Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 10:20 am  |  72 responses

Charles Barkley: ‘I Cannot Believe How Bad the NBA is Right Now’


Charles Barkley, the most famous (and infamous) NBA analyst working today, doesn’t like what he’s seeing in this shortened season. From SRI (via ESPN Radio): “As a NBA fan I want to apologize to the fans, I cannot believe how bad the NBA is right now, I’m a fan first and foremost, watching the NBA right now I’m embarrassed about the product we’re putting out there right now. It’s no fun for me to watch these games, I feel bad for the fans. There are probably ten teams worth watching on a nightly basis. They have all these built in excuse about it’s the lockout. Let me tell you something if these teams played once a week they would still suck. You watch one of these teams and they rested for a week they would still suck. I don’t know man. I feel bad for the fans.”

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  • Brion

    *parity, thanks david

  • bike

    I have often wondered if talent and or good team play follows a bell curve in the nba. If it does, then Charles may be partly correct by saying there are only 10 teams playing well although there is a big difference between playing well an worth watching.
    On the other hand, I worry about myself wondering about this kind of sh*t sometimes.

  • RedRum

    he is so right. Parity unfortunately is the greatest problem with the NBA, it has always been . We all enjoy these Dynasty teams, but when a league becomes predictable then fans loose their interest. Look at the NFL. One of the leagues with the most parity, which is why it is so interesting, even for me who am I not from the US and do not play the game (sorry, I refuse to call it Football…). But every year there a surprise. One can put it down to their playoff format, one game and you are out. But I cannot see why wouldn’t the NBA do something similar. This long playoff format they are using is not being implemented in any other sport. Sure, it assures that 9 times out 10 the best team will win, but where is the excitement? Almost all professional sports around the world in every sport use a final 4 format. See how exciting the Olympics and the World Championships are with that format. I think the NBA needs a new commissioner, a young smart guy with fresh ideas that will shake things up and find ways to ensure parity in the league. Not easy, but can be done.

  • anynomous

    Chuck is right about this. He`s not talking about the quantity of games on every, he`

  • anynomous

    “every night, ‘he`s’ talking about the quality of the games which is horrible. I show as he** aint spending any money on league pass or buying a ticket to watch any live games. I may as well throw my money down the garbage disposal because the nba is not worth the time or the money right now.”

  • anynomous

    @arthurissupreme No way, No how you can compare the nba to the NFL because the NFL is on another level. The only thing that the NFL and the nba have in common are their recent lockouts. Yet the NFL managed to start on time by cutting training camp. For NFL players contact-to-contact camps are the only way to prepare them for the physical nature of the regular season and playoffs. What does the nba have to complain about? They had an extended lockout that resulted in no major improvements. They did it to themselves. Stop using the lockout as an excuse for the continuous pist-poor play of the majority of the league.

  • http://anyoldthing Ugh

    I think there’s consensus that fundamentals and defence are lower now than twenty years ago, when Chuck was in his prime. There were three teams in the ’92 season who made the playoffs with a sub-.500 record and four teams with a sub-.300 record.
    How is the quality of games on a nightly basis going to be better than that during a compressed season (shooting is down something like 15% on average) with a decreased talent pool (three more teams in the league) with worse fundamentals and poorer defence?

  • http://www.google.com/news BETCATS

    Charlotte Bobcats basketball = LOL

  • HEHEATME

    SAF

  • http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=pawtucketymca Gametimeweezy

    Perhaps it’s not as bad as the title caption makes it sound… but why are the Clippers on again for the 3rd time this week? Maybe due to shortage of teams that will garner ratings?

  • https://twitter.com/BeezKneezy LA Huey

    “This long playoff format they are using is not being implemented in any other sport.” Please see: MLB, NHL.

  • jepic

    Common fans don’t see it but true basketball people see what it is. The game is a bunch of fake fouls and flops. The league changed the rules after the pistons spurs final and ever since it has been terrible. Free throws per team were around 15 to 20 each and now its 30 in some games. They have a lot of control now. Now you need a star to get calls and also to not get garbage calls called against you. Its entertainment and fake. College, high school, european….they’re all different than the nba. They’re all much more physical. Anyone see the numbers the point guards put up now? Jarrett jack 16 and 7? Kyle lowry 16 8 and 7?

  • shutup

    on another note I guess Carmelo is the best pf in the league lmfao (if you go by all-star selection)

  • Justin G.

    Thank you LA Huey, I’m glad someone managed to point that out. Making it a one and done would make the regular season absolutely worthless as well. You’re going to play 82 games, win 63 of them and lose to a team because a couple guys had an off night? That’s ridiculous, not to mention all of the revenue to each team and city that would be lost for an idea like that one. And the games are painful to watch at times. Fundamentals aren’t what they were, maybe attributed to the fact these guys don’t finish college. It’s not just their physical understanding of the game a guy loses when he leaves college, it’s his mental understanding as well. But, millions are to be made and at the end of the day it’s hard to blame guys for leaving early.
    Injuries are playing a roll as well. San Antonio would no doubt have a better record with Ginobli in the lineup and the Raptors would definitely have a better record with Bargnani not hurt.

  • http://www.slamonline.com killa red

    contraction anyone?

  • http://slamonline.com. datkid

    wait gametimeweezy were you talking to me?

  • http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=pawtucketymca Gametimeweezy

    nah I was just kinda throwing it out there but my 1:22pm comment was a reply to BE.water’s profoundly elaborate comment

  • sinjun

    which ever team wins the nba title this season is not going to get respect cus people will be saying excuses about how short the season was & bs like that.

  • http://moontain.org Fredd

    this is what they said for the 99 spurs
    samo

  • howie72

    Chuck is right on. Dont want to offend the fans of these teams but honesty does hurt.

    My nomination and a lot does agree with what Chuck mentioned:

    Detroit, NO, RAPTORS, Charlotte, Kings, washington, Nets, Suns

    These are just BAD teams and it is no fun watching them at all.

  • NR

    I realize that the lakers had to adjust to a new coach, new system, new players and MWP but “Geeze”, the season is about halfways over and Mitch is thinking about making more late changes to make the team better, he must be running a weed shop on the side, it’ll take the Lakers another 30+ games to adjust to new coach, new system, new players and MWP, I think the first changes should have been Mitch and Jim Buss, then do the 2nd half changess first instead of last !!!!

  • ERNIED

    Hey Chuck? One of the reasons the NBA is so bad right now, is because someone like you actually gets paid by them to say things like that. Shut up, go away, and fix that awful golf game of yours already.

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