NBA Sources Deny 22-Team Plan Was Motivated By Inclusion Of Zion Williamson

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NBA Sources Deny 22-Team Plan Was Motivated By Inclusion Of Zion Williamson 

Post#1 » by RealGM Wiretap » Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:11 pm

Multiple league sources have denied to ESPN that the NBA went out of its way to include the New Orleans Pelicans in the return-to-play plan in order to feature Zion Williamson.


But other league sources expect Williamson and the Pelicans to be featured prominently in their national television schedule. 


"I would think any time they play -- you can put it on a Tuesday night, whenever -- people will watch that game," a Western Conference executive said of having Williamson playing inside the bubble.


"It's obvious a ton of people will watch just to watch him," another Western Conference executive said. "Go back and look at how full the arena was at summer league to go watch him play. It will be huge."


Nine of his 19 games were nationally televised, with those games averaging 30% more viewers than an average national TV broadcast this season.


"Compared to most other young players, [the league is] invested in him," an Eastern Conference executive said. "There are few of these guys that, instead of just being popular within basketball, can expand the relevance of the NBA. They hope he can do that for them."


If the Pelicans qualify for the playoffs, they would almost certainly play the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.


"[The NBA] would love to have a Michael Jordan versus the '86 Celtics moment in the first round," the executive continued. "If they could get their ideal world, that's what they would want."

Via Tim Bontemps, Andrew Lopez/ESPN

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Re: NBA Sources Deny 22-Team Plan Was Motivated By Inclusion Of Zion Williamson 

Post#2 » by d-train » Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:00 pm

The NBA is lying and everyone knows it. They will do all they can to get Zion in the playoffs.
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Re: NBA Sources Deny 22-Team Plan Was Motivated By Inclusion Of Zion Williamson 

Post#3 » by boomershadow » Wed Jun 24, 2020 10:57 pm

I mean it was kinda for Beal and Lillard too, but it was only just mostly Zion. Not "all" for Zion.

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Re: NBA Sources Deny 22-Team Plan Was Motivated By Inclusion Of Zion Williamson 

Post#4 » by Lockdown504090 » Wed Jun 24, 2020 11:40 pm

Zion's ready for a big mac combo, not a playoff run, he looks even fatter rn
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Re: NBA Sources Deny 22-Team Plan Was Motivated By Inclusion Of Zion Williamson 

Post#5 » by anatomicbomb » Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:10 am

boomershadow wrote:I mean it was kinda for Beal and Lillard too, but it was only just mostly Zion. Not "all" for Zion.

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Totally. They are looking at a fascinating, competitive playoff picture and regular season jockeying for playoff position. Not only that, this is the most captive audience of all time; it must be so frustrating to be just hemorrhaging money with a great product and huge, global opportunity to showcase it.

As a wise man once said: "First rule in roadside beet sales, put the most attractive beets on top. The ones that make you pull the car over and go, 'Wow, I need this beet right now.' ...Those are the money beets."

I hope we get a good run, and don't spend the off-season debating hypothetical matchups that could have been more entertaining or even fundamentally changed the course of the post-season.
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Re: NBA Sources Deny 22-Team Plan Was Motivated By Inclusion Of Zion Williamson 

Post#6 » by Clyde Frazier » Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:12 am

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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Re: NBA Sources Deny 22-Team Plan Was Motivated By Inclusion Of Zion Williamson 

Post#7 » by TheCage4 » Thu Jun 25, 2020 3:00 am

Can someone please make an Adam Silver/Pinocchio meme?
“And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission.” -Alan Moore

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