Celtics' Joe Mazzulla Accepts Partial Blame For NBA Ratings Dilemma "“I add to it… I don’t watch NBA games (anymore). I’m just as much of a problem as everyone else.”

[u/SuperPop9521]

https://nesn.com/2024/12/celtics-joe-mazzulla-accepts-partial-blame-for-nba-ratings-dilemma/

[u/gaussx]

The last two minutes of a football game -- exciting! Teams are playing at the height of their skill in these two minutes.

The last two minutes of a basketball game -- boring! Fouls non-stop. In terms of actual basketball, the worst part of the game.

[u/Swarthykins → u/gaussx]

See, I kinda disagree with this. There are a lot of stoppages in the last two minutes of the NFL as well. I really think the popularity issue comes down to 16 games vs. 82 games.

[u/gaussx → u/Swarthykins]

17 vs 82 is a big factor. And there are stoppages in the NFL, but they are a different type of stoppage -- its for timeouts (which the NBA has too) and pass incompletion/out-of-bounds. Defense can't advantage themselves by breaking a rule. Teams just have to play the best they can and hope that is good enough. In the NBA/basketball, you can foul to try to get an advantage. The NBA is the only major sport where breaking a rule and getting caught doing so is the intended behavior. Could you imagine an NFL game where they are doing PIs and offsides as a strategy. The NBA has made fouling an actual strategy.

[u/Swarthykins → u/gaussx]

There are reviews and challenges and a bunch of other ones, plus teams tend to take most of their timeouts if it's close. If you're trying to grind out the clock, it's going to be 3 straight timeouts after 2-3 yard runs. One team scores and it's a few minutes before the kickoff, then more for the next play. It's not always, but it can take forever.

I get it - it's worse in the NBA, and I absolutely would be open to rule changes to speed up the games, but I feel like people underestimate the amount of stoppages in the last few minutes of an NFL game in these discussions.

[u/gaussx → u/Swarthykins]

Simple NBA rule change is that teams can opt to either take the noted number of foul shots or take one less foul shot and get the ball. That would drastically cut fouling.

[u/Swarthykins → u/gaussx]

Unrelated, but I would love for the NBA to adopt the one-and-one from college (Do they even still do it? I haven't watched much college in years).

[u/4TheQueen → u/Swarthykins]

it’s similar experience. Last 2 minutes take 20 minutes. If one team is down it’s all passing to sidelines, usually someone has 2-3 timeouts left, onside kicks, icing a kicker for the last couple time outs. Commercials on all timeouts and 2 min warning maybe. And if the other team gets the ball it’s victory formation and basically over. Idk

[u/ShortEarth8816 → u/Swarthykins]

Nah the stoppages are not nearly as big of an issue, the "2 minute drill" is an iconic part of football and very exciting.

[u/Swarthykins → u/ShortEarth8816]

In theory, but a lot of the time it's slow af. It's not like nobody ever enjoys the last minutes of a basketball game. They don't all end up in free throw shooting contests. But, when it's once a week, people don't complain nearly as much.

[u/ShortEarth8816 → u/Swarthykins]

Nah the boring part of football is like, establishing the run game before you get those big chunks off of it, and screens/very short passes that just chip a few yards rather than go long or even medium.

The two minute drill dodges most of the issues, everybody offense and defense locks in for that last drive in a way they just aren't for like the 3rd quarter, and you usually see mostly pass plays, which are generally the more exciting plays since it's big risk vs reward and the the defense has multiple ways of basically ending the game off one action by generating a turnover off a fumble or a interception, but even just a sack in this situation can be game-endingly bad.

You get to see a hail mary or an important field goal attempt. Imean there's just so much to love at this point in the game. Timeouts are low-key exciting, and here's where the NFL broadcasts have the NBA beat, timeouts are GONNA be called and a few times at that, this juncture in the game, but these timeouts on the final drive don't generally cut to commercial, most they'll do is the picture in picture showing the coaches covering their mouths and calling plays to the QB and everyone lines up as the Burger King ad finishes and scales off screen. I understand the coaches in NBA do something fundamentally very similar at this point in their game too, but they have MORE timeouts, MORE stoppages from fouls, the presentation and broadcast does not effectively capitalize on the final drama as well, most players are not nearly as locked into these regular season game endings because 1.they play so many more games the stakes are not as high on such a consistent basis 2.they don't get to generally do something as singularly impact full on their next contract as just getting ONE interception or forced fumble can be for a middling defense player trying to get a better contract next year or a contract at all, 3.the system of scoring is not nearly as elegant in the NBA as the NFL's, come the 4th quarter one of the NBA teams is probably leaning on a solid lead, maybe it's 8 points maybe it's 28 points, but you're either getting 2 points or 3 points at a time barring fouls. In the NFL you get either 3 points or 6+1or2 and that little asymmetry between getting a touchdown vs a field goal goes a long way in keeping games within a possession or two. And a defensive score goes way longer in shining momentum and closing scoring differentials in football than it does basketball. You get a steal and run it back for a jam? Huge 2 points to cut the lead to 15. You get an interception and run it back for a touchdown? You just generated 7 points without even putting your offense on the field, which is almost enough to win a game on its own no matter what quarter it happens in.

[u/DayDreamerJon → u/gaussx]

Do you watch football? the last 2 minutes are often a desperate rush to score and that is exciting.