Draymond Green calls NBA 'boring'; Adam Silver stays positive talking ratings, 3-pointers, angry Mavs' fans
SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green, do you think the NBA's style of play is boring right now?
'Absolutely,' Green said Saturday, back in the Oakland Arena (formerly Oracle), where he and the Warriors won rings and changed the NBA. Green was part of the NBA's All-Star Saturday night (with that comes media obligations).
Green speaks for a lot of fans who want fewer 3-pointers and a return to more physicality in the game. It is part of a challenge NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has faced all season — despite great stories such as the rise of the Thunder and Cavaliers, discussions around the league have focused on the volume of 3-pointers, old-school television ratings, and, of late, an angry fan base in Dallas.
Luka Doncic Trade
On that last point, Silver said he was as surprised as anyone to see Luka Doncic traded and empathized with Mavericks fans. Some of those fans held a mock funeral for the franchise after the trade, others have been ejected from Mavericks games for signs (or saying on the Jumbotron) 'Fire Nico' about Mavs GM Nico Harrison, and the crowd booed the team's owner/governor, Patrick Dumont.
'In terms of anger with the fan base, I'm empathetic. I understand it,' Silver said Saturday during his annual All-Star weekend press conference. 'Dallas was in the Finals last year. I've already said this before: I like Luka very much... It seems genuinely, truly authentic that he was stunned and disappointed. You could see it in his body language.'
However, never forget that ultimately Silver is paid by the owners and works for them — not the fans, not the players — and he stuck up for the new Mavericks owners.
'I also am sympathetic to the Mavericks' organization...' Silver said. 'I can say one thing for sure: Whether or not history will ultimately judge this as a smart trade, they did what they thought was in the best interest of their organization... In terms of the Dallas fans, all I can say to them is again, time will tell whether it was a smart trade, but I think they should believe in their organization.'
3-Point Volume
The average NBA game this season has seen around 73 3-pointers between the two teams, and many critics of the league think that is too many—and that includes some big personalities aired by the league's broadcast partners.
Silver acknowledged the sentiment but says the game is in a great place and is concerned the cure could be worse than the disease.
'I think the state of the game is excellent,' Silver said without hesitation. 'I think it's the media's role, the fans' role, it's perfectly appropriate to be critical of the game, and I find it very helpful...
'In terms of three-point shooting, it was interesting, just yesterday I was listening to Steve Kerr interviewed by Bob Costas... His reaction was, do I think there's too much three-point shooting? Possibly, yes. Do I think the state of the game is great? Also yes. Is there a fix that comes to mind that would improve the game and potentially reduce the amount of three-point shooting? There wasn't one that he had to suggest.
'As you know, we have a Competition Committee. It's something we talk about all the time. And if there's a way to improve the game, believe me, we'll be all over it. I've also learned, having been around this game for a long time, not to overreact.'
Television Ratings
The other critique of the NBA is that its traditional television ratings are down, which critics will tie back to the style of play or the league's political stances (depending on said critic's real motivations).
Silver has argued throughout this season that traditional ratings are an increasingly poor way to judge engagement. He'll also point to the massive new $76 billion television deal just signed—which will bring NBA games to NBC and Peacock next season—as evidence that things are not broken.
"[NBA ratings are] slightly down from last season. We had some weakness early in the season. We rebounded, and ratings are heading up right now,' Silver said. 'So I see that as very positive...
'Having said that, we don't just look exclusively at traditional TV ratings, and I think that's the basis of your question. One of the things we look a lot at is how do you measure engagement?'
Silver then discussed the record levels of in-person attendance and the league's impressive social media reach.
'From that standpoint, record popularity,' Silver said. 'I don't even know what you could even compare to us at this time, where we're looking at a social media community that is estimated to be around two-and-a-half-billion people engaging in some way with our league and our players. And then there's new platforms like podcasts, which are becoming increasingly popular...
'Now, how do you blend all those things together? I think that's the really tough question and I think that's something we are focused on right now.'
Silver's responses to all these topics will not change the minds of critics or people who are convinced that the NBA peaked a couple of decades ago (including former players, who generally think the NBA peaked whenever they were playing). Silver is betting the younger generation isn't listening to its elders. Again.
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