The NBA Playoffs are SO much better than the NCAA tournament

SandraC

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Apr 10, 2008
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Take this coming from a person who LOVES the tourney and watches almost every minute of it, but let's be honest...the NCAA does not come close to matching the play and intensity of the NBA playoffs.

First and foremost you have serious crowd involvement in most EVERY SINGLE GAME. No games in Utah pitting a Big East team against an SEC team, no games in New Orleans with 500 people in the stands. Virtually no games in the NCAA where fans HATE the other team. You have that A LOT in the NBA.

Also, basketball was just not meant to be played in football stadiums. I'm sorry, there is minimal intimacy and atmosphere in those gigantic stadiums. I cannot even imagine watching a basketball game from the upper deck of a football stadium, and some of that comes through on TV as well.

While the 'one and done' aspect of the NCAA is part of the excitement, it gives you no time to develop any animosity against the other team. So many six and seven game NBA series have been absolutely epic by the time they were done. You just don't have that in the NCAA, where games come and go at times in a total of 72 hours.

The NBA doesn't rely on gambling like the NCAA does. Admit it, part of the reason everyone is glued to the TV for the first and second rounds is because at that time EVERYONE is still alive in their March Madness pools, and still has dollar signs floating through their head. Who else would care about a 6-11 matchup between two teams where you cannot even name one player on either team?

Look at the posts from the early rounds of the NCAA tournament thread here. More people are commenting on how their bracket sheet is doing than are commenting on the games themselves. There are precious few who don't gamble on it, and watch the tournament only for what it is.

Level of play. The NBA is so far superior to the NCAA in skill level that it is almost staggering. Truth be told, while there are obviously future NBA impact players who just played in the NCAA, percentage wise not a lot of the players we just watched in March will even be able to hang in the NBA as a 12th man. Many are headed for the D-league, Europe, a desk, or are hoping to catch on as an assistant coach somewhere.

History. Part of the magic of the NBA is the possibility of rematches from year to year, both individual and team. Deep-seated hatred has the chance to ferment. The Spurs/Mavericks series has been building up to this point for years. You have Laker fans on this forum who hate Lebron based on years of regular seasons, even though they have not even met in the playoffs yet. If/when they do, it will be special.

The Duke team next year will be totally different than last year's Duke team. Kentucky will be unrecognizable. North Carolina will have a ton of new players...and probably be in the final four with a bunch of guys only die-hard recruiting fanatics have even heard of.

Would love to have seen a John Wall/Evan Turner matchup in the NCAA tournament. But it didn't happen, and it will never happen. Actually, it will...in the NBA! ;)


Sandra
 
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On the surface, this is a bold statement, but you make some very good points.

You're absolutely right about the multiple game series' building a deeper hatred/emotion towards one another. In a one-and-done, you don't get that. Case and point: Joakim Noah vs. Cleveland. If this were 1 game, it would blow over and be back page news. Instead, the storyline will grow until a fever pitch. Does anyone remember the Papa Johns incident in Washington a few years back?
 
You make some good points Sandra, but I think it's apples and oranges. The NCAA Tournament and the NBA playoffs are so different that it's inpossible to say one is fundamentally better than the other. When the NBA provides lots of 7 game series it's great. When you get the Spurs over the Cavs in a 4 game sweep it sucks. Same with NCAA Tournament. When you get lots of close games it's great. When dook wins it all it's awful.

I think it's the better comparison for the NCAA Tournament is with college football and their stupid bowl system. At least college basketball crowns a true champion. In college football you have to suspend disbelief to act like bowl games mean anything.
 
You make some good points Sandra, but I think it's apples and oranges. The NCAA Tournament and the NBA playoffs are so different that it's inpossible to say one is fundamentally better than the other. When the NBA provides lots of 7 game series it's great. When you get the Spurs over the Cavs in a 4 game sweep it sucks. Same with NCAA Tournament. When you get lots of close games it's great. When dook wins it all it's awful.

I think it's the better comparison for the NCAA Tournament is with college football and their stupid bowl system. At least college basketball crowns a true champion. In college football you have to suspend disbelief to act like bowl games mean anything.

I think since it is the same sport, and some players play in both the NCAA tournament and the NBA playoffs, it's a perfectly valid comparison...whether you agree with my points or not. They are different, but I'm saying the differences for the most part favor the NBA over the NCAA.

Even an NBA playoff sweep provides motivation for next year, which is one of my points. That kind of redemption barely exists in the NCAA.

But for the sake of argument, lets keep football out of this thread, OK? Then it will morph into something it's not. The whole point was to compare NBA basketball to NCAA basketball. Football is an entirely different topic.

If you want to make another football playoff thread, I will be happy to participate. Thank you.


Sandra
 
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I would almost buy into this, except for one thing - in the NCAA tournament, EVERY possession is played like the last. In the NBA, the game really doesn't get started until the 4th quarter. Sorry, to me the NBA is still boring.
 
I would almost buy into this, except for one thing - in the NCAA tournament, EVERY possession is played like the last. In the NBA, the game really doesn't get started until the 4th quarter. Sorry, to me the NBA is still boring.

I fundamentally disagree with this statement. I can see where you get that perception in the regular season, but in the playoffs games are played B**** to the wall for 48 minutes.


Sandra
 
First off, I've never seen any man with his balls to the wall.;) Second, that kind of effort has been rarely witnessed by myself. I have seen it in almost game of the NCAA tournament, so I do know what it looks like. I don't believe that kind of effort can be expended every night across 4 series of NBA playoff basketball. Too many games. A lot easier to leave it all on the court when the current game may be your last game. Plain and simple.
 
First off, I've never seen any man with his balls to the wall.;) Second, that kind of effort has been rarely witnessed by myself. I have seen it in almost game of the NCAA tournament, so I do know what it looks like. I don't believe that kind of effort can be expended every night across 4 series of NBA playoff basketball. Too many games. A lot easier to leave it all on the court when the current game may be your last game. Plain and simple.

This is a totally subjective opinion. If you want to think that you are more than welcome, but I completely disagree.

Saying teams don't play hard until the fourth quarter is just not correct. Does that mean you don't watch playoff games until the fourth quarter?


Sandra
 
Take this coming from a person who LOVES the tourney and watches almost every minute of it, but let's be honest...the NCAA does not come close to matching the play and intensity of the NBA playoffs.

First and foremost you have serious crowd involvement in most EVERY SINGLE GAME. No games in Utah pitting a Big East team against an SEC team, no games in New Orleans with 500 people in the stands. Virtually no games in the NCAA where fans HATE the other team. You have that A LOT in the NBA.

Also, basketball was just not meant to be played in football stadiums. I'm sorry, there is minimal intimacy and atmosphere in those gigantic stadiums. I cannot even imagine watching a basketball game from the upper deck of a football stadium, and some of that comes through on TV as well.

Crowd involvement and arena intimacy don't play a huge part for me while watching the game on TV. I wouldn't want to sit in the upper deck, and I'm glad I don't have to.

While the 'one and done' aspect of the NCAA is part of the excitement, it gives you no time to develop any animosity against the other team. So many six and seven game NBA series have been absolutely epic by the time they were done. You just don't have that in the NCAA, where games come and go at times in a total of 72 hours.
What about those 4-0 wipeouts, like the BOS-MIA series is turning into?? I'm a Celtics fan and it was hard to watch the game with Miami's lack of effort last night.

The NBA doesn't rely on gambling like the NCAA does. Admit it, part of the reason everyone is glued to the TV for the first and second rounds is because at that time EVERYONE is still alive in their March Madness pools, and still has dollar signs floating through their head. Who else would care about a 6-11 matchup between two teams where you cannot even name one player on either team?
I don't personally have a problem with the "Bracket effect" and the benefit it gives to the ratings for the NCAA tournament. More people are watching the NCAAs than the NBA playoffs and so what if it's because of the office pools...

Level of play. The NBA is so far superior to the NCAA in skill level that it is almost staggering. Truth be told, while there are obviously future NBA impact players who just played in the NCAA, percentage wise not a lot of the players we just watched in March will even be able to hang in the NBA as a 12th man. Many are headed for the D-league, Europe, a desk, or are hoping to catch on as an assistant coach somewhere.
It better be far superior. Aren't the NBA guys supposed to be the best of the best and getting paid millions to play??

History. Part of the magic of the NBA is the possibility of rematches from year to year, both individual and team. Deep-seated hatred has the chance to ferment. The Spurs/Mavericks series has been building up to this point for years. You have Laker fans on this forum who hate Lebron based on years of regular seasons, even though they have not even met in the playoffs yet. If/when they do, it will be special.

The Duke team next year will be totally different than last year's Duke team. Kentucky will be unrecognizable. North Carolina will have a ton of new players...and probably be in the final four with a bunch of guys only die-hard recruiting fanatics have even heard of.

Would love to have seen a John Wall/Evan Turner matchup in the NCAA tournament. But it didn't happen, and it will never happen. Actually, it will...in the NBA! ;)
Free agency and trades have kind of diminished team loyalty in the NBA, but you will always have team allegiances to pro teams and college teams alike....
 
Crowd involvement and arena intimacy don't play a huge part for me while watching the game on TV. I wouldn't want to sit in the upper deck, and I'm glad I don't have to.

They play a huge part for me. Give me a completely involved crowd any day of the week.

What about those 4-0 wipeouts, like the BOS-MIA series is turning into?? I'm a Celtics fan and it was hard to watch the game with Miami's lack of effort last night.

The Celtics have defended their home court so far, that's it. It could turn out to be a sweep, or the Heat can come back. That's the beauty of it. And you have the added incentive of Kevin Garnett returning after being suspended for elbowing Quentin Richardson.

Add to that, there are lots of blowouts in the NCAA tournament as well.

I don't personally have a problem with the "Bracket effect" and the benefit it gives to the ratings for the NCAA tournament. More people are watching the NCAAs than the NBA playoffs and so what if it's because of the office pools...

I don't have a problem with it either. I'm just saying that's one of the reasons people watch. Kind of like the Kentucky Derby to some extent. ;)

It better be far superior. Aren't the NBA guys supposed to be the best of the best and getting paid millions to play??

Yes, and they are far superior to the NCAA.

Free agency and trades have kind of diminished team loyalty in the NBA, but you will always have team allegiances to pro teams and college teams alike....

Team loyalty in the NBA is loud and clear. Stars play a lot longer for their NBA team than they do for their college team. ;)


Sandra
 
Yes, and they are far superior to the NCAA.
And, as I said, they should be. It's just like if you said:

Level of play. The MLB player is so far superior to the AAA player in skill level that it is almost staggering.

Team loyalty in the NBA is loud and clear. Stars play a lot longer for their NBA team than they do for their college team. ;)
What I was referring to was fan loyalty. Whether you are an alumni of a school or a fan due to geography, fan loyalty to NCAA teams is at least just as strong as NBA teams. Even the one-and-done teams like UK...
 
In the NCAA Tournament, a lot of the games are not pretty from a pure basketball perspective.

Butler/Michigan State ended with a 52-50 score. Both teams had long scopring droughts in the second half- March Madness is great, but I just can't get excited about second-half scoring droughts. There was a 7-8 minute stretch where no field goals were made, just free throws.

Contrast that with Utah and Denver.
 
The difference is, you will almost never hear somebody say they prefer AAA baseball to major league baseball, but you will hear a lot of people say they prefer college basketball to the NBA. In fact, you already have. ;)


Sandra
 
Back when you had kids staying in school until they graduated and freshman did not play -- college ball was exceptional but now? One and dones have destroyed any reasonable level of play from college teams. Most majors are getting use to having one and dones come and play and then take off for the bench in the NBA.

Pro ball can be debillitating to watch during the regular season -- especially with so many games that don't mean a thing. But once you get to the playoffs -- you get to watch chess being played on a grand scale. In a seven game series everyone gets involved and thinks their team can and will wind. And there are always several series where every game is going to be an adventure. But in college -- How many times will you get a Duke - Butler caliber of game?
 
The difference is, you will almost never hear somebody say they prefer AAA baseball to major league baseball, but you will hear a lot of people say they prefer college basketball to the NBA. In fact, you already have. ;)


Sandra
I was only commenting on your original statement about the disparity of the level of play between the NBA and NCAA and that there is an obvious reason for it.

I happen to like both postseasons and I have different expectations for both. The single-elimination, neutral-site, "amateur" tournament, versus the best of seven, home-court dominated, millionaire playoffs.
 
I agree with Sandra A LOT, but sorry not this time. :D

Give me March Madness any day over the NBA playoffs.

And FWIW, this is coming from a guy whose NBA team has won 17 championships, and my NCAA team has never even sniffed the Final Four.
 
I agree with Sandra A LOT, but sorry not this time. :D

Give me March Madness any day over the NBA playoffs.

And FWIW, this is coming from a guy whose NBA team has won 17 championships, and my NCAA team has never even sniffed the Final Four.

You're spoiled Bill...:p :D

The rest of us have-nots still dream of NBA glory for our team!


Sandra
 
This coming from a fan of the 27 time World Series Champions! :)

:D :D

Baseball is a different story! There was actually talk of Steinbrenner buying the Knicks, the Rangers, and the Garden before it was sold to Dolan. Makes ya wonder...:)


Sandra
 
No way is the NBA playoffs better than the NCAA tournament. Not nearly as much excitement involved. You have half the teams in the NBA that make the playoffs as opposed to only about 25% of the NCAA teams.
 

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