The NBA is adored around the world for its fast-paced fun and end-to-end drama. But which teams top the list as the most exciting to watch, and which should you avoid if you’re looking for action and entertainment?

Comparing each franchise across a range of factors, including the total number of Instagram followers, number of 85+ rated players on NBA 2K24, and buzzer beaters, dunk attempts, and 3pt field goal points since the start of the 2022/2023 season, we’ve ranked the five most and least exciting teams to watch.

The most exciting teams to watch

From the table-topping Celtics to Steph Curry’s Warriors, which NBA teams are officially the most entertaining and enjoyable to watch?

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1. Cleveland Cavaliers

Taking top spot as the most enjoyable NBA to watch, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers, with an impressive overall index score of 3.028 out of 5. The Cavs boast the third-most Instagram followers of all major league franchises (16.667+ million), register the most 85+ rated players in the NBA 2K24 (4), and have attempted the most dunks over the last two seasons (866). In fact, the only category the Cavaliers really fall short in is the number of 3pt field goal points since 2022/23, with the team’s 1,763 ranking 13th across the NBA.

Their impressive ranking position on our index shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, though, with the team enjoying a strong NBA season which has included more than 40 wins. As of March, the Cavs sit third in the Eastern Conference behind only the Celtics and Bucks.

2. Boston Celtics

In second, the Boston Celtics are officially the next-most exciting NBA team to watch, scoring an overall index rating of 2.953. Sitting on top of the Eastern Conference, supporters have enjoyed a spectacular season so far that’s included 50+ wins – unsurprisingly, they’re one of the heavy favorites for championship success!

The Celtics rank joint-top alongside the Cavs for star player power, with four rated at least 85 on the latest NBA 2K video game, as well as placing first for the number of 3pt field goal points over the last two seasons (2,297). However, they’re some way behind the likes of the Cavs, Nuggets, and Timberwolves when it comes to dunk attempts in the same period (650).

3. Golden State Warriors

With an index score of 2.770, the Golden State Warriors are the third-most entertaining team in the NBA - despite currently placing outside the playoff spots in the Western Conference.

Their impressive ranking is largely down to having scored an incredible 2,227 3pt field goal points since 2022/2023, as well as boasting more Instagram followers than any other franchise – with over 32.52 million followers, they’re the most popular NBA team on social media. Despite this, they only have a single player with an 85+ rating on NBA 2K24 – unsurprisingly, it’s Steph Curry who incidentally comes with a mammoth in-game 3pt score.

4. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are the fourth-best team to watch for excitement and entertainment, with an index score of 2.514 out of 5. In fact, no team has recorded more buzzer beaters since the 2022/23 season – 4- so don’t ever leave a Hawks game early!

Curiously, the Hawks have attempted the fourth-most dunks in the same period (776) – though, they’ve scored a below-average number of 3pt field goal points (1,687 – NBA average is 1,785).

5. Milwaukee Bucks

Finally, rounding out the five most exciting NBA franchises, we have 2021 champs the Milwaukee Bucks, with a respectable index score of 2.349. Factors the Bucks score strongly for include the number of 85+ players on NBA 2K24 (3) and the accumulation of 3pt field goal points since 2022/2023 (2,105). However, the Bucks have only scored one buzzer beater, and made just 640 dunk attempts in the same period.

The least exciting teams to watch

We’ve reviewed the most entertaining NBA teams to watch, but how about the other end of the table and the least exciting?

From minimal dunk attempts to low-scoring games, 70% of the bottom ten compete in the Eastern Conference, so read on to find out which franchises to avoid if you’re looking for fun!

1. Washington Wizards

Ranked as the least-fun team to watch in the whole NBA, we have the Washington Wizards, who can only score a measly 0.611 out of 5.

In fact, they’re one of just three teams to have no players rated 85+ on NBA 2K24, while their 1 buzzer beater, 521 dunk attempts, and 1,671 3pt field goal points since 2022/2023 are all relatively underwhelming – each individual factor is below the NBA average.

2. Toronto Raptors

Next up, as the second-least exciting NBA team to visit, the Toronto Raptors record a lowly index score of 0.675. Notably, the Raptors have only registered 1,597 3pt field goal points since the start of last season – the fifth fewest in the league – while they’ve failed to clock a buzzer beater within the same timeframe. That said, they have made 555 dunk attempts over the last couple of seasons, which is more than 10 other franchises.  

3. Charlotte Hornets

In third (bottom), the Charlotte Hornets don’t perform much better – scoring 0.726 out of 5 on our index. Like other low-ranking teams, the Hornets have failed to record a single buzzer beater since 2022/2023, while their 1,606 3pt field goal points in the same period represents one of the smallest returns in the league.

On top of this, the franchise can only boast one ‘star player’ with an NBA 2K24 rating above 85, and just six teams have fewer Instagram followers. At least they have one of the best NBA arenas for foodies!

4.  San Antonio Spurs

Scoring 0.784 on our index, the San Antonio Spurs are the fourth-least entertaining NBA franchise. With just one high-rated NBA 2K24 player in their roster, zero buzzer beaters since 2022/2023, and only 1,644 3pt field goal points over the last couple of seasons, the Spurs rank among the worst teams for whipping up excitement.

In fact, the team’s 641 dunk attempts since the start of last season is their only redeemable factor – though, it doesn’t quite make up for the team sitting rock bottom of the Western Conference.

5. Detroit Pistons

Rounding out the five least-entertaining NBA franchises, the Detroit Pistons can only score marginally better than the Spurs, with an index total of 0.796. As well as being the third-least followed franchise on Instagram, the Pistons have failed to register more 3pt field goal points than all but five other teams since the start of last season and have only recorded one buzzer beater in the same period.

All in all, the team has had a rotten year, without an ounce of excitement to make up for sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference. On top of this, Pistons fans are also some of the most stressed supporters in the NBA!

Curiously, the Eastern Conference dominates both ends of the table, with four Atlantic coast teams in the top and bottom five for on-court entertainment. In contrast, Western Conference teams seem to be somewhat of a ‘safe bet’ if you’re looking for fun, with most likely to offer at least some level of excitement – although, they’re unlikely to consistently get you out of your seat!

With the playoffs fast approaching, we’re eagerly waiting to see who’ll make the Finals and take this year’s championship title. In the meantime, discover even more interesting insight from our sports and basketball experts over on the Betway blog.

Methodology:

This dataset ranks all 30 NBA teams, based on how good they are to watch. To do this, 5 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed, to give each team a total score out of 5. The teams were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores. 

The factors used are as follows:

  • Star Power - The number of followers on Instagram of each NBA team.
  • 85+ Overall Players - The number of players on each NBA team with an overall score of at least 85 on NBA 2K24.
  • Buzzer Beaters - The number of games where a team has won by a buzzer beater in the 22/23 & 23/24 season.
  • Dunk Attempts - The number of dunk attempts by each NBA team in the 22/23 & 23/24 season.
  • 3pt Field Goal - The total number of 3pt field goals scored by each NBA team in the 22/23 & 23/24 season.

The factors were indexed as follows:

  • All Factors - High values get a high score. Low values get a low score.

All data is correct as of 06/03/24. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided. Data from the 23/24 season includes all games up to 06/03/24.

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