Of the current top-5 teams in the NBA according to their own website’s power rankings, the following is true:
1. Two of the top-5 best teams are also two of the five youngest teams in the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder (youngest) and Memphis Grizzlies (5th youngest) have rosters that are within an average age of 24 years old.
2. The best players for each team (Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, and Memphis’ Ja Morant) have an average age of 26. Mitchell is the old man of the group at 28. Morant and Doncic are 25.
3. None of these teams are the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, or Phoenix Suns.
Yet if you tuned in to most national NBA television shows, the discourse circles around those squads and their elder statesmen. LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant...you’ve probably heard of them. And if you haven’t, I am not sure how.
There literally was a segment on a talking heads program Tuesday morning about whether or not the Golden State Warriors should trade for the 40-year-old James to pair with the 36-year-old Curry.
These two teams, plus Durant’s Suns, are fighting for their postseason lives in the play-in seeding mix. Far from the Thunder, Celtics, Cavaliers, Mavericks, and Grizzlies.
So what gives?
The NBA’s television ratings are down, and league executives are hoping the (editor’s note - silly) NBA Cup can spark interest in the league. But when games like the Thunder against another young upstart the Houston Rockets, or the Grizzlies against the Mavericks, have happened the last two weeks there has been little to no fanfare.
No national television (no, NBATV does not count). Little to no analysis on pregame and postgame shows nationally, or from league broadcast partners.
Instead? “What can LeBron do to pass Steph? Will Durant push Phoenix back in to the playoffs?”
How can you possibly say that there’s lower interest in the league and in the same breath bring up storylines that would’ve made much more sense 5-8 years ago? Ja Morant has left his troubles behind him and appears primed to be the next great American basketball star once the aforementioned elder statesmen of the NBA exit the stage. Luka Doncic may not be as good as Nikola Jokic (spoiler alert - no one is) but he has a game that pops off the screen.
Those two stars are right there, NBA. You want to spark a cultural NBA renaissance? You want to truly make the league more global? Talk more about Morant, and Doncic, and the Celtics, and the Cavaliers, and the Thunder...
You know - people that are closer to their prime years than retirement.
LeBron finally seems to be losing his war with father time. Durant and Curry are not far behind. Until they actually are title contenders, focus on those that are real ones.
They’ve got next. But they’ve also got now. Just show it - and sell it - for the world to see. You’ll be amazed how quickly the rating tides will turn.
