The NBA could trim the league by two and nobody would seem to notice—few care about the existence of the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.
According to a study done by FiveThirtyEight.com measuring fan traffic to ESPN.com, the Nuggets and Suns sit in the cellar of fan opinion, with the table predictably dominated by the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers:
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The table measures all of the typical online metrics, from unique visitors to page views to average time spent on page, with everything pretty consistent across the board.
Somebody has to round out the bottom of the table, but is it really so shocking it’s Denver and Phoenix?
How many people could even name a player on Denver’s roster right now? Emmanuel Mudiay was a high-profile draft pick, but the rest of the roster is one big unknown, with Nikola Jokic at center and Kenneth Faried still plugging away at power forward. Heck, the Nuggets were one of a few teams without a nationally televised game last season and the drafting doesn’t help considering the team hasn’t taken a notable American player in years.
The situation in Phoenix is just as dire. The Suns haven’t been relevant since the Steve Nash days, Eric Bledsoe is hurt, Brandon Knight isn’t a household name, they signed Tyson Chandler five years too late and spoiled their relationship with Markieff Morris.
There are actual surprises on the table, though.
Despite Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks rank rather low. The Brooklyn Nets are almost at rock bottom, a terrible place for such a big market, which goes to show just how important a rebuild can be. The Utah Jazz seem quite high, slotting above even the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers. And the Toronto Raptors, despite quite a unique setting, annual playoff appearances and Drake support, don’t fall within the top half of the table.
Maybe the NBA isn’t as predictable as everyone thought. Well, except at the bottom of the barrel.