10 ways to improve the NBA

[dflaschberger]

I've posted some before, but never my full list. I am a long-time NBA fan, but things need to improve. Some of these are impossible to happen, but I believe all 10 would help the league.

Group #1 Financial
1. Lux Tax change-make it a tiered tax. The bottom 5 teams pay the same now. The next five pay at $1 or $1.5 higher; teams 11-15 another step up.
Why-Look at the Suns and the Spurs. KThomas and Scola could have helped them but they were afraid of the lux tax. They are successful, so reward it. Great teams need depth-and great teams make for a great season. This would not lead to an orgy of spending, but another $6 or $9 million for top teams would allow them one more solid veteran.
Finally, this would not cause too much overspending, b/c the extra freedom would change year by year.
Finally/finally, this might prove a nice incentive at the end of the year to avoid tanking. The GM could pressure a coach to play his best guys to jump up to the next level to avoid a tax hit.
RESULT-improved play all around

2. No more Base Year rule for trading contracts. Fans love trades, the media loves trades, players usually like a change (mainly unhappy or underused players are traded).
Instead of this rule about team moving a BY player only getting 1/2 value back the team that deals him would pay the player a 10% kicker.
I think GMs sometimes use the BY clause to avoid trades b/c their cowards.
RESULT-more trades/more interest/improved play

3. Every 5 year period a team can cut a player and his salary would come off the cap. This would allow for a little more movement. Players still get paid, and could sign elsewhere. Since it's only once every 5 years, it would not be abused, but a do-over could help many teams.
RESULT-improved play by cutting dead weight

GAME CHANGES
4. widen the court by 1 foot on each side. This one makes a lot of sense. SO MANY times players step out in that corner-at least once a game (slowing down the flow). Plus, one more foot (with the same 3 pt. distance) would spread the court and allow more lanes for drives. I believe each arena could stretch teh court a foot and not lose the $ seats.
RESULT-improved play

5. Allow a once-a-game 7th foul for ONE player per team. The team would give up a technical. I pay to see the stars, not some bench guy play b/c the star picked up a few cheapies. I hate when a good player gets two quick ones and sits for 10 minutes or more. SInce it is only once a game, it would not lead to an orgy (2nd time I used that word!) of hacking, but could make crunch time more fun.
RESULT-improved play

6. Crack down on travelling like they have on palming (which is working, I believe). Watch Redd or Rip come off a screen and take 5 steps. It's almost comical. I believe the casual fan likes college more mainly for the open disregard for the basic rules. Calling an NBA game is rough, I know-but refs intentionally ignore this basic rule. 2 steps-that's it. Players would adjust.
RESULT-purer play, bring back more casual fans

OTHER
7. This one is easy, an NBA Hall of Fame (tiered, like Simmons' idea for baseball would be best). The Basketball Hall of Fame is fine, but I don't care about a Russian coach from the 80's. Make 5 tiers (All time greats/legends/superstars/allstars/stars) and let the debate begin.
RESULT-more interest

8. Reseed the playoffs-division winners only get an automatic berth-not a top 4 one like now. I know Stern likes the idea of division winners, but no one else cares. I want the best teams playing in late May.
Result-better playoffs

9. Change the lottery system slightly. Instead of the top 3 picks, then the next 11 slotted, go to a lottery (same odds) for the top 5 picks. That way, tanking and getting the best record only assures a top 6 pick. Small change, but might help at the end of the year. Plus, teams at the back of the lottery have a better chance of getting lucky and moving up, making mediocre teams decent faster.
RESULT-improved play (or maybe the same tanking?)

10. Cut the schedule to 76 games (and pay accordingly). 4 games with each division foe (16 total), 3 with rest of conference (30 total) and 2 with other conference (30 total). That makes 76. 6 games might not seem like much, but that's 6 fewer back-to-backs, resulting in more rest, harder play and fewer injuries.
RESULT-improved play

A BONUS-contract Memphis and Atlanta, buy out their owners and spread their talent around. RESULT-HUGE increase in quality of play. Never happen, but a dream

[Action Paxson]

I disagree with 5 and 10 but the rest are great ideas. 5 just doesn't seem logical and 10 takes away profit. Kudos on a great thread though.

Also, I feel like number 3 may increase the irresponsible spending of NBA teams but it would definitely help a lot of teams. It would most importantly increase the pool of teams with cap space thus making unrestricted free-agency less pointless, which IMO is very important. In the last 3 off-seasons there have been 4 unrestricted free-agents to change teams and sign for over 10 million per year: Larry Hughes, Peja Stojakovic, Ben Wallace, and Rashard Lewis. All these players are pretty bad IMO with the exception of Lewis but the truly great players never switch teams unless there is a trade. I understand wanting to protect teams but in reality they are being done no favors by forcing them to overpay their "star" who will keep them in mediocrity.

The NBA must do something to make it easier to make players change teams, and do so before they are too old to be productive anymore. I'm not sure that I like how current teams can offer more than other teams. That is stupid and unlike any other sport or any other business.

Players are being unrestricted free-agents for the first time in their careers and they are already past their prime.

I also love number 9 because it will decrease tanking and will also increase the likelihood of having impact rookies in the playoffs.

[dougthonus]

1: The league wouldn't penalize bad teams financially for being bad. This would make it even harder to ever not be bad, as the good teams already are going to be swimming in revenues. It makes no sense from a business situation.

2: I would love to get rid of BYC deals as well and all salary matching deals in S&Ts. The current rules penalize average salary teams because they can't use any cap space and they dont' have a lot of good salary to trade either. I'd rather tier the luxury tax, so that there are 3 tax levels instead, so that the tax becomes the cap more so than the trading rules effecting the cap.

3: I'd love to let teams do this anytime they want. Any player who is bought out or waived counts on the cap, but not on the luxury tax. Would give teams a bit more flexibility.

4: I wouldn't mind such a change, but that's pretty drastic, and I can't see it ever being implemented.

5: I don't like this rule at all. It just allows more thugs really.

6: There's not nearly as much traveling as people think. I think most people don't understand the concept of the jump stop / jump hop which only counts as a step.

7: In general, I'd love to just have a pure NBA hall of fame. The basketball hall of fame is filled with college coaches. Like 50% of the people in it are college coaches. I think this would have to be the worst HOF ever to go to.

8: I would just seed based on straight records, not sure if that's what you mean or if you mean reseed after each round (which I don't like).

9: Hate this idea. I think NBA lottery is nearly perfect to be honest. People complain about it, but most of the time tanking teams get screwed. I'd hate the idea that in 70% of the drafts that there aren't clear stars the worst team (who really needs help) is only even with everyone else to get a top 5 pick and probably gets a pick at 6 where they aren't necessarily likely to get help. People get too upset about the distribution of super star players, someone has to get these guys.

10: 6 fewer games would be good, but owners will never do that.

Bonus: If they contract 2 teams teh regular season would be even more of a joke. 16 teams make the playoffs and 12 don't?

[NLK]

how about cloning guys like Jordan, Magic, Bird, Pippen, all the HOFers. Then wait like 20 yrs. And BOOM! it'll be the NBA best of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. None of this fundamentals flawed 2000s group.

[TrueBullFan]

what about making the playoff shorter. Go back to the first rd being best out of 5.

[dflaschberger]

Surprise that no one likes teh 7th foul rule. Since it's once a game, with a tech involved (it would almost always come up in the 4th Q) it might help

My lux tax tier doesn't hurt bad teams (it stays where it is for the bottom 5), it helps teams as their play improves.

The court wider is my favorite

As for 6 games less, players would have to take an 8% cut for the fewer games, helping defer the revenue loss

Finally, there is ALOT of travelling. Bascially, you can pick up your pivot foot but can't put it back down (think of the steps in a layup). Then watch a game. I honestly believe there are 30-50 travels a game un called. It is VERY bothering to non-NBA fans, turns them off

[DuckIII]

Very interesting ideas. Kudos to the OP.

First, I absolutely hate the 7th foul idea. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

Second, I love the ideas of widening the court (its really the only change to the NBA that I really feel strongly about) but I'd do it by 2 feet, not 1 foot.

I'm also a fan of having an NBA Hall of Fame. I actually like the idea of a "basketball" Hall of Fame though. It praises the game itself moreso than a specific league - in theory. However, in practice it has basically become a college men's basketball coach hall of fame, which is extraordinarily lame. If they had hadled it correctly, a global hall of fame regardless of level, sex, or country would be awesome. But they didn't handle it correctly.

The rest of them are interesting and though-provoking, but I'll pass.

[dougthonus]

My lux tax tier doesn't hurt bad teams (it stays where it is for the bottom 5), it helps teams as their play improves.

I'm not sure what you mean by changing the tax as your team is better after reading it again, but giving it a second read I definitely misread it. Either way, owners want cost certainty, so it's not a rule that they would likely ever change to base tax on record in any way.

[dougthonus]

Finally, there is ALOT of travelling. Bascially, you can pick up your pivot foot but can't put it back down (think of the steps in a layup). Then watch a game. I honestly believe there are 30-50 travels a game un called. It is VERY bothering to non-NBA fans, turns them off

I've watched a ton of plays I thought were traveling in slow mo, and then when I watch them they aren't travel calls.

I had figured you were discussing drives though. Are you discussing guys posting up and switching pivot feet? I've never really looked at that is closely.

[Leslie Forman]

I'd like to see the NBA adopt FIBA's stance on goaltending

[Leslie Forman]

I'd like to see the NBA adopt FIBA's stance on goaltending

[dougthonus]

I agree. I'd also hate to see them pull the Bull off the rim. I'm not sure if FIBA players are that much more athletic or what, but that would really limit a whole ton of points.

[Leslie Forman]

I absolutely hate that rule. It negates shooters touch. Being able to put the ball on the rim softly is a significant skill.

So are boxing out and offensive rebounding. Anything that results in lessening the impact of officials but doesn't have a huge impact on overall scoring (it's really not that big a deal in other leagues) is a good thing IMO.

[dflaschberger]

the thing with my increasing lux tax is it's season by season, so it's NOT a long term planning tool. But, it would stop very good teams from having to dump a key guy for $ reasons.

No one likes the 7th foul rule? That is the KIRK rule, no more "right to the bench" with 2 quick ones.

As for travelling-watch guys come off screens and catch. It's funny how many steps they take.
I'm telling you, casual fans hate that, and that drives them away

[Addicted123]

10. Cut the schedule to 76 games (and pay accordingly). 4 games with each division foe (16 total), 3 with rest of conference (30 total) and 2 with other conference (30 total). That makes 76. 6 games might not seem like much, but that's 6 fewer back-to-backs, resulting in more rest, harder play and fewer injuries.
RESULT-improved play

I would cut it to 50-60 games and make the playoffs a 3-3-5-5 format with only 12 teams making the playoffs.

Make the games mean something like the NFL. Would football be the #1 sport if they played a 24 game season and allowed 8 teams in the playoffs with best of 3 formats?

Shorten the season. The league will thrive as the game gets more competitive instead of the usual sleep-walk most players take.

[DuckIII]

-= original quote snipped =-



I would cut it to 50-60 games and make the playoffs a 3-3-5-5 format with only 12 teams making the playoffs.

Make the games mean something like the NFL. Would football be the #1 sport if they played a 24 game season and allowed 8 teams in the playoffs with best of 3 formats?

Shorten the season. The league will thrive as the game gets more competitive instead of the usual sleep-walk most players take.

Absolutely not. Right now I have a virtually built in free pass from spending quality time with my wife and kids 82 times a year in 2.5 hour blocks. I'm willing to give up even one of those, let alone 20-30 of them.

Don't be crazy. Don't shorten the season. Don't you dare. My already shaky state of mental and emotional health depends on it.

[Cliff Levingston]

1. Lux Tax change-make it a tiered tax. The bottom 5 teams pay the same now. The next five pay at $1 or $1.5 higher; teams 11-15 another step up.
Why-Look at the Suns and the Spurs. KThomas and Scola could have helped them but they were afraid of the lux tax. They are successful, so reward it. Great teams need depth-and great teams make for a great season. This would not lead to an orgy of spending, but another $6 or $9 million for top teams would allow them one more solid veteran.
Finally, this would not cause too much overspending, b/c the extra freedom would change year by year.
Finally/finally, this might prove a nice incentive at the end of the year to avoid tanking. The GM could pressure a coach to play his best guys to jump up to the next level to avoid a tax hit.
RESULT-improved play all around

Cliff Levingston votes for no tax. Make the current luxury tax threshold the new hard cap and make the current "salary cap" figure the point at which you can spend money on free agents (as much as you want vs. only the MLE/LLE). The luxury tax gives too big an advantage to owners willing to spend over the limit, which are few and far between. Portland has basically been able to completely rebuild largely because of this, Boston was able to trade all their young guys for 3 stars because of it and New York would be the kings of the NBA (if they had a competent GM) because they can spend so much.

This would help to even out the NBA a bit more, cut down on some of the big contracts for mediocre players and lead to more discretion in how teams are assembled.

2. No more Base Year rule for trading contracts. Fans love trades, the media loves trades, players usually like a change (mainly unhappy or underused players are traded).
Instead of this rule about team moving a BY player only getting 1/2 value back the team that deals him would pay the player a 10% kicker.
I think GMs sometimes use the BY clause to avoid trades b/c their cowards.
RESULT-more trades/more interest/improved play

Agreed. Make a guy restricted via the Poison Pill status if he signs a big extension, but then get rid of the BYC provision afterwards.

3. Every 5 year period a team can cut a player and his salary would come off the cap. This would allow for a little more movement. Players still get paid, and could sign elsewhere. Since it's only once every 5 years, it would not be abused, but a do-over could help many teams.
RESULT-improved play by cutting dead weight

The Player's Union would shoot this down so fast it wouldn't even be funny, plus stupid GM's shouldn't awarded a do-over. Cliff Levingston would only add something that allows teams to get out from under guaranteed contracts for injured guys like Ratliff, Miles, Penny Hardaway (way back when), Grant Hill. It's not the team's fault that he's hurt so they shouldn't have their salary cap destroyed.

GAME CHANGES
4. widen the court by 1 foot on each side. This one makes a lot of sense. SO MANY times players step out in that corner-at least once a game (slowing down the flow). Plus, one more foot (with the same 3 pt. distance) would spread the court and allow more lanes for drives. I believe each arena could stretch teh court a foot and not lose the $ seats.
RESULT-improved play

Good idea, but also shorten the length of the court by a couple feet too. It wouldn't make teams run faster, but they would change ends faster be default, making the game a little more exciting to the fans.

5. Allow a once-a-game 7th foul for ONE player per team. The team would give up a technical. I pay to see the stars, not some bench guy play b/c the star picked up a few cheapies. I hate when a good player gets two quick ones and sits for 10 minutes or more. SInce it is only once a game, it would not lead to an orgy (2nd time I used that word!) of hacking, but could make crunch time more fun.
RESULT-improved play

Horrible idea. To solve this, just get rid of the ticky tack hand check fouls.

6. Crack down on travelling like they have on palming (which is working, I believe). Watch Redd or Rip come off a screen and take 5 steps. It's almost comical. I believe the casual fan likes college more mainly for the open disregard for the basic rules. Calling an NBA game is rough, I know-but refs intentionally ignore this basic rule. 2 steps-that's it. Players would adjust.
RESULT-purer play, bring back more casual fans

It's not as bad as you make it sound.

OTHER
7. This one is easy, an NBA Hall of Fame (tiered, like Simmons' idea for baseball would be best). The Basketball Hall of Fame is fine, but I don't care about a Russian coach from the 80's. Make 5 tiers (All time greats/legends/superstars/allstars/stars) and let the debate begin.
RESULT-more interest

This doesn't really help the NBA product at all, so Cliff Levingston could care less.

8. Reseed the playoffs-division winners only get an automatic berth-not a top 4 one like now. I know Stern likes the idea of division winners, but no one else cares. I want the best teams playing in late May.
Result-better playoffs

Agreed: get rid of divisions cause they mean absolutely nothing in the NBA and just go with two conferences. Then you can simply seed the teams by record.

9. Change the lottery system slightly. Instead of the top 3 picks, then the next 11 slotted, go to a lottery (same odds) for the top 5 picks. That way, tanking and getting the best record only assures a top 6 pick. Small change, but might help at the end of the year. Plus, teams at the back of the lottery have a better chance of getting lucky and moving up, making mediocre teams decent faster.
RESULT-improved play (or maybe the same tanking?)

The lottery system is fine as it is.

10. Cut the schedule to 76 games (and pay accordingly). 4 games with each division foe (16 total), 3 with rest of conference (30 total) and 2 with other conference (30 total). That makes 76. 6 games might not seem like much, but that's 6 fewer back-to-backs, resulting in more rest, harder play and fewer injuries.
RESULT-improved play

The owners would NEVER go for this. You could quite easily accomplish what you're looking for by simply extending the season by a week or two (starting in mid October instead of at the end).

A BONUS-contract Memphis and Atlanta, buy out their owners and spread their talent around. RESULT-HUGE increase in quality of play. Never happen, but a dream

Sure; why not?

[dflaschberger]

Cliff- Owners might go for 10 if players took a cut (seems fair-less work/less pay)

As for lottery, the tanking was bad last year. I'm not saying my idea is perfect, but it might help

as for cutting deals, the team would still pay the player, just not count against them. Players would LOVE this

[Cliff Levingston]

as for cutting deals, the team would still pay the player, just not count against them. Players would LOVE this

That's not bad.

[dougthonus]

The Player's Union would shoot this down so fast it wouldn't even be funny, plus stupid GM's shouldn't awarded a do-over. Cliff

The players union should love the change of allowing guys to be waived (but still get paid) and have the players come off the cap. It would basically have the effect of making owners spend a ton more money because it would free up the deals of the waived players in cap space.

As for travelling-watch guys come off screens and catch. It's funny how many steps they take.
I'm telling you, casual fans hate that, and that drives them away

The casual fan doesn't understand what a travel is though. They think most plays which aren't travels are travels.

Probably the most common form of real traveling in the NBA is when a guy had the ball and moves his pivot foot before starting his dribble. (the ball has to be out of your hand before you move your feet, and often guys will lift their pivot foot slightly before releasing the ball to get a better dribbling angle).

The most common complained about travel call is when a guy takes a step then a jump hop and people think it's a travel when it isn't.