The NBA is tough on champions
When one takes a look at the last 6 seasons in any major sports league in the U.S.A., it doesn’t take long to see that the NBA sits atop the list in terms of parity. Consider for a moment that with their loss on Sunday night, the Denver Nuggets confirmed that we will have a new champion for the sixth straight season. In that same time frame, the NFL has given us three, MLB has seen four, and the NHL has come close with 5. If the idea is to entertain the fans, then the NBA has seemingly got the formula right, unless you’re a Nuggets fan.
This of course brings us to the question of ‘why?’, to which the answer would be layered. Some will point to fatigue due to longer seasons, which has led – so some say – to an increased number of injuries. Others will tell you it’s down to salary cap restrictions, which have made it more difficult for teams to turn themselves into ‘super teams’ via player acquisition. Regardless of where you stand, the point is that the NBA has a level playing field, or court if you will. Of the teams that remain in the playoffs (Timberwolves, Pacers, Mavericks, and Celtics) all have finished with a losing record in at least one of the last four seasons. It’s also worth noting that none of those teams have an MVP on their roster either. What they do have is the next generation of stars i.e., Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum respectively.
Michael Malone has a theory
As mentioned above, there are those who will tell you that the ever-changing landscape of the NBA is down the strict nature of the cap and the effect that it has on top-tier teams and to be fair, they might have a point. Indeed, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke directly to that idea after the 98-90 Game 7 loss to the Timberwolves which eliminated his team – the defending champion – from the playoffs.
“We knew it was hard, something I talked to our team about in training camp,” Malone said. “With the rules being what they are now, I think it’s going to become even harder and harder to repeat as champions.” Now, what Malone is talking about here are the rules related to luxury taxes and the teams they are applied to, more specifically what is referred to as the ‘second apron’. In simple form, there is an amount that teams are permitted to spend on players. Once that threshold is reached, they are no longer permitted to use their exceptions on free agents or players in the buyout market i.e., they face restrictions. This, as you can imagine poses a problem for teams as players improve and by extension demand higher salaries because it creates a situation where the only way to avoid the aforementioned second apron is by giving up one of their stars.
