NBA Report Card: Ranking Each NBA Team's Watchability
With the league gravitating toward super-teams with the Miami Heat and eventually the New York Knicks, along with a strong influx of offense, ratings for NBA games are as high as they have been since the Michael Jordan Era.
That doesn't mean, however, that every team in the NBA is going to be a hot ticket, or part of an exciting Thursday night game. That's where I come in.
I have created a 65 point scale on which to rate how watchable each team in the NBA is.
This scale includes the star power the team offers, the power of their offense, how many close games they've played in, how many overtime games they have played in, how many blowouts they have been involved in and how they rank in home and away attendance.
This scale can be used to help you decide which team to go and see play, which team to go and visit in their hometown, and just which teams to watch when they are on television.
All of the numbers that I based this on are from January 6th.
First, How It All Works
1 of 31
Here's a quick explanation of the system that I worked out.
It must be said that to keep my personal bias out as much as possible when ranking each team.
Star Power: This one is pretty basic. If you have a "gotta see him" player on your team, it's worth ten points, otherwise they are given points based on the lure of the players on the team.
Close Games: Close games are those in which the difference in the final score is three or less points. Conveniently enough, it worked out so the most close games any team has played was ten, so the number of close games a team has played is equal to the number of points it gets in this category.
Blowouts: Blowouts are exciting for a while, until you get to the fourth quarter of a game and realize how dully the game is going to end. Fewer than ten blowouts is equal to ten points, more than twenty will get you zero points, the in between numbers are ranked accordingly.
Overtime Games: What's more exciting than overtime? Once again, this has been convenient, as the most overtime games any team has played is five, the least is zero. So, each overtime game played in is worth a point.
Offense: The biggest draw in sports is seeing a high scoring game, to most people, so a better offense equals more watchability. Teams are ranked according to how many points they score, pretty simple.
Home Games: This is broken up into three parts which all connect to the lure of traveling to a city to see a game.
Teams get up to three points for their home attendance. If it's above 90 percent capacity, three points, in the 80s, two points and in the 70s, one point.
Teams get up to three points based on their fan bases. This is based on my own judgment, so it's open to interpretation, but I think I did a pretty good job capturing each team's fans.
The city in which the team plays earns a maximum of three points based on awesome-ness of the city.
There is also a bonus point in this category that I'll give out at will.
Away Attendance: Teams are ranked at how well they fill up an away arena.
Tiebreakers between teams will be based on record.
30. Milwaukee Bucks
2 of 31
Star Power: The Bucks have Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings, and not much else other than that. 5/10
Close Games: Milwaukee has played in six games with a final score of less than three points difference. 6/10
Blowouts: With 19 games decided by double digits, the Deer haven't been very feared this season. 1/10
Overtime Games: Milwaukee has played in only one overtime game this season. 1/5
Offense: The Bucks have the lowest scoring offense in the league, scoring only 90 points per game. 1/10
Home Games: Milwaukee is right around the middle of the league, filling their arena 83 percent full night after night. 2/3
The Bradley Center is still rocking from time to time with the remnants of last year's postseason run. 2/3
Milwaukee in the winter sounds like a terrible place to be, but they do have a brewery or two hanging around. 1/3
Bonus point for giving us Les Paul (you're lucky Milwaukee, I nearly took a point away for Liberace).
Away Attendance: The Bucks are at nearly 90 percent away attendace, probably due to cheap tickets, but they're filling arenas nonetheless. 8/10
Overall Score: 27/ 65
29. Atlanta Hawks
3 of 31
This is probably the biggest surprise of the whole ranking.
Star Power: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford are no slouches. 8/10
Close Games: Only two games decided by three or fewer points this season for the Hawks. 2/10
Blowouts: Due to being involved in 19 games decided more than ten points, Atlanta doesn't get much help here. 1/10
Overtime Games: Only one overtime game for Atlanta means only one point for Atlanta. 1/10
Offense: Atlanta averages 97.5 points per game, putting them in the middle of the league in that category. 6/10
Home Games: Atlanta's home attendance is quite depressing, given the fact that they are 24-14, filling their arena only 75 percent full. 1/3
Not much can be said for a group of people that doesn't get out and support a winning team. 1/3
The city of Atlanta's not a bad place to visit, despite its dangerous reputation. 2/3
Bonus point for Mike Bibby actually looking alive this season.
Away Attendance: The Hawks are a dreadful 27th in away attendance, filling up 86 percent of arenas they visit. 6/10
Overall Score: 29/65
28. Cleveland Cavaliers
4 of 31
Star Power: The biggest lure of the Cleveland Cavaliers is watching Anderson Varejao fly around the court. 5/10
Close Games: Four games played of a final differential of less than three points. 4/10
Blowouts: 17 games played where the final score was a double digit differential. 4/10
Overtime Games: One overtime game. 1/5
Offense: Cleveland averages 94 points per game. 4/10
Home Games: Cleveland improbably has the second highest attendance in the league, and is selling out every home game. 3/3
The Cleveland fan base is still rockin' and rollin' despite their miserable team. It seems to be a mix of dedication to their team and spite toward some dude that took his talent to South Beach. 3/3
I'm realistic, I like Cleveland, but then again, so do most people in Ohio, to outsiders it sucks, and maybe it does. 1/3
Bonus point for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Away Attendance: Cleveland is last in the league in away attendance, filling 77 percent of the away arena they travel to. 4/10
Overall Score: 30/65
27. Detriot Pistons
5 of 31
Star Power: Detroit is full of remnants of a great 2004 team, unfortunately, they aren't what they used to be. 5/10
Close Games: Detroit has played four games with a final of three points or less. 4/10
Blowouts: The Pistons have been involved in a 19 miserable blowouts. 1/10
Overtime Games: With five overtime games to their name, Detroit has played in the most overtime games in the league. 5/5
Offense: At 95.1 points per game, Detroit is in the bottom third of the league in points scored. 5/10
Home Games: Detroit doesn't fill The Palace like it once did, with only 74.4 percent of their arena filling up nightly. 1/3
The Palace is far from rockin' these days. 1/3
Because this is 2011, and not 1951, Detroit is not an exciting place to go to. 1/3
Bonus point in memory of Ben Wallace's afro.
Away Attendance: Detroit is faring better in attendance on the road compared to at home, filling 87 percent of the seats in away arenas. 7/10
Overall Score: 31/65
26. Philadelphia 76ers
6 of 31
Star Power: A Philly game means seeing Andre Iguodala and...Lou Williams? 5/10
Close Games: The 76ers have played in only four three point games this season. 4/10
Blowouts: With 17 double digit difference games played this season, Philly has a handful of snoozers. 4/10
Overtime Games: With two overtime games played this season, the 76ers have at least flirted with excitement. 2/5
Offense: The 76ers average 96.3 points per game, putting them in the lower third of the league. 5/10
Home Games: Philly? What's up dudes? This is the only team who get's zero points for attendance, failing to fill their arena more than 70 percent of the way. 0/3
If people that live there don't even want to go and see the team, it's hard to get the place loud. 1/3
It may always be sunny in Philadelphia, but in the winter, it's also freezing. 1/3
Bonus point for the Liberty Bell.
Away Attendance: On the road, teams are filling 92 percent of their arenas when the 6ers come to town, at least someone want's to watch them. 9/10
Overall score: 32/65
25. Indiana Pacers
7 of 31
Star Power: Come to watch Darren Collison and Danny Granger, the possible future of the NBA. 7/10
Close Games: The Pacers have played in five games decided by three or fewer points this season. 5/10
Blowouts: Indiana has been involved in 18 double digit games this season. 3/10
Overtime Games: They have barely dipped their feet in overtime in Indiana, with only one overtime game this season. 1/5
Offense: The Pacers are in the lower third of the league, averaging 96.8 points per game. 5/10
Home Games: Not all of Indianapolis is coming out to fill Conseco Fieldhouse, at only 76 percent attendance. 1/3
For the number of people that do go there, they tend to get loud when it matters. 2/3
I'm a fan of Indiana, but most people see it as another boring Midwestern state, with Indianapolis as another run-of-the-mill Midwestern city. 1/3
Bonus point for giving David Letterman a job back in the day.
Away Attendance: People are coming out to see the Pacers when they come to town at a pretty good 89 percent. 8/10
Overall Score: 34/65
24. New Jersey Nets
8 of 31
Star Power: Brook Lopez and Devin Harris are the main draws in Jersey. 6/10
Close Games: The Nets have played in a good number of close games, at seven. 7/10
Blowouts: And not very many blowouts with 14. 7/10
Overtime Games: They have also played in three overtime games. 3/5
Offense: Their 92.4 points per game are second to last in the league, however. 2/10
Home Games: The New Jersey people are not coming out to support this team. 1/3
They are also not a very crazy crowd. 1/3
New Jersey is also not a place I would want to visit at any point in the year. 1/3
Bonus point for the proximity to New York City.
Minus a point for Snookie. I had to do it, somebody needs to punish you guys.
Away Attendance: A fair number of people are coming out to see New Jersey when they come to town. 7/10
Overall score: 35/65
23. Toronto Raptors
9 of 31
Star Power: They've got Andrea Bargnani and the always interesting Reggie Evans. 5/10
Close Games: Three close games is not enough to give Toronto significant points. 3/10
Blowouts: 18 blowouts and the Raptors are finding themselves in distant games quite often. 3/10
Overtime Games: No overtime games means no points for Toronto. 0/5
Offense: This is the first team on the list that is averaging over 100 points a game, with a cool 100.5. 8/10
Home Games: The Raptors are filling up their arena at a rate of 83 percent per game. 2/3
With this being the only basketball team in Canada, the fans are quite behind their Raptors. 2/3
What's not to like about Toronto? It's the largest city in Canada, people from all over the world live there, and it's just a cool city. 3/3
Bonus point, you can catch a Maple Leafs game while you're in the city.
Away Attendance: Toronto is still a good draw around the league, as tickets are cheap, filling 88 percent of away arenas. 8/10
Overall score: 35/65
22. New Orleans Hornets
10 of 31
Star Power: Chris Paul is enough to get you in the door, but David West is also a great player. 8/10
Close Games: With seven games of three points or less, the Hornets are no strangers to close game situations. 7/10
Blowouts: With only 15 of their games decided by more than ten points, the Hornets are in the lower half of the league. 6/10
Overtime Games: New Orleans have played in a bunch of close games, but only one of them has gone into overtime. 1/5
Offense: With 93.8 points per game, the Hornets aren't exactly putting up hundies every night. 3/10
Home Games: Even with one of the most impressive point guards on their team, the Hornets are only filling the arena at a rate of 82 percent. 1/3
The fans aren't coming out enough to make the arena shake night in and night out. 1/3
But the city is New Orleans baby! Whats not to like? 3/3
Bonus point for street musicians, Bourbon Street and Mardi Gras.
Away Attendance: The Hornets are a better draw on the road than at home, at 86.6 percent attendance. 6/10
Overall score: 37/65
21. Washington Wizards
11 of 31
Star Power: John Wall is a promising young guard and JaVale McGee is a high-flying seven-footer. 7/10
Close Games: Washington has played in five three-point games this season. 5/10
Blowouts: They have also been involved in a decent number of blowouts, at 15 double-digit games. 6/10
Overtime Games: Washington is one of the overtime veterans in the league right now, with three games surpassing 48 minutes. 3/5
Offense: However, they are still in the bottom third of the league in offense, with 95.6 points per game. 5/10
Home Games: The fans aren't exactly coming out in droves to see the Wizards. 1/3
But, they do become quite a raucous crowd for a huge McGee dunk or a slick little move by Wall. 2/3
Plus, Washington is a pretty cool place historically. 2/3
Have I mentioned that I love JaVale McGee? Bonus point for him.
Away Attendance: The people in other cities want to see Wall more than the people in Washington, filling the arena 86.9 percent for their visits. 6/10
Overall score: 38/65
20. Orlando Magic
12 of 31
Star Power: Dwight Howard is the premier big man of this generation of basketball players, he's a must see player. 10/10
Close Games: Unfortunately, they are consistently finding themselves in games with wide margins, playing in only three three-point games. 3/10
Blowouts: They are the first team on the list to top 20 blowouts. 0/10
Overtime Games: With the lack of close games played, it's not surprising they have played only one overtime game. 1/5
Offense: Orlando is doing a good job of scoring, however, with 98.1 points per game. 7/10
Home Games: Orlando is overfilling their arena, at 102.1 percent. 3/3
They tend to get quite loud, but they are not overbearing in most games. 2/3
However, there is never a bad time to go to Orlando, what with the beach and everything right nearby. 3/3
Bonus point for random Tiger Woods sightings.
Away Attendance: People want to see Orlando on the road, filling arenas up 89.6 percent of the way when they come to town. 8/10
Overall score: 38/65
19. Charlotte Bobcats
13 of 31
Star Power: Aside from Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace, there's not much to see here. 6/10
Close Games: They have played in the most close games this season, with ten. 10/10
Blowouts: Which, goes in hand with the fact that they have only been involved in 11 blowouts. 9/10
Overtime Games: Also, they have gone into overtime four times this season. 4/5
Offense: Unfortunately, their offense is nothing to write home about, averaging only 92.8 points so far. 2/10
Home Games: Attendance is holding steady in Charlotte, filling the arena at 82.6 percent. 2/3
They are also not a bad group of fans, and routinely get loud. 2/3
Charlotte isn't the most desirable of cities to travel to, however. 1/3
Away Attendance: Unfortunately, not many people are clamoring to see Charlotte around the country. 3/10
Overall score: 39/65
18. Utah Jazz
14 of 31
Star Power: Deron Williams alone is enough to make me want to watch them. 8/10
Close Games: Williams' Jazz team hasn't played many close games this season, with only three three-pointers under their belts. 3/10
Blowouts: They have had their fare share of blowouts though, with 20. 0/10
Overtime Games: Also, when they play close games, they are really close, they've had two overtime games. 2/5
Offense: Utah is scoring at a great pace, with 99.6 points per game. 8/10
Home Games: 97.3 percent of the seats in Utah have butts in them for Jazz games. 3/3
Their fans are good, but they aren't great, they are slowly working their way back up to Stockton/Malone level. 2/3
Utah is also one of the more beautiful cities in the United States. 2/3
Bonus point for Paul Millsap's explosion against the Heat back in November.
Away Attendance: The Jazz are doing just as well on the road as they are at home, drawing in a 95 percent attendance rate on the road. 10/10
Overall score: 39/65
17. Los Angeles Clippers
15 of 31
Star Power: Blake Griffin is a monster of a man and Baron Davis has a cool beard. Otherwise...not much else. 7/10
Close Games: The Clippers have been in six three-point games this season. 6/10
Blowouts: They have also only been in 14 double-digit games. 7/10
Overtime Games: Pair that with two overtime games and they seem to be an exciting team. 2/5
Offense: However, there is not a whole lot to speak of in their offense with 97.3 points per game putting them in the lower third. 6/10
Home Games: Clippers fans are tortured, but they show up more or less. 2/3
Plus, half the fun of going to a Clippers game is seeing how depressed the die-hards are, it'll cheer you right up. 2/3
And they play in Los Angeles! 3/3
Away Attendance: People don't really want to see them elsewhere, however. 5/10
Overall score: 40/65
16. Sacramento Kings
16 of 31
Star Power: The Kings have a handful of good young players, but no guy that drags you to the arena. 6/10
Close Games: Sacramento has been involved in seven games decided by three points or fewer. 7/10
Blowouts: Plus, they have only been involved in 11 blowouts. 9/10
Overtime Games: They have only played one overtime game, however. 1/5
Offense: Plus, their offense is nothing special, only scoring 95.4 points per game. 4/10
Home Games: The Kings are in the bottom five in the league, with a 75.6 percent attendance rate. 1/3
But, they have been known to have some stellar fans. 2/3
Plus, Sacramento is a beautiful and historical city, and it's in California. 3/3
Bonus point for the 2002 playoff series against the Lakers.
Away Attendance: They don't want to see them at home and they don't want to see them on the road. 6/10
Overall score: 40/65
15. Portland Trail Blazers
17 of 31
Star Power: There's a good handful of it, but it all depends on who is injured. 7/10
Close Games: Portland's eight games of three points or less is among the tops in the league. 9/10
Blowouts: And, they have only been involved in 16 ten point games this season. 5/10
Overtime Games: But they have only played a single overtime game this year. 1/5
Offense: And they have a less than impressive offense with their slew of injuries. 4/10
Home Games: The people of Oregon pack Blazers games, with 102.2 percent of the arena full at home. 3/3
Plus, the are among the loudest crowds in the league. 3/3
And Portland is a beautiful city no matter what time of year. 2/3
Pity point for all of the injuries.
Away Attendance: They are not as enthusiastic about the Blazers across the country as they are in Oregon. 6/10
Overall score: 41/65
14. Los Angeles Lakers
18 of 31
Star Power: Kobe is a must-see talent, Gasol is icing on the cake. 10/10
Close Games: Only four games for Los Angeles have been nail biters this season. 4/10
Blowouts: And a whopping 20 of them have been no-doubters. 0/10
Overtime Games: Plus they have played all of zero overtime games. 0/10
Offense: But their offense is phenomenal, scoring 103.3 points per game. 9/10
Home Games: The people of Los Angeles fill the arena, even if it is just to be seen there. 3/3
Their fans are good when it matters, but many are of the arrive late, leave early variety. 2/3
Once again, the city is freaking LA, nothing can be bad about that. 3/3
Bonus point for Pau Gasol's neck-beard.
Away Attendance: Los Angeles is the draw you think they would be, with the second highest away attendance in the NBA. 10/10
Overall score: 42/65
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
19 of 31
Star Power: Kevin Love and Michael Beasley are decent players to watch. 6/10
Close Games: The Timberwolves have seven thee-point games this season. 7/10
Blowouts: And are right in the middle of the pack with 16 blowout games under their belt. 5/10
Overtime Games: They also have two nice overtime games so far this season. 2/5
Offense: Surprisingly, Minnesota has one of the most potent offenses in the NBA, scoring 102.8 points per game. 9/10
Home Games: The fans aren't coming out to see this exciting team, as they have a 77.8 percent attendance rate. 1/3
But the ones that do come out are great fans who are quite loud. 2/3
However, I don't think I'd like to visit Minnesota in the dead of winter. 1/3
Bonus point for Kevin Love's 30-30 game.
Away Attendance: They fill 90 percent of the seats in away arenas. 9/10
Overall score: 43/65
12. Miami Heat
20 of 31
Star Power: Do I need to explain this one? Carlos Arroyo, duh! 10/10
Close Games: Miami has played in a decent amount of close games, with five three-pointers. 5/10
Blowouts: But, they have been annihilating teams, with a league high 22 blowouts. 0/10
Overtime Games: Also, they have played in only one overtime game this season (although they did just get another last night, but this is as of the 6th). 1/5
Offense: The Heat have fired up the offense in Miami, scoring 101.6 points per contest. 9/10
Home Games: Miami has fanned up after a discouragingly slow start, fan-wise. 3/3
But they do have a good amount of "it's cool to be seen at a Heat game" fans, just as the Lakers do. 2/3
However, the fact that they play in Miami in the dead of winter can't be ignored. 3/3
Bonus point for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, he still has a spot in my heart.
Away Attendance: Miami is tops in the league in away attendance, packing arenas when they come to town. 10/10
Overall score: 44/65
11. Golden State Warriors
21 of 31
Star Power: Steph Curry, Monta Ellis and David Lee make for a trio of exciting youngsters. 8/10
Close Games: The Warriors have only battled in three three-point games this season. 3/10
Blowouts: However, they have only been involved in 14 double-digiters all season. 7/10
Overtime Games: Plus, they have three overtime games under their belts. 3/5
Offense: Golden State has one of the premier offenses in the league, scoring 101.6 points per game. 9/10
Home Games: The people of Oakland love the Warriors. 3/3
They also get the arena swaying on a daily basis. 3/3
Oakland isn't one of the more attractive towns in California, but it's still California. 2/3
Bonus point for Rodney Carney and the possibility of him doing something awesome and idiotic within a span of two minutes.
Away Attendance: The people across the country come out to see this exciting offense. 8/10
Overall score: 47/65
10. Memphis Grizzlies
22 of 31
Star Power: After Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph, not much else is there to see. 6/10
Close Games: Nine three-point games this season is the second most in the league. 10/10
Blowouts: Pair that with only 14 blowouts and the likelihood of an exciting game is quite high. 7/10
Overtime Games: They have also played in four overtime games. 4/5
Offense: Their offense is nearly breaking 100 points per game. 8/10
Home Games: But, even with all of the excitement going on, people aren't coming out to see them in huge numbers. 1/3
The people that do come are completely enthralled by the game, however. 2/3
Plus, you're in Memphis, a terrific Southern city. 2/3
Away Attendance: Their away attendance is nearly ten points higher than their home attendance. 7/10
Overall score: 47/65
9. Dallas Mavericks
23 of 31
Star Power: Dirk Nowitski seems to be on the down-slope of his career, but they still field a great team. 8/10
Close Games: The Mavericks have played an impressive eight three-point games. 9/10
Blowouts: Also, they have only been involved in 12 double-digit deficits. 9/10
Overtime Games: Dallas has played in no overtime games this season. 0/5
Offense: The Mavs have focused more on defense this season, and are only scoring 97.8 points per game. 6/10
Home Games: Dallas has the highest percentage-based attendance in the league at 103.7 percent. 3/3
They also have a great dedicated core of fans who are dying for another trip to the finals. 3/3
Plus, they live in a nice metropolitan city in Texas, with plenty to do. 2/3
Bonus point for Mark Cuban keeping us entertained.
Away Attendance: Dallas isn't as big a draw as it seems they would be on the road. 6/10
Overall score: 47/65
8. San Antonio Spurs
24 of 31
Star Power: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker are worth watching. 9/10
Close Games: The Spurs and their new exciting offense have played in five nail-biters all season. 5/10
Blowouts: With 17 blowouts under their belt, many of their games have turned into laughers. 4/10
Overtime Games: They have also dipped into extra time three times. 3/5
Offense: A far cry from years past, the Spurs are averaging 105.8 points per game. 10/10
Home Games: San Antonio is packing the AT&T Center. 3/3
They get loud when it matters, but it doesn't seem like a constantly rocking arena. 2/3
I've got mad love for San Antonio, go there and get a three-pound steak. 2/3
Bonus point for The Alamo, remember it.
Away Attendance: The Spurs and Duncan have been a good draw on the road. 8/10
Overall score: 47/10
7. Phoenix Suns
25 of 31
Star Power: Steve Nash is enough to make me want to watch this team. 8/10
Close Games: Only two Suns games this season have been decided by three points or less. 2/10
Blowouts: But, they have only been involved in 12 double-digit games. 9/10
Overtime Games: Plus, they have three overtime games to their credit. 3/5
Offense: The Suns are tied for the second most high powered offense in the NBA. 10/10
Home Games: The Suns fill their arena an impressive 95.4 percent of the way full. 3/3
Plus, their fans make a decent amount of noise. 2/3
But really, I don't know what else there is to do in Phoenix. 1/3
Bonus point for the prospect that Vince Carter could come out of his shell at some point and do something awesome.
Away Attendance: The people want to see Steve Nash, stuffing the arena 92 percent full when he comes to town. 9/10
Overall score: 48/65
6. Houston Rockets
26 of 31
Star Power: Luis Scola and Kevin Martin are fun to watch, and Chase Buddinger is neat to see, considering he and Manute Bol are the exact opposite color. 7/10
Close Games: The Rockets have played their way into seven three-pointers. 7/10
Blowouts: They have also only been in 15 double-digit games. 6/10
Overtime Games: They have rocketed their way to overtime twice. 2/5
Offense: Houston has one of the most prolific offenses in the NBA, scoring over 105 points per game. 10/10
Home Games: Houston is smack-dab in the middle of the league in attendance. 2/3
The fans are excited to be there, but seem bummed with the record they have and the disappearance of Yao Ming. 2/3
The stars at night are big and bright. 2/3
Bonus point for Aaron Brooks looking like Chris Rock.
Away Attendance: People on the road fill arenas for Houston more than they do for most other teams. 9/10
Overall score: 48/65
5. New York Knicks
27 of 31
Star Power: They have a talented roster, but the only star power is coming from Amar'e Stodemire. 7/10
Close Games: They have only been in four real nail-biters this season. 4/10
Blowouts: With their high scoring offense, however, they have also only been in eight blowouts. 10/10
Overtime Games: They have also been in two overtime games this season. 2/5
Offense: Mike D'Antoni's offense is explosive, leading the league at nearly 108 points per game. 10/10
Home Games: The people of New York are back to supporting the Kicks after a decade of futility. 3/3
The dedicated fans are also some of the most knowledgeable in the league. 3/3
Plus they play in New York City, the greatest city in the world! 3/3
Bonus point for Madison Square Garden's pronunciation of Danilo Gallinari, nearly sounds authentic.
Away Attendance: The people around the country want to see the Knicks play again. 8/10
Overall score: 51/65
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
28 of 31
Star Power: Kevin Durant is a must-see talent in the NBA. 10/10
Close Games: The Thunder have been in seven three-point games this season. 7/10
Blowouts: Also, they have been involved in only 15 blowouts. 6/10
Overtime Games: They are a veteran in overtime games as well, with three. 3/5
Offense: Plus they have an extremely high scoring offense. 9/10
Home Games: The fans are packing the arena for the only professional team in the state of Oklahoma. 3/3
They get loud, but not nearly as loud back in the NO/OKC Hornets days. 2/3
Plus, Oklahoma City is a decent town to go to. 2/3
Bonus point for James Harden's beard. Brian Wilson-esq.
Away Attendance: People around the league are coming out at a rate of 92 percent to fill arenas when they come to town. 9/10
Overall score: 52/65
3. Denver Nuggets
29 of 31
Star Power: Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony are still great players, even if one is waiting to leave town and the other is in the twilight of his career. 8/10
Close Games: Denver has given their fans ulcers this season, playing in nine three-point games. 10/10
Blowouts: They have also only been involved in only 11 blowouts. 9/10
Overtime Games: Despite their close games, they have yet to venture into overtime. 0/5
Offense: But they do have the second highest scoring offense in the NBA. 10/10
Home Games: Fans must be dreading the inevitable departure of 'Melo, as they are filling the arena at only 86.5 percent for home games. 2/3
They are also not as crazy and angry as they once were. 2/3
But Denver is a nice city, even if it bound to be cold in the winter months. 2/3
Bonus point for Chris Anderson and whatever it is that he does to make himself so interesting.
Away Attendance: People outside of Denver are more interested in seeing the Nuggets. 9/10
Overall score: 53/65
2. Chicago Bulls
30 of 31
Star Power: Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer and Brian Scalabrine, what more could you ask for? 9/10
Close Games: Chicago has been in seven three-point games this season. 7/10
Blowouts: Plus, they have been involved in only 13 double-digit games. 8/10
Overtime Games: Along with that, they have been in overtime four times this season. 4/5
Offense: Also, they have quite an explosive offense, scoring at a 99.6 points per game pace. 8/10
Home Games: Basketball is all the way back in Chicago. 3/3
And they still have some of the best fans in the NBA. 3/3
Plus there are very few cities with the sports history that Chicago has. 3/3
Another point for Brian Scalabrine.
Away Attendance: Chicago is the fourth biggest draw league-wide outside of Chicago. 10/10
Overall score: 56/65
1. Boston Celtics
31 of 31
Star Power: Rajon Rondo plus the Boston Three Party and Shaq? Sign me up. 10/10
Close Games: With eight close games played, Boston is no stranger to nail-biters. 9/10
Blowouts: They have also only been in 13 double-digit difference games. 8/10
Overtime Games: And, they have been in three overtime games so far this season. 3/5
Offense: Their offense is right in the middle of the league, scoring 98.8 points per game this season. 7/10
Home Games: The TD Garden is full night in and night out. 3/3
They also have some of the most passionate fans in the NBA, plus they get quite drunk, which makes things interesting. 3/3
Also, Boston is one of the cooler cities in New England. 3/3
Bonus point for the potential of a Nate Robinson dunk.
Away Attendance: Around the country, people are clamoring to see this Celtics team. 10/10
Overall score: 57/65
There you have it folks, tell me what you think of the formula I've got here. It's in its infancy, so I'm open to any tweaks to it.
