Fixing the NBA Parity Problems

Take a look at baseball. The sport most people criticize for lack of salary cap. But if you take a closer look you actually see a great system. The real difference between large market and small market teams in baseball can be primarily found in the relief pitchers.

Although fans of large market teams may disagree by the product on the field, large market teams have more money to spend on the risky middle relievers. They are able to pay a lefty specialist. They are able to create a bullpen around their opponents. Small market teams have to develop failed starters into people who can pitch a few innings in the middle of the games. And even though the bullpen plays an important role in modern day baseball, teams can win in spite of their bullpen. For this reason, small market teams have a better chance at winning pennants. Don't believe me? The '97 and '03 Marlins, the '01 Diamondbacks, and to some extent the '05 White Sox have shown how to win a world series in a small market.

Baseball's minor league system is the best in sports. This is partially because of the multitude of rich baseball players around in the world, but it is also because of the marketability of baseball. People enjoy the atmosphere of baseball no matter if it is low A or the major leagues. This business opportunity enables players to grow in front of fans and play for a team in hopes of winning a championship at any level. Using this model, small market teams have the ability to cultivate their own talent and save money by not having to sign big free agents.

Also, because baseball talent is all very close in terms of the average player, and because the game is a game of inches, teams are generally closer in terms of talent than other sports. A team of superstars, while they may look better and more overpowering, are only a degree better than their lesser counterparts. Using these laws of baseball the Marlins and Diamondbacks were able to cultivate talent, make some free agent signings to plug holes, and consequently win championships. And in the case of the Marlins especially, trade away all their talent for more prospects to go ahead and do it again another year.

So in reality, baseball gets unfair criticism. Just take a look at this year's standings. Every single division has a race going on and only a handful of teams are out of it at this point.

But basketball on another hand is a parity disaster. Unfortunately the parity problems are more salary tax based than anything else, but unlike baseball they are unable to win in spite of financial issues. The NBA is quite possibly the only league in the world where it is sometimes considered a BAD thing to receive talent. Most of the time teams are more concerned with saving salary cap, or staying under the salary tax, thereby shipping quality players to other teams for salary relief. Expiring contracts are treated like gold, as the more players you have coming off the books next year the more players you can sign in the future. The problem with this method of business is that teams on the bottom generally stay there. The bad teams cannot afford to sign free agents because of their salary tax issues, but at the same time they are not able to trade for the expiring contracts because they don't have enough current salary cap to take them on for that year. Also, teams stuck in the losing mode have to rely on the draft, a process that can take years to pay off as there are only 2 rounds (not even considering all of the busts that enter the league). Sure, new teams come up each year, but almost every year the same teams are at the bottom. Until the NBA figures out a new method to help the floundering teams find it's feet again, they will continue to lie at the bottom.

How can the NBA fix this problem? Get rid of the lottery. I know that they do it so teams don't start tanking at the end of the year (teams do it anyways), but do you really think it's a good idea to risk having the worst team in the league not get the best player? The only way a bad team can get better is if they get new talent and the only way that can happen is if they get the top pick, it's that simple. Maybe a straight draft by standings position won't work, but the lottery has got to go.

Also the NBA should explore a owner sharing system (revenue sharing) that the NFL has in place. Pool money together to make sure the salary cap is a fair number for all markets. This method is a very difficult one to maintain and make work, but it is something good to look into.

The final thing the NBA has to explore is to improve it's D-League. We have enough basketball talent in this country that we could make a very good minor league system. As it is now the D-league is an underground train coming out only in the rare occasion that the NBA calls up a player. We are losing too many good players to European countries when we can just as easily keep them here and give them a real shot at the NBA. If the D-league was a more legitimate league teams would pay more attention to them and make more moves in house, saving salary cap, and helping out smaller market teams build from the inside out.

The NBA has some exploring to do, but I know this: If things stay the way they are, we will be seeing a lot of Celtics-Lakers in years to come. And to the large market fans, that is not a bad thing.