In his article he correctly predicted that the Lakers and Celtics would meet again in the finals for the 12th time in the history of the NBA.
Certainly, the Massachusetts-native Red Sox/Celtics beat writer feels that this is a “dream NBA Finals matchup.” ESPN’s Bill Plaschke and JA Adande, who both hail from LA, probably feel that way as well. However, for loyal fans that support their local team, as opposed to hopping on the Boston or LA bandwagon, this is getting old.
Shaughnessy is correct in assuming that NBA Commissioner David Stern likes this matchup. “The NBA playoffs this spring have been peppered with sweeps and snores,” he writes. “There simply have not been enough contested series or close games.”
However, Stern finds this matchup favorable because it is saving his league—it is hardly generating increased interest in professional basketball among people outside of a few major cities.
In the first round of the Eastern Conference the Cavaliers (1) beat the Bulls (8) in five, the Magic (2) swept the Bobcats (7), and the Celtics (4) needed only five to eliminate the Heat (5). The only contested series was the three-six series featuring the Hawks and the Bucks which took seven games.
Among the eight teams that qualified for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, only two sold out every game in the regular season.
The Hawks (3), Bucks (6), and Bobcats (7) had less than 90 percent attendance at their home games. The Heat were just barely above, at 90.5 percent. All three teams ranked in the lower half of the NBA in attendance.
If people in Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Charlotte believed their team was able to win a championship, they would attend games.
Citizens of Atlanta have been non-responsive to the effor...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
