Weak East = buzzkill (article)

[Gargamel]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6702780?MSNHPHCP&GT1=9331
But something's undoubtedly missing this year.


Oh, that's right — there's no buzz. No juice.


In what will go down as one of the more forgettable NBA regular seasons in recent memories, there's been a rather noticeable lack of attention to the upcoming postseason by both the mainstream sports media and the casual fan over the past few weeks. The words NBA Playoffs and "palpable buzz" are like oil and water at the moment.

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Anyone think the lack of a strong East matters or is it just that the Suns, Mavs, and Spurs don't spike our emotions (either positively or negatively)? Do you think we're currently in a "meh..." era like the late 70s?

 

[VF21]

Trying to be objective, I have to admit that were it not for the possibility of Webber winning a ring, I would have less than no interest whatsoever in the playoffs this year except, of course, to see the Lakers lose in the first round.



I liked the ending in particular, however:

If the NBA playoffs begin and the mainstream sports media still just doesn't seem to really care? And the TV ratings are an all-time low? And we're not all staying up late hours into the night to see what Nash and Marion are doing out in Phoenix?

Well, Oden, Durant, and all those Florida guys will all more than likely be wearing NBA jerseys next year.

We'll just consider this NBA season the one the world forgot.

 

[Bricklayer]

I read the article, and thought like most articles of its ilk, it was pretty much B.S. Just a lonely little columnist off expressing his own feelings on the matter rather than some larger trend. East has been weak for a decade really. Had the little burst wiht Detroit, but there was no depth behind them. This year do not even have Detroit. Hardly either new or some progressive deterioration. Just...the way its been, almost since Jordan retired. I remain a bit mystified why actually. Been going on for so long, and its exactly the biggest market/richest teams which have never been able to pull out of the funk.