While many love summer for its warm
weather, barbeque and campouts, beach vacations, and endless baseball games;
there are a few who dread it. The months of silent twitter feeds and boring
evenings at home, the endless prattle of friends talking about pitchers or
homeruns, and the endless speculation and argue over whether or not Adam
Silver will change how the playoff matchups are arranged (thank you for the
change). Then, at the start of October we have hope! The NBA preseason begins!
After months of uninteresting
sports, basketball is back, but for many the preseason is meaningless. Arenas
aren’t sold out, people don’t turn up at sports bars to watch the games after
work and the NBA League pass gets renewed yet remains unwatched. Even rabid NBA
fans don’t pay to much attention to preseason, and why would they?
Non-guaranteed players continuously get cut in the weeks leading to the start
of the season, games aren’t always available on TV, sponsorship of in-arena
activities is lacking, and most importantly, the games don’t matter in playoff
standings. Except that is does.
While all of the above is true,
future wins and playoff standings begin to develop in the preseason games.
Players have to gel and work with people they rivaled against in previous years,
young men fresh out of school or from overseas have to adapt to not only a new
level of basketball, but also a slightly different set of rules. Preseason
allows teams to gel, find their rhythm on the court and discover what does and
doesn’t work.
Yes, there is practice and team
camps and clinics in the weeks leading up to preseason, but that isn’t enough.
No matter how many scrimmages and drills a team runs, is doesn’t compare to
playing a wholly different team. Other teams practice with a different playbook,
and no amount of scrimmaging against ones own team can make a person forget the
plays that they all know and know how to move around. Teams develop a rhythm
within themselves and need outside forces to push themselves to be better.
Preseason gives the, albeit short,
chance of D-leaguers, rookies and European players a chance to show if they
might stand a chance in the league. Often they get cut within the first few
preseason games, but not always. Even if they don’t make the regular season NBA
it helps scouts see possible and future players. Preseason allows coaches and
players the change to see who can, who can’t, and who has the potential to make
the team in the future.
The bench probably gains the most
during preseason. Starters don’t play as many minutes, and the second and third
stringers who usually ride the bench most of the game get lots of ball time. It
helps coaches know who they want to come in first from the bench, what players
will make the best back-up starters when someone eventually gets hurt. Benches
often help to push a great team into the playoffs. Great benches push the score
higher in the second quarter and make sure the starters aren’t over worked or
over played leading to injury. Preseason helps coaches know who best to play
when the starters start to come out.
One more benefit to preseason that
has nothing to do with the actual team, but rather with the fans. Arenas aren’t
as packed during the preseason, but that means that seats are cheaper. Season
ticket holders are more likely to give away or sell their tickets because it doesn’t
mean as much to them. This allows fans who normally couldn’t afford to see
their team attend a game and see their favorite players. It allows for a
cheaper date night, which can help to bolster team
spirit and help to spread the fan base to a person who wouldn’t normally drop
money on something they aren’t sure they are interested in. It also can help the
attendance coordinators, ticket managers and security learn how the flow of
game and fan reactions are in a less populated environment.
Don’t
get me wrong, the NBA season is the greatest thing in the world, but the
preseason has its place as well. It helps the players bond and communicate, it
helps the coaches see how their team reacts and plays in different situations,
and most importantly it helps the fans. Three weeks of NBA preseason isn’t a
waste, but an opportunity to grow and cheer for your
team.
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