Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe of Grantland put together a massive project ranking the “watchability” of all 30 teams in the NBA on a score of 0-100, and the Brooklyn Nets came up 5th in their overall rankings with a score of 80. (Here’s Part I, if you want to start from the beginning.)
The two looked at six categories: relevancy to the playoff picture (not championship, just playoffs), stylistic/systemic appeal (are you run-and-gun-and-fun or plod-and-miss-and-bore), League Pass Experience (broadcast booth, uniform colors, mascots), individual player appeal (superstars), and unintentional comedy/irrational affection/personality intangibles (for the guys we like for weird reasons).
The Nets ended up with 80 points, leading the Atlantic Division. Somewhere Paul Pierce is saying “we don’t want to just win the Atlantic Division Watchability… We want the Watchability Championship.”
It’s not a surprise that the Nets rank out well here. They’re highly relevant to the playoff picture with their star-studded and deep roster. They won’t be the fastest transition team in the league, but the team’s slowness is overstated — they’re smart enough to get clean looks in a halfcourt offense and one of the team’s points of emphasis is getting the ball over the half-mark quickly. With the way the ball’s popped around in preseason games with the starters in, their offense could be basketball porn.
As Lowe said in the team’s blurb, their broadcast booth is second-to-none in the league and the arena is beautiful, so high marks on the League Pass scale. Individual player appeal? KG. “Next question.” Intangibles? Same as above.
The only teams to rank ahead of the Nets: the Miami Heat (81 points), L.A. Clippers (83 points), Chicago Bulls (83.5 points), and the Golden State Warriors (89 points).
It’s possible the Brooklyknight dropped the team four points in the rankings by himself.
