[News] ESPN Poll: NBA or NHL playoffs - which is more exciting?

[foshizzle11]

Originally Posted by vilzeh

You can't be serious.

Haha, this is funny. But it is personal preference. I would rather watch a champions league match over basketball any day.

But hockey is the most exciting by far. It seems the first round is always filled with surprises and upsets. I don't find that is as likely in the NBA. And obviously the later rounds only get better. I always watch the SCF even when my fav team isn't in it.

[The Swedish Flame]

Originally Posted by Dr. Pepper

When I brought up the site when I noticed the poll - It had Marc Andre Fleury looking at me...

I know a good shrink/head doctor.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

One thing that holds the NBA back in terms of entertainment, is that teams don't "steal" games. In hockey, a goalie can "steal a game". In Baseball, a good pitcher can even out any disadvantage. In the NBA, the better team on the night simply is going to win the game, nearly every time.

This makes the first couple of rounds in the NBA playoffs mostly predictable, because the chances of the higher seed winning is way significantly higher than the NHL.

Overall, the NHL playoffs are much more exciting than the NBA - especially the opening rounds.

Memphis/OKC yesterday was probably the best example where the underdog should've stole a game, but just fell off down the stretch. It was an amazing game though.

With basketball, I agree with boggledepot in that the later rounds (semis/finals) are far better, and eclipses the NHL playoffs. You get your decent matchups in the NBA playoffs in the early rounds (this year was Chicago/Brooklyn, OKC/Houston, GS/Memphis), but 3 out of 8 is terrible, whereas the NHL has 7 out of 8 good series.

Later on though, I find the NHL really drops off. The quality of the games start to drop as people get hurt and fatigued. The NBA just gets better and better, as the intensity starts to really ratchet up.

When people say "NBA is worse than college or high school", I seriously just completely discount their entire opinion. Seriously, imagine if a non-hockey fan just said "Oh ya the quality of play in the Memorial Cup is better than any NHL game". How seriously would you take their opinion on hockey?

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by Regorium

Memphis/OKC yesterday was probably the best example where the underdog should've stole a game, but just fell off down the stretch. It was an amazing game though.

With basketball, I agree with boggledepot in that the later rounds (semis/finals) are far better, and eclipses the NHL playoffs. You get your decent matchups in the NBA playoffs in the early rounds (this year was Chicago/Brooklyn, OKC/Houston, GS/Memphis), but 3 out of 8 is terrible, whereas the NHL has 7 out of 8 good series.

Later on though, I find the NHL really drops off. The quality of the games start to drop as people get hurt and fatigued. The NBA just gets better and better, as the intensity starts to really ratchet up.

When people say "NBA is worse than college or high school", I seriously just completely discount their entire opinion. Seriously, imagine if a non-hockey fan just said "Oh ya the quality of play in the Memorial Cup is better than any NHL game". How seriously would you take their opinion on hockey?

It's true. NCAA basketball is actually really entertaining and is far better then the NBA playoffs, I have family in the states who have stopped watching the NBA because it's so boring and try just watch their local NCAA team.