ESPN article on how to make the NBA better

[nickagneta]

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/33303891/reinventing-basketball-nba-look-75-years-baggage

It's behind a paywall, but the highlights:

Go to the Elam Ending. For those unfamiliar, the Elam Ending is that the clock would vanish after the first stoppage under the three-minute mark in the NBA and the four-minute mark in NCAA games. Officials would establish a target score by taking the score of the leading team and adding seven points -- then restart the game without a clock. The team that reaches that target score first wins.

I think this could be modified to perhaps increase the set score to more than 7 points above the score of the leading team. It's interesting. It would also eradicate overtimes, which I think can make for some of the best type of games. So give and take there. I think the Elam Ending could work, maybe. Not sure.

Expand the court from 50' x 94' to 60' x 94' so as to make the three point a semi-circle and equidistant from all spots. Maybe even extend the three point line some in an attempt to make points from any distance about the same based on percentage of makes. Due to arena sizes already created and the need to remove the most expensive seats in the house, this might not work, so I don't see it happening, but think it's a good idea.

Relegation using G-League as the lower league to promote. This will never happen. Owners don't spend billions on a franchise to have it be pushed into a minor league, thereby devaluing the franchise because of a bad season or three.

Getting rid of the divisions and conferences and reduce the season to 58 games while you add in an in season tournament. This way the top 16 teams make the playoff and the top 2 teams aren't facing each other in the Conference Finals(the league semi-finals). I don't like cutting the season length so short. Perhaps finding a way to make the season a 72-73 game season would be better while still eliminating divisions and conferences. I kinda like this idea but less games means less revenue and owners won't love the idea. But I do.

Lastly, an idea that I think should be installed is the creation of the academy system where children at a young age are entered into the system and their training, education on nutrition, education on finances, professional practice systems using professional video training and such, creates better players once the enter the NBA. 

Gone would be the various practice and training systems of the high school, AAU, and NCAA systems that develop players in the best interests of teams on those levels and not based on the best interests of the players. Getting the player to professional level training earlier makes the players better, faster on professional levels meaning the players maximize their earnings potential faster....hopefully.

I think that academy system is the most viable idea to help the NBA and if used in conjunction with the G League, could make for a boom of interest in that league watching the best of 16, 17 and 18 year olds developing their skills in that league before they become draft eligible.

The NCAA would hate it but I think the NCAA could go back to seeing players spend more time in college as the best of the best, who normally leave after a year or two in college, wouldn't be there meaning more team continuity longer, much like the 1980's and before.


Anyway, you see this type of article every year or two and given it's a slow news cycle thought it might be nice to talk about.

Your thoughts?

[LilRip]

The time hasn’t bothered me so I’m not a fan of the Elam Ending being introduced to the NBA.

The court size hasn’t bothered me either. I get that the corner shots are “easier” because they’re nearer but they’re also “easier to defend” because the defense has to travel less to get to the shooter.

I think if any changes to the game should be made, they should revisit:
1. what the coach’s challenge can do (the jump balls are weird for me)
2. how to deal with all the intentional fouls to stop a fast break

As for shortening the season, I think 82 games is also a bit much. But the reason there are that many games is really money. Same goes for 7-game series actually. It’s gotta be for the money, rather than “proving who the better team is”. Money aside, I honestly think 3-0 should already be considered a sweep. But the series can extend to best of 7 if it’s 2-1 after 3 games.

[angryguy77]

Shortening the season would drastically improve the quality of the product.
Cut the salary cap to spread talent around.

Neither will happen but it would make the league so much better.

[Roy H.]

My opinion:

1.  Elam ending is stupid and gimmicky.

2.  Expanding the court would make sense.  It gives players more room to operate, and would lead to true spacing.  As nick said, it will never happen.  Too much money would be lost.

3.  Relegation is impossible in the major American sports. 

4.  In-season tournaments / shortening the season are gimmicky

5.  Training academies could help, but it would take a huge investment.  Otherwise you're just getting a different version of the NCAA mixed with the G-League.

The single best solution to improve the health of the league as a whole:  institute a hard cap while also getting rid of max contracts.  My guess is that an NFL model would lead to more parity and more teams with a chance at a title.

[nebist]

My opinion:

1.  Elam ending is stupid and gimmicky.

2.  Expanding the court would make sense.  It gives players more room to operate, and would lead to true spacing.  As nick said, it will never happen.  Too much money would be lost.

3.  Relegation is impossible in the major American sports. 

4.  In-season tournaments / shortening the season are gimmicky

5.  Training academies could help, but it would take a huge investment.  Otherwise you're just getting a different version of the NCAA mixed with the G-League.

The single best solution to improve the health of the league as a whole:  institute a hard cap while also getting rid of max contracts.  My guess is that an NFL model would lead to more parity and more teams with a chance at a title.

I completely agree about instituting a hard cap and abolishing max contract limits. It would be fascinating to see the various team-building strategies that arose from that (do you spend 75% of your cap on a 1st team ALL-NBA guy? Or do you sign 3 fringe All-stars at 25% of the cap each? Etc.)

Potentially, you could even pair the above with abolishing the draft and having some type of rookie pool free agency.

I have also proposed a modified schedule in the past that would completely eliminate tanking and send the bottom 8 teams into an end-of-season tournament where they play for draft order 1-8 (eliminating the random lottery and improving the product on the floor for all fanbases).

[slamtheking]

My opinion:

1.  Elam ending is stupid and gimmicky.

2.  Expanding the court would make sense.  It gives players more room to operate, and would lead to true spacing.  As nick said, it will never happen.  Too much money would be lost.

3.  Relegation is impossible in the major American sports. 

4.  In-season tournaments / shortening the season are gimmicky

5.  Training academies could help, but it would take a huge investment.  Otherwise you're just getting a different version of the NCAA mixed with the G-League.

The single best solution to improve the health of the league as a whole:  institute a hard cap while also getting rid of max contracts.  My guess is that an NFL model would lead to more parity and more teams with a chance at a title.

completely agree with 1-4. 

thought I saw an interview with Chris Webber recently promoting this type of academy/league for young players as an alternative to the NCAA or G league.  I think it has value but would require investment from both owners and the players association.

on the fence about a hard cap and eliminating max contracts.  players at the top end would command much more than what they're allowed to now.  question for GMs is whether to tie up so much money in a single player without the money required to surround that player with a good supporting cast.  also runs the risk of that single player getting injured and losing the sunk cost.   Would have to also look at the rookie contract length/finances and the time needed to reach RFA/UFA status.   think if this path is taken there'll be a lot of player infighting over who's going to get theirs.  Prime Lebron would easily command 50% of a team's salary if not more and justifiably so.  Probably more --> would that be a disincentive to signing him? 

[celticsclay]

The elam ending should be eliminated from the all star game. Not added to the regular season. That would be a disaster.

I think the only feasible change I could actually see happening that others have mentioned is eliminating the max contract slot. The players wouldn't be upset to have no cap on their earnings (I don't think at least) and the owners could maybe see it as a net gain where they are not paying a near allstar too much just because it is the max.

[jambr380]

I don't really think this would make the NBA 'better.' They could probably eliminate the corner 3 and have the 3-pt line just end in a bend at the sideline. 60 feet would be a little ridiculous.

I also think the G-League should operate more similarly to the minors in baseball. They've done a better job with this in recent years, but players on your affiliate should 'belong' to the big club and it should be a much more viable option than college. Obviously a team shouldn't ever be allowed to be demoted in favor of one of these teams.

[kraidstar]

My ideas:

1. Higher playoff seeds get 5 home games instead of 4 in a 7-game series. Suddenly the regular season becomes a lot more meaningful.

2. Add a third round to the draft and institute a true minor league system with pay higher than current G-league levels. In exchange for the extra money and jobs the parent teams essentially get longer control of late-drafted players. Fans get to watch the young guys for longer, increasing interest and revenue.

3. If a player leaves his team to sign a max or near-max contract with another team, then his new team must pay an unprotected compensatory first round draft pick to the team that lost him.

[celticsclay]

My ideas:

1. Higher playoff seeds get 5 home games instead of 4 in a 7-game series. Suddenly the regular season becomes a lot more meaningful.

2. Add a third round to the draft and institute a true minor league system with pay higher than current G-league levels. In exchange for the extra money and jobs the parent teams essentially get longer control of late-drafted players. Fans get to watch the young guys for longer, increasing interest and revenue.

3. If a player leaves his team to sign a max or near-max contract with another team, then his new team must pay an unprotected compensatory first round draft pick to the team that lost him.

I think these are all good ideas. TP. 3 Should really be done immediately.

[Donoghus]

Hard cap, contraction (will never happen) and less regular season games. 

[nickagneta]

I like the hard cap but think the max player contracts need to stay.

Without caps on player contracts what will happen is there will be this huge divide in player salaries between the stars and non stars and the union would implode and the longest strike ever would happen. A league where 5% of the players are making 95% of the money simply isn't viable.

Star players make silly money on endorsements. They don't need to make up 50% or higher of a team's hard cap salary cap.

[sgrogan]

I like the hard cap,but it means the death of fully guaranteed contracts.
I don't think the players would go for that.
The transition would probably be pretty ugly, if they did except it.

[PhoSita]

Elam Ending just feels like pick up basketball to me. Not interested.


I would like to see what the game would look like if they flatted the curve of the 3 point line so that it eliminated the corners.  Also get rid of the 3 second rule.  The way to punish teams for camping guys in the lane is to play more shooters, which most teams already do.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Here are my thoughts, and I'm looking at this purely in terms of my ideal (in other words, I'm not factoring in how likely or unlikely something might be in reality):

• It's never made sense to me why the 3pt line is different distances from different spots; it should be the same all the way around, in a smooth semicircle. If the court needs to be widened to make that happen, so be it.

• I love kraidstar's idea of teams getting a first-round pick as compensation for losing a max/supermax free agent.

• I would LOVE for the league to contract. By at least a half dozen teams. My picks: Orlando, Charlotte, Sacramento, New Orleans, Memphis, and Toronto. I'd also be fine with the T-Wolves and Clippers. And I'd like to see OKC go back to Seattle.

• Definitely don't want the Elam Ending. Feels contrived and illegitimate, not like real basketball.

• I feel like a hard cap is necessary if "giving every team a real chance" is an actual goal. I don't think the NBA really cares about giving every team a real chance—the league wants as many teams as possible, so they have as many fan bases as possible and thus as much revenue as possible, but there are only a half-dozen or so teams the league ever really wants to see in the Finals, and there are some teams the NBA definitely does NOT want to see in the Finals. If there's a hard cap, richer teams won't have a wealth advantage (though certain markets, like LA, NY, and Miami, will still have an unfair weather/glitz advantage). And as nebist said: It would be fascinating to see the various team-building strategies that arise from a hard cap: do you spend 75% of your cap on a 1st team ALL-NBA guy? Or do you sign 3 fringe All-stars at 25% of the cap each? Etc.