Scoring, soaring and passing drive interest in basketball — not sitting, sulking and pampering.
The NBA has a problem because of the way it is packaged and covered. Nikola Jokic is off to the greatest statistical start in league history — 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 11.7 assists in 38 minutes per game — and ratings stink.
They cratered during the opening night doubleheader and remain in decline with ESPN viewership down 27% and TNT 16%, per Puck News.
There is a confluence of contributing factors. It starts with the most talked-about players the first two weeks: Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and the Lakers’ Bronny James. The pair combined for 17 points in 39 minutes. Embiid has played one game, his debut delayed by a balky knee and a two-game suspension for pushing a columnist in the locker room.
Embiid has been in a sour mood for months, likely because of his aching body, plus criticism of his gold-medal-chasing Olympic team selection and desire to no longer play both ends of back-to-backs.
Once the smirking face of the NBA, his act has grown tired and sad. But at least he is worthy of headlines when he participates. The amount of bandwidth used on Bronny is misplaced at best and disingenuous at worst. He is the league’s Kim Kardashian — famous for being famous. Bronny seems like a good kid, a hard worker with doses of humility. But he’s not an NBA player. The Lakers rightly sent him to their G League South Bay Lakers for seasoning. Except for one problem: He is only playing home games.
It was cool when he and his father, LeBron, made history by appearing in a game together. But they are not the Griffeys. It feels so contrived and forced. And now this: The Lakers are allowing Bronny — or more likely his advisers — to turn a G League schedule into his personal day planner. It is cringey and runs counter to his development.
The NBA should be flooding Jokic’s start into our inboxes, blasting it on promo commercials, while knocking us over the head about the storylines developing in Cleveland and Golden State. Instead, too much of the focus is directed elsewhere.
Coach Prime on the Line: CU football coach Deion Sanders said Wednesday on FS1 that he would intervene in the draft process with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter if the wrong team wanted to draft them. Deion explained he would do it “privately.” The idea of moving the puzzle pieces for Shedeur is not novel. Apparently, it happens every 21 years. Jack Elway did it for John in 1983, and Archie Manning for Eli in 2004. But no one has ever tried to maneuver the draft in favor of a wide receiver/cornerback, making help with Hunter more fascinating and worth watching.
Just a JAG: The idea of Trevor Lawrence as a coach killer seemed laughable when he was touted as one of the greatest draft prospects since Andrew Luck. But he is bottoming out in Jacksonville because of injuries and ineffectiveness, making it likely Doug Pederson will be fired. Lawrence, who received a five-year contract extension with $200 million guaranteed before the season, owns a 2-12 record with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over his last 14 starts.
Mail Time
Terrific analysis of the tough (Chiefs) loss and how it could (and very well may) serve as the refiner’s fire that molds this good (Broncos) team into something special. A detour didn’t prevent the Lions’ epic comeback over adversity against the Texans.
James Vogelzang, email
We all agree the Broncos should have beaten the Chiefs. Instead, Kansas City held a block party, inviting all their smirking neighbors. The Broncos were outcoached on special teams. So, as much as this Sunday is about the players returning to the proper headspace, it is also on Sean Payton to win on the sidelines. He believes in this group way more than he did a year ago. They can reward his faith with energy, attitude and execution, and he can do his part by slaying another NFC South opponent with his institutional knowledge.
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