @Malcolm H. Everyone has seemingly forgetten that Kobe, the face of the 2000s, was one of the most hated athletes in sports all the way until he tore his Achilles.
>
> > [@Obsrvr S.](#):
> >
> > The league needs to eliminate back-to-backs.
> > Use that as the baseline to determine how many games to trim. Six, eight, ten?
> > But the owners don’t want to trim any games, even though the toll of injuries exacted by the schedule and pace of play has become obvious.
via [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7367782/2026/06/17/nba-knicks-championship-momentum-whats-next/#comments)