Two things are unequivocally true about the NBA this season: teams are shooting more 3-pointers than ever and TV ratings are down, as commented on by the league’s commissioner, Adam Silver. What isn’t unequivocally true, or at the very least provable, is the correlation between these two factors, despite the amount of finger-pointing to a faulty product.
It’s important to acknowledge and analyze the product before concluding its contribution to a decline in ratings. First, the reason teams are taking more threes is simple: math.
If a team made 50 2-point attempts per game at a 50% rate and took 25 3-point attempts per game at a 35% rate, they’d score 77 points per game. Inverse those attempts while keeping the same percentages and that number jumps to 79 points per game. In this example, it’s a small difference, but ultimately the team with more points wins.
In turn, by taking more threes, NBA offenses are stretching their opponents to their limits on defense, creating more space to attack the rim for the game’s highest value shot: the layup.
Additionally, along with the visible and mathematical change to the NBA's product, there’s a clear change to accessibility harming the league’s viewership. Each team has a local partnership that allows it to be broadcast to fans within a certain range. For example, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ partnership with FanDuel Sports Network allows local Cavaliers fans with cable to watch every game.
Without cable, Cavaliers fans would be limited to just 16 nationally televised games on ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. In the case that a fan may want to watch other teams for non-nationally televised games like the blockbuster matchup that was Celtics-Thunder last Sunday, they have one more option, buying the NBA League Pass.
Alongside a bevy of streaming services for select games like Prime Video and YouTube TV, NBA League Pass is the league’s premium service. It gives fans access on any device to almost every NBA team for a steep price of $79.99 a season for the standard option or $114.99 a season for League Pass Premium, which has a couple of small additions. A small issue for cable-less fans is local blackouts, meaning fans won’t have access to their local team’s games through League Pass unless they are nationally televised.
This roundabout and costly method of watching the NBA has inspired illegal streaming as a convenient alternative. In a positive light for the NBA, wholesale interest in basketball is not down, the ability to pay for that interest is just not attainable for a wide portion of the fandom.
Additionally, the most popular national broadcast of the league, NBA on TNT, and one of its lead anchors, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, are pushing back on the product in their commentary.
In response to comments from Lakers coach JJ Redick about the media’s presentation of the NBA, Barkley said, “(Redick) said something about we're the reason people ain't watching this crappy product we got. ... Yeah, us. Like we're out there jacking up a hundred (3-pointers) a night.”
The proof is in the pudding with Barkley’s statement. There’s nothing about more threes that is inherently pushing fans away from watching the NBA – that is unprovable. However, the lack of accountability and willingness to promote the product from the media, especially as the sports industry shifts toward former athletes over trained journalists, is an issue.
Two things will fix NBA media: better presentation and more accessibility. However, the widely accepted blame-shifting to a straw-man in 3-point shooting is.
Logan Adams is a junior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Logan know by tweeting him @LoganPAdams.
