What's your extremely unpopular NBA opinion? (No player comparisons)

[NyKnicks1714]

I'll start: Players like Trae and Harden don't simply flop their way to free throws. I'm not saying that's not part of it, but there is legitimate skill in putting defenders in a position where they're likely to foul you.

[SkyBill40]

LeBron James has overstayed his welcome and should have retired by now. All he's doing now is clout chasing in an effort to try and solidify some personal belief that he's the greatest of all time and far better than Jordan, Magic, Kobe, et al.

[Sealab2024]

Beer prices are too low.

[sp6r=underrated]

1. NBA refs are great at their jobs. Fans officiating complaints are due to the refs correctly applying a rules they disagree with.

2. Popular teams have a mild competitive advantage in signing free agents/trades. As long as it isn't overwhelming it helps the sport. The NFL is an outlier almost all sports leagues, US and overseas, are built around glamour clubs.

3. The NBA currently doesn't any major competitive imbalance issues.

4. The NBA would be better off giving teams more autonomy. Keep the soft cap but get rid of maximum rookie salaries, maximum individual salaries, maximum contract lengths and reduce limits on trading picks.

5. Basketball is an anti-parity sport so if you want parity you should probably follow something else.

6. Teams should be able to move without other owners okay. fans would benefit if that rule wasn't in-place.

7. Domestic expansion is a really bad idea that is popular with players for jobs and owners for a short-time expansion fee. When Silver talks about scheduling issues he's just misleading you.

8. The promotion of gambling during sports broadcasts, not just NBA is revolting.

9. Sportsbooks profits come primarily from identifying and creating addiction along with banning the very small percentage of bettors who can win. They are very good at creating addicts. The apps are designed by some of the smartest people in the world. They know what they are doing.

If you are part of the small minority that can winning betting on games you should go to wall street and become a billionaire not hang out on fanduel until you win 20k and get capped.

9. The 3 point revolution that occurred in the 10s is the most important change in basketball history since the shot clock. 1980 teams have more in common with 2007 teams than 2013 teams have in common with 2023 teams.

10. Most professional athletes use PEDs, including your favorite.

11. NBA rosters have more spots than needed so you'll see more Bronny and Thanasis players in the future.

12. The NBA has no team rivalries outside of the Lakers-Celtics.

13. The business of the NBA is going to turn on whether social media popularity can be monetized. If it can the sport will continue to boom. If it can't teams are significantly overvalued.

If it can't be monetized labor negotiations are going to be brutal.

14. ESPN is a bad business partner and it sucks how committed Silver is to the partnership.

[Billl]

Players deserve more money. They only get 51% of BRI and the rest goes to random team employees and owners. And it's way worse in some of the larger markets. eg the warriors brought in $800,000,000 last year and only paid player $175M. Some super rich owners that nobody actually cares about are all making the real money.

[SkyBill40]

Professional sports leagues, partnering with gambling entities, have made sports worse. The allure of questionable behavior for profit has already ensnared players in several leagues and it's not going to stop there. The leagues need to break from the partnerships they've now made.

[jg77]

The NBA is struggling right now because of parity. It's more entertaining when everyone is taking turns trying to defeat Goliath.

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

The NBA sold their soul when they made the league too soft and open for offenses to score.

[kwajo]

Professional sports leagues, partnering with gambling entities, have made sports worse. The allure of questionable behavior for profit has already ensnared players in several leagues and it's not going to stop there. The leagues need to break from the partnerships they've now made.

I agree with this 100%, and to be honest I'm not sure if it's an 'unpopular' opinion, I feel like a lot of people agree.

[zero rings]

Paolo Banchero is not a winning player, and the Magic would be a better team on both ends without him.

If they sign him to a max extension, they are screwed.

[levon]

The NBA is struggling right now because of parity. It's more entertaining when everyone is taking turns trying to defeat Goliath.

Wouldn't say they're struggling because of parity, but I would agree that parity isn't good for the NBA.

Doesn't have to be one goliath either, can be multiple. Importantly, the superstars on those teams need to have loud personalities.

[miamiheat319]

Derrick white might be the most overrated player in the league

[sp6r=underrated]

Importantly, the superstars on those teams need to have loud personalities.

Yes, fans claim they hate showboating but in reality they are indifferent to quieter personalities. Kareem, Duncan, Jokic all turned off fans.

[zero rings]

Professional sports leagues, partnering with gambling entities, have made sports worse. The allure of questionable behavior for profit has already ensnared players in several leagues and it's not going to stop there. The leagues need to break from the partnerships they've now made.

Forget about the players, it’s terrible for people in general.

Gambling is a crippling addiction and the widespread promotion of it is disgusting. The people who run these betting apps are no better than drug dealers.

[azcatz11]

Scottie Barnes is better than Franz Wagner

[mastermixer]

The NBA Free Agency period is slavery!

[sp6r=underrated]

Professional sports leagues, partnering with gambling entities, have made sports worse. The allure of questionable behavior for profit has already ensnared players in several leagues and it's not going to stop there. The leagues need to break from the partnerships they've now made.

Forget about the players, it’s terrible for people in general.

Gambling is a crippling addiction and the widespread promotion of it is disgusting. The people who run these betting apps are no better than drug dealers.

It is revolting. This was an issue I get dead wrong 20 yrs ago. I didn't appreciate how aggressive sports leagues would be in selling gambling. And I didn't appreciate that smartphone gambling is equivalant to a 24/7 casino hooked up to someone's life savings/credit.

It is crazy this is legal. But I do think it will change. But it will only change after we get a ton of sports fans wrecked by gambling addiction.

[SkyBill40]

Professional sports leagues, partnering with gambling entities, have made sports worse. The allure of questionable behavior for profit has already ensnared players in several leagues and it's not going to stop there. The leagues need to break from the partnerships they've now made.

Forget about the players, it’s terrible for people in general.

Gambling is a crippling addiction and the widespread promotion of it is disgusting. The people who run these betting apps are no better than drug dealers.

It is revolting. This was an issue I get dead wrong 20 yrs ago. I didn't appreciate how aggressive sports leagues would be in selling gambling. And I didn't appreciate that smartphone gambling is equivalant to a 24/7 casino hooked up to someone's life savings/credit.

It is crazy this is legal. But I do think it will change. But it will only change after we get a ton of sports fans wrecked by gambling addiction.

Seeing how interwoven things have become with sports leagues and their betting house affiliates... I don't see a clean or easy way for them to break clear. There's no telling as to what those contracts look like.

[sp6r=underrated]

The NBA Free Agency period is slavery!

I'll give another hot take. The "players draft are slavery takes" is overwrought but players drafts are extremely exploitative and probably wouldn't be allowed if the demographics of elite athletes mirrored the demographics of elite academic students.

[Optms]

The league was actually more skilled roughly 15 years ago.