NBA commissioner Adam Silver is getting his competitive balance, but will it come at a cost?

[ad_1]

NEW YORK — David Stern loved to lord over the NBA during his time as commissioner, waving his imperial wand and illustrating who was in charge — and Stern’s league often followed suit, with dynasty upon dynasty setting the tone for everyone to chase.

“Lakers versus Lakers,” he was known to say as his dream finals — and he was only being slightly sarcastic.

Adam Silver is a different type of commissioner, in a different type of NBA, in a different time. Silver is more diplomatic, more prone to listen to his constituents, less stubborn and, in terms of how the NBA looks, wants parity — or at least the appearance of it.

And with a week left in this regular season, one could argue it’s his biggest achievement this season. Of course, he has the Jontay Porter situation to adjudicate, with the Toronto Raptors forward under a gambling investigation that could produce dire consequences and an example for all who dare try to beat the system.

A Stern warning, if you will — “a cardinal sin,” Silver called it.

But aside from the issue the league will have to get in front of for years to come to ensure integrity, Silver can look at the standings and smile.

He couldn’t keep his grin to himself when the question wasn’t even finished being asked. A whopping 13 teams have between 44 and 49 wins. Only the Boston Celtics have their seeding wrapped up, and the only playoff matchup that seems likely to be set is the L.A. Clippers and Dallas as the Nos. 4-5 in the West.

“I’m thrilled with the level of competition, and I think what fans ultimately want is to see great competition across the league,” Silver said following the Board of Governors meeting in New York on Wednesday afternoon.

“As to dynasties, I’m not anti-dynasty, but you want dynasties to be created to the extent possible with a level playing field. So, if teams draft well, developed players well, trade well, but in essence operate roughly within the same number of chips, so to speak.”

It’s a shot at the cap spike of 2016 that enabled the Golden State Warriors, in a somewhat embryonic stage of a dynasty, to cement it with the signing of Kevin…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-commissioner-adam-silver-is-getting-his-competitive-balance-but-will-it-come-at-a-cost-211653281.html

Author :

Publish date : 2024-04-10 21:16:53

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.