With NBA’s blessing, ABC announced this week that it will redirect its broadcast crew from Dallas to Cleveland next weekend.
The news probably didn’t go well with Doris Burke and the crew, but that was the right choice.
You understand, the NBA schedule is a mess right now. And it will be for the rest of the regular season.
Teams that would be good is not.
And teams that would be pretty good are really good.
So what worked in October to be a matchup that could beat the NCAA Conference tournaments in grades suddenly could not beat the high school regional consolation.
In the 2025 edition of this disorder, we talk about 76ers and Mavericks-when they are invoiced as a possible late-season MVP showdown between Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic. Instead, it has become second Drummond and Kyy Thompson in an old timer game.
No one wants to see it.
So instead, ABC Magic and Cavaliers choose.
The problem is that no one wants to see it either.
From now on April 13, very little of the consequences will happen in the NBA. It is not good for grades.
The best seeds in the playoffs are safe. There is really no difference between ending the second or third. And the rest of the games – can Warriors come up to No. 4? Can the nets sneak in the back door?
Do you really care?
There is an interesting breed that is formed, but the NBA refuses to admit it.
Before he was assured from the air waves, Jeff van Gundy had a good idea. He suggested that the NBA points leader be determined by total points.
You know, like the NFL or NHL points leader, or Baseboll’s home run.
It fell on deaf ears, and I can understand why.
Players, give me a show for everyone in favor of the idea.
Yes, that was what I thought: Jayson Tatum voted yes; Any other player at the star level would rather rest for the playoffs in March and April; And most bench players look forward to the increased playing time as an opportunity to toad their statistics in the quest for a contract for the next season.
Ok, coach, your turn. Give me your thumb if you like the plan.
Thank you, Doug Christie, who would like to see Domanta’s Sabonis return in April and help Kings get a rare trip to the season, which would probably allow the interim coach to get a full -time shot next year.
Otherwise crickets. Coaches believe that they have to use the last 20 games or so to find the best playoffs matchup or the most Pingpong balls, not necessarily win games or try hard in an attempt to do so.
But think about it.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in good shape to lead the NBA in points. He has a 323 point lead over Anthony Edwards with a quarter of the season to go.
It is not the ideal situation to sell this new idea, but carry with me.
If Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards are your start-backcourt on the All-NBA team and Nikola Jokic is your center, Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James can be dueling for the two forward points.
At this point, Giannis would claim that he is top scorer forward as his percentage says so. Tatum would argue that he leads the race because he has the most points among the future.
Then there is Lebron, who can say: give me an incentive to get more points, and I will get more points.
And now April has a little juice basketball – but only if we count, do not apply decimal points.
One of the biggest daily season days in the NBA story took place on April 9, 1978, when David Thompson exploded for 73 points on the last day in an otherwise meaningless game against Pistons.
It left George Gervin who needed 58 points in a later game to claim the score title, and he did just that by a total of 63 against jazz.
Bad Gary players. He won the champions at CBS, and no one saw.
And why would you? Thompson surpassed him 73-64.
There will almost be no such fireworks on April 13 this year. But you never know.
A Gilgeous-Alexander injury or an overprotective Mark Daigneault can create a lane for Edwards, Jokic or maybe even Tatum.
But it is only if every point counts.
As it is now, Gilgeous-Alexander is four matches away from reaching 65 matches, NBA’s minimum for prize entitle. He could sit out every match that starts next Saturday and still win the score title on percentage, even if he passed in total points.
And it destroys a potential good thing.
So, Doris, replace gates. You will not come to New Orleans to crown a real point master. You’re on your way to Sacramento. The tenth place is on the line.
