Why the nba won't work in vancouver, canada

[Betfair]

Michael Unger lists a few reasons why the National Basketball Association shouldn't go back to Vancouver.

With the recent story of Aquilini's (owner of the Canucks) inquiring about purchasing the New Orleans Hornets, there has been much speculation as to whether or not Vancouver would be a good fit for the return of the NBA. At first glance, there are a lot of positives; The Canucks are more profitable than they were since the NBA left in 2001; the city has grown in population and has established itself as a major international destination after hosting the winter Olympics.

However in the big picture, the NBA shouldn't return to Vancouver, here's why:

1. No Halfway Decent Player Wants To Play in Canada
Vancouver already had to endure it once when big baby Steve Francis pouted his way into forcing a trade after he was drafted. Sure they could have drafted Steve Nash and that would have solved a lot of problems, but a bunch of other teams also passed on Nash. People forget that even though Steve Nash went 15th overall, Kobe Bryant was chosen 13th overall. So even though they passed on a couple of hall of famers (including Ray Allen who went 5th) for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, they probably wouldn't have been able to get Kobe or Allen to stay in Vancouver if they had drafted them. The NBA game is star driven, and there is only a few elite players in the game, and without one on your team it's nearly impossible to win. All you have to do is look at the Toronto Raptors and see how every year they go through the same thing. With the players running the show in the NBA, dictating where they want to play, even forming a coalition in Miami, no one is going to want to go to the far reaches of Vancouver. It would take a major shift in the culture of the NBA, or possibly a real resurgence of quality foreign based players for Vancouver to field a consistently quality team.

2. The NBA is diluted of talent
Take a look at the standings over the past few years and you'll see a common theme: the top teams stay at the top and the bottom teams stay at the bottom. There's simply not enough talent to support the amount of teams in the league. If the NBA really wants to improve its product, it would be better off eliminating franchises rather than relocating them. The very nature of Basketball makes it a sport only for a select god gifted few. Consider that the average height of a man on earth is 5 feet and 7 inches. The average NBA player is a full foot taller at 6 feet and 7 inches. While there are many cases of smaller basketball players making it, they are the rarity. This makes it a very thin talent base to choose from.

3. The Integrity of the Game is Lost
There may be a bigger issue at stake, and that's the way the game is played itself. When the NBA was struggling in the 70's, the three-point line was added. This revolutionized the game and ushered in the 'golden age' of the 80's and 90's. Many people consider this time as being great basketball, but it was only if you were watching the Lakers, Bulls, or Celtics. How can the NBA try to sell a new city on their game, when they know full well that there's probably no hope that the team will ever compete for anything? Perhaps if they took a hard look at the rules, they could make for a more competitive game. There seems to be three distinct styles of basketball being played right now: NBA, College, and Street.

Continued:
Why the NBA won't work in Vancouver : Basketball : Betfair.net

[Dr. Jack]

Have they discussed going back to Canada? I assume once they lost that team, they lost their chance.

NBA has to many teams as it is - league is watered down with crap

[justdonating]

NBA has too many bad to mediocre teams. Big mistake going back to Vancouver, it won't work as no one wants to play there. The NBA should start with getting rid of Toronto, New Orleans, and Charlotte (sorry MJ) for starters. Also take a close look at Milwaukee, Atlanta, Washington, Memphis, and New Jersey (sorry Jay Z). Definitely the makings of a smaller, more profitable and competitive league.