Around the League: 2023-24 Season

[76ciology]

If you are playing against OKC, do you put your point guard on SGA or Giddey?

[76ciology]

[youtube] https://youtube.com/shorts/wDuT6XF059Y?si=RsxiSe3p9EscJO78[/youtube]

League’s not gonna be happy about this Jaylen

[Eyeamok]

^ Why would the league care?

[Negrodamus]

Read on Twitter

Wow, that's really, really good.

[the_process]

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Wow, that's really, really good.

Agreed, that's a damn good Chuck impression by PG13.

[76ciology]

Another cheat code move

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[GoSixersBro]

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I'm very interested in listening to this podcast after watching this type of clip but damn, I cannot for the life of me listen to people screaming over each other.

[Kobblehead]

It feels like every NBA villain has their own podcast now. Forget all these guys lol. Couldn't stand them when they played, don't want to hear their ignorant asses now that they're retired lol.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

[Negrodamus]

https://x.com/thedunkcentral/status/1698752405125361925

Was definitely in my short list before trading for Melton. Excited to see how he plays with more time.

[Eyeamok]

So it's being reported that the Warriors are having early discussions with Klay Thompson agent before his contract expires. If you don't have an agent. Is management allowed to speak directly to the player this early in the process?

[76ciology]

In recent years, the NBA has been grappling with the issue of load management, where star players are often rested during the regular season to preserve their health for the playoffs. While this strategy is effective for player longevity, it has raised concerns about its impact on regular season statistics and the value of regular season awards. Many proposed solutions involve reducing the number of games or adding in-season tournaments, but what if we could solve this issue while keeping the essence of the regular season intact?

The answer may lie in maintaining the current 82-game regular season format while making significant changes to the playoff structure. Instead of diminishing the regular season, we can elevate the excitement and competition of the regular season and the postseason.

Expanding the Playoff Field:
One solution is to expand the playoff field from the current 8 teams per conference to 12 teams. This would achieve several important goals:

Increased Competition: With more teams vying for playoff spots, the regular season would become a battleground as teams fight for position. This heightened competition ensures that every game matters, maintaining the value of regular season matchups.

Reducing Superteams: The current trend of creating super teams might decline. With more teams making the playoffs, organizations may prioritize building well-rounded rosters rather than relying solely on star power, resulting in a more balanced league.

Single-Elimination Playoff Format:
To further address the issue of load management, the playoffs could adopt a single-elimination format instead of the traditional best-of-seven series. Here's how it benefits the league:

Parity and Luck Factor: In a one-and-done scenario, the chances of upsets increase significantly. A 12th seeded team could potentially upset a top-seeded team, introducing an element of unpredictability and excitement.

Promoting Team Basketball: With the decrease need in building superteams, the game would shift away from iso and pick-and-roll-heavy styles often favored by super teams. Teams would need to emphasize teamwork, strategy, and adaptability, creating a more engaging and globally appealing brand of basketball.

Avoiding Extended Playoff Slogs: The entire playoff round, even with expanded teams, would consist of just 6-8 games at most. This is roughly 20 games (i think) fewer than the overall games of a regular NBA season, reducing the burden on players while maintaining the intensity of postseason basketball.

In conclusion, the proposed solution to the problem of load management in the NBA revolves around preserving the regular season's integrity while making the playoffs more dynamic and competitive.

By expanding the playoff field and adopting a single-elimination format, the league can strike a balance between player health and the excitement of the game.

This innovative approach ensures that the NBA remains entertaining, competitive, and true to its roots, while simultaneously addressing the load management issue.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

It’s the same problem with us.

We focused too much on TALENT but overlooked the team as a whole and other things like play style, chemistry, attitude and etc. that are needed to win.

You can keep piling the talent. Replace Harden with Anthony Edwards all we want but we wont win if we dont correct our style of playing.

We have to find ways to make everyone on the team better not just a bunch of 3&D spot up shooters and man to man defenders.

A lot of controlled chaos and movement.
Less predictability and stagnation.

Thats how the trend of how the game is played nowadays.

[Kobblehead]

Feels like this current iteration of the Thunder is the most promising yet. Shai, Giddey, and Jalen Williams are all talented, smart, and efficient players that play the game the right way. If Chet is healthy and as effective as he was in college, I do believe this team will win a title within 3 years.

Dort sticks out like a sore thumb. He's their inefficient chucker that they need to purge.

[Monix]

Feels like this current iteration of the Thunder is the most promising yet. Shai, Giddey, and Jalen Williams are all talented, smart, and efficient players that play the game the right way. If Chet is healthy and as effective as he was in college, I do believe this team will win a title within 3 years.

Dort sticks out like a sore thumb. He's their inefficient chucker that they need to purge.

leaving bigs out of the equation, you've got Gilgeous-Alexander/Giddey/Williams > Westbrook/Harden/Durant?

[the_process]

Read on Twitter

It’s the same problem with us.

We focused too much on TALENT but overlooked the team as a whole and other things like play style, chemistry, attitude and etc. that are needed to win.

You can keep piling the talent. Replace Harden with Anthony Edwards all we want but we wont win if we dont correct our style of playing.

We have to find ways to make everyone on the team better not just a bunch of 3&D spot up shooters and man to man defenders.

[b]A lot of controlled chaos and movement.['/b]
Less predictability and stagnation.

Thats how the trend of how the game is played nowadays.

But Jo does not play like that, nor does he want to.

[GoSixersBro]

Read on Twitter

It’s the same problem with us.

We focused too much on TALENT but overlooked the team as a whole and other things like play style, chemistry, attitude and etc. that are needed to win.

You can keep piling the talent. Replace Harden with Anthony Edwards all we want but we wont win if we dont correct our style of playing.

We have to find ways to make everyone on the team better not just a bunch of 3&D spot up shooters and man to man defenders.

A lot of controlled chaos and movement.
Less predictability and stagnation.

Thats how the trend of how the game is played nowadays.

I get it, but this image is dumb showing all the stars they had over a 15 year period who all peaked at different times, some played at tail ends of their careers, etc.

[mjkvol]

In recent years, the NBA has been grappling with the issue of load management, where star players are often rested during the regular season to preserve their health for the playoffs. While this strategy is effective for player longevity, it has raised concerns about its impact on regular season statistics and the value of regular season awards. Many proposed solutions involve reducing the number of games or adding in-season tournaments, but what if we could solve this issue while keeping the essence of the regular season intact?

The answer may lie in maintaining the current 82-game regular season format while making significant changes to the playoff structure. Instead of diminishing the regular season, we can elevate the excitement and competition of the regular season and the postseason.

Expanding the Playoff Field:
One solution is to expand the playoff field from the current 8 teams per conference to 12 teams. This would achieve several important goals:

Increased Competition: With more teams vying for playoff spots, the regular season would become a battleground as teams fight for position. This heightened competition ensures that every game matters, maintaining the value of regular season matchups.

Reducing Superteams: The current trend of creating super teams might decline. With more teams making the playoffs, organizations may prioritize building well-rounded rosters rather than relying solely on star power, resulting in a more balanced league.

Single-Elimination Playoff Format:
To further address the issue of load management, the playoffs could adopt a single-elimination format instead of the traditional best-of-seven series. Here's how it benefits the league:

Parity and Luck Factor: In a one-and-done scenario, the chances of upsets increase significantly. A 12th seeded team could potentially upset a top-seeded team, introducing an element of unpredictability and excitement.

Promoting Team Basketball: With the decrease need in building superteams, the game would shift away from iso and pick-and-roll-heavy styles often favored by super teams. Teams would need to emphasize teamwork, strategy, and adaptability, creating a more engaging and globally appealing brand of basketball.

Avoiding Extended Playoff Slogs: The entire playoff round, even with expanded teams, would consist of just 6-8 games at most. This is roughly 20 games (i think) fewer than the overall games of a regular NBA season, reducing the burden on players while maintaining the intensity of postseason basketball.

In conclusion, the proposed solution to the problem of load management in the NBA revolves around preserving the regular season's integrity while making the playoffs more dynamic and competitive.

By expanding the playoff field and adopting a single-elimination format, the league can strike a balance between player health and the excitement of the game.

This innovative approach ensures that the NBA remains entertaining, competitive, and true to its roots, while simultaneously addressing the load management issue.

So you propose minimizing the only part of the season where most fans really pay attention and tune in? And those one-and-done scenarios sound neat until you're left with bad teams the casual fan doesn't care enough to watch. 24 teams making the playoffs also means a lot of bad basketball teams are getting rewarded, and makes the regular season even more irrelevant. And what is the point of busting your ass to get a high seed when you can be taken out with one bad night?

The only way to make the regular season matter more is to reduce the amount of teams making the playoffs, and we know that's never happening. To me, the best solution would be to shorten the regular season to about 64-68 games, keeping players fresher and insuring that 'stars' would play more of the regular season. But rules and policies are never changed in pro sports that don't in some way enhance revenue, so none of this will ever happen.

[76ciology]

In recent years, the NBA has been grappling with the issue of load management, where star players are often rested during the regular season to preserve their health for the playoffs. While this strategy is effective for player longevity, it has raised concerns about its impact on regular season statistics and the value of regular season awards. Many proposed solutions involve reducing the number of games or adding in-season tournaments, but what if we could solve this issue while keeping the essence of the regular season intact?

The answer may lie in maintaining the current 82-game regular season format while making significant changes to the playoff structure. Instead of diminishing the regular season, we can elevate the excitement and competition of the regular season and the postseason.

Expanding the Playoff Field:
One solution is to expand the playoff field from the current 8 teams per conference to 12 teams. This would achieve several important goals:

Increased Competition: With more teams vying for playoff spots, the regular season would become a battleground as teams fight for position. This heightened competition ensures that every game matters, maintaining the value of regular season matchups.

Reducing Superteams: The current trend of creating super teams might decline. With more teams making the playoffs, organizations may prioritize building well-rounded rosters rather than relying solely on star power, resulting in a more balanced league.

Single-Elimination Playoff Format:
To further address the issue of load management, the playoffs could adopt a single-elimination format instead of the traditional best-of-seven series. Here's how it benefits the league:

Parity and Luck Factor: In a one-and-done scenario, the chances of upsets increase significantly. A 12th seeded team could potentially upset a top-seeded team, introducing an element of unpredictability and excitement.

Promoting Team Basketball: With the decrease need in building superteams, the game would shift away from iso and pick-and-roll-heavy styles often favored by super teams. Teams would need to emphasize teamwork, strategy, and adaptability, creating a more engaging and globally appealing brand of basketball.

Avoiding Extended Playoff Slogs: The entire playoff round, even with expanded teams, would consist of just 6-8 games at most. This is roughly 20 games (i think) fewer than the overall games of a regular NBA season, reducing the burden on players while maintaining the intensity of postseason basketball.

In conclusion, the proposed solution to the problem of load management in the NBA revolves around preserving the regular season's integrity while making the playoffs more dynamic and competitive.

By expanding the playoff field and adopting a single-elimination format, the league can strike a balance between player health and the excitement of the game.

This innovative approach ensures that the NBA remains entertaining, competitive, and true to its roots, while simultaneously addressing the load management issue.

So you propose minimizing the only part of the season where most fans really pay attention and tune in? And those one-and-done scenarios sound neat until you're left with bad teams the casual fan doesn't care enough to watch. 24 teams making the playoffs also means a lot of bad basketball teams are getting rewarded, and makes the regular season even more irrelevant. And what is the point of busting your ass to get a high seed when you can be taken out with one bad night?

The only way to make the regular season matter more is to reduce the amount of teams making the playoffs, and we know that's never happening. To me, the best solution would be to shorten the regular season to about 64-68 games, keeping players fresher and insuring that 'stars' would play more of the regular season. But rules and policies are never changed in pro sports that don't in some way enhance revenue, so none of this will ever happen.

Yup. Reducing the regular season to 64-68 games is a good starting point, but I'm exploring an alternative solution.

My idea is inspired by recent FIBA tournaments with this single game playoff rounds. While teams will be competing more in the regular season because

1.) Higher chances of making the playoffs (adding 2 more playoff spots).
2.) Increased potential for upsets (1-game playoff format).
3.) Homecourt advantage means more than ever.

Less competitive teams may also employ creative strategies to challenge superior teams. Intelligence, skills, and team chemistry (essential for executing complex strategies) will become more significant, shifting the focus away from the league becoming more (but it has been trending less) a talent race, as it has been for years. This format could also familiarize players and coaches with international tournaments like the World Cup or the Olympics.

In summary, this solution would transfer the intensity of 15 or more playoff games (I haven't done the exact math) to the regular season, preserving the excitement. During the playoffs, we would witness teams implementing more creative strategies, potentially evolving the game further. Since it's a one-game format, the intensity would be higher than ever.

Regular season awards wouldn't lose significance since we're still playing 82 games, and they might even gain more value. Likewise, the playoffs would retain their importance because it's all about sudden-death intensity.

[76ciology]

When was a team became a champion when it’s best player hasn’t played for his national team? Was it on 03-04 with the Pistons?