Here we go again....

[Lance George]

Re: Here we go again....

So selling 11K per game and selling 5K per game is the same thing? I don't think so.

Could you elaborate on where your 5K figure comes from? Looking over the past eight years of NBA attendance, I see no figures coming even close to that, so I'm forced to conclude you either have no idea what you're talking about, or you're deliberately using scare tactics propaganda.


The NBA's lowest average attendance per game...

2003: Cleveland, 11,496
2004: Atlanta, 13,798
2005: New Orleans, 14,221
2006: Portland, 15,049
2007: Memphis, 14,654
2008: Indiana, 12,221
2009: Sacramento, 12,571
2010: Memphis, 12,990
Average: 13,375


What's interesting is that the Pacers' average attendance this season (13,578) is around the same it's been for the past three years (13,920) despite the fact that we're having our worst season, percentage-wise, since 88-89. This is made even more alarming by the fact that league-wide attendance is the lowest it's been since 2003.

I think this speaks to something I've thought for a long time now - that a bad team with promising players is more interesting than a mediocre team with peaked players. On that note, I submit that the promise that comes with a top-five draft pick is gonna increase interest in the team more so than an additional 5-10 ultimately meaningless wins will.

If you're worried about the team moving, you should be rooting for a high draft pick this season. Bring in a young talent that will add some excitement and hope to the team.

[BillS]

Re: Here we go again....

Yeah. Finally you understand what I've been complaining about.

Sitting Roy, Rush, Price and McRoberts has in fact helped lose more games and has cut the attendance.

Oh, you didn't mean them? You meant it would be bad to sit Troy and Dun??? Yes, doing that would lose more games than they are now (see: mythic 5 game streak)

I think every single person on the "play the kids" side of the debate thinks this would WIN MORE GAMES. Tanking is what they are doing now. Playing 3pt bombs and poor defense while some of the talented young guys are forced to constantly justify their existence is exactly how we got to this point.

Once again, that is a separate discussion. I agree that Troy gets too many minutes. I don't see how Rush and Roy could get many more minutes than they are already getting. Price's minutes have been steadily going up. McRoberts is the only one not playing quality minutes, and I haven't seen him burn it up in the few minutes he's been on the floor recently, BUT THAT ISN'T THE POINT HERE. Let's move it to another thread, let's start a thread about how playing those guys will make us better.

However, in this thread, if we played those guys and started winning a few games the OP and others would be complaining that we are winning and that we need to go back to something that will keep us on a losing pace. That's what I'm arguing against.

Playing guys you think will help us win? Go for it. Arguing over who is best on the floor - great, I love it. Saying that we need to play guys even though we lose with them because it will get us John Wall - nope, not flying with me.

[McKeyFan]

Re: Here we go again....

I believe we should play "the right way."

Always. All the time.

I can handle a season with few wins if the team is striving to play the right way, is emphasizing defense, is taking high percentage shots, and hustling.

If this kind of ball leads to a high draft pick. Excellent.

If it leads to more wins than other types of strategies, even better.

What I don't believe in is bad basketball, playing the wrong way, bad defensive players and gimmick offenses.

I don't care if they win a few more games than the group playing "the right way."

I don't care if they tank, because I don't care about them anymore. They play the wrong way.

I don't stay on board if the whole thing is about keeping a player's value up until they trade him. That's not honorable. (Btw, I'm convinced this is not the case with Murphy. It's JOS devotion.)

I do happen to believe that if we played the right personnel and played the right way, we would win far more games than we do now and probably make the playoffs. But even if we didn't, I would feel good about supporting a team trying to win.