ATL - Bledsoe signs with the Suns for 5/$70

[Chapter29]

I think the FT idea is terrible. Just make the time to shoot less and enforce it.

[emunney]

The FT idea is terrible. 1) the game speed is fine and 2) the problem is with the fouls called, not the shooting process


All we're going to get is lower FT% across the board. Simply allowing a team to decline the attempts in favor of a new possession makes more sense.

Love that idea.

[Nebula1]

The FT idea is terrible. 1) the game speed is fine and 2) the problem is with the fouls called, not the shooting process


All we're going to get is lower FT% across the board. Simply allowing a team to decline the attempts in favor of a new possession makes more sense.

Love that idea.

Someday.. and like we've discussed before, I still hope to eliminate fouling out yet increasing the severity of the team foul penalty.

Widen the court.

Have all teams play the same # of B2B games (or reduce total games played to eliminate B2Bs). And if playing a B2B, the opponent should also be playing a B2B.

Adjust the draft to snake style.

Take the overall top 16 teams from both conferences for the NBA tournament (while reducing regular season inter-conference games to breed unfamiliarity).


That is my NBA wish list.

[Nowak008]

Someday.. and like we've discussed before, I still hope to eliminate fouling out yet increasing the severity of the team foul penalty.

I don't have a strong opinion either way on that rule, but since you have been championing the idea for so long, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and make that my official position too.

My NBA wish list-

1 on 1 tournament for All Star Game
Mid Season Tourney - with a prize for the winner - such as guaranteed 4th seed/playoff spot
Adopt Bill Simmons Entertaining as hell tourney
Not have the same 8 teams play on nationally televised games.
Penalize 100 lottery balls if a team fails to win 20 games.
Play doesn't stop for substitutions.

[raferfenix]

Wow, I honestly don't think [Simmons] would have any problem getting funded. He is the Aaron Rodgers of ESPN employees and he has personally head up the development of Grantland and the 30 for 30 series. The guy has talent, connections, an engaging personality, and great ideas. He also must have an eye for talent. I think this will probably happen eventually just due to ego and it would make for an interesting story to follow. I wonder what happens when he gets back. Do they act like it never happened? Is he forced to make a formal on air apology?

Agreed. ESPN was very smart to give him an unprecedented outlet at Grantland to stave this off before.

I can't see Simmons acting like it never happened after directly daring them to challenge him. Maybe he doesn't "go public" with new information as he indicated, but it should be addressed.

That said, ESPN has to handle this carefully too since Bill's contract is up next year, and he presumably has no shortage of VC's who would want to invest in a project that would directly compete with ESPN in some fashion.

[Nebula1]

Someday.. and like we've discussed before, I still hope to eliminate fouling out yet increasing the severity of the team foul penalty.

I don't have a strong opinion either way on that rule, but since you have been championing the idea for so long, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and make that my official position too.

My NBA wish list-

1 on 1 tournament for All Star Game
Mid Season Tourney - with a prize for the winner - such as guaranteed 4th seed/playoff spot
Adopt Bill Simmons Entertaining as hell tourney
Not have the same 8 teams play on nationally televised games.
Penalize 100 lottery balls if a team fails to win 20 games.
Play doesn't stop for substitutions.

The problem with Simmons' tournament is that it will likely reveal the champion early. I'm not sure it's necessary if the NBA went to a broad tournament format for the championship.

I love a 1 on 1 idea but I can't imagine it would ever happen. I also love a 2 on 2 NBA Jam thing.

Totally agree on rotating new teams into the national spotlight. The NFL is very good at this.

Not stopping play for subs is kind of fascinating and something I've never considered. I'm going to meditate on that just because it's an awesome suggestion.

[AussieBuck]

Players would scramble on and off the court depending on whether they were defensive players or scorers. Let's not turn a beautiful game into that silly form of rugby you guys like.

[FrieAaron]

The FT idea is terrible. 1) the game speed is fine and 2) the problem is with the fouls called, not the shooting process


All we're going to get is lower FT% across the board. Simply allowing a team to decline the attempts in favor of a new possession makes more sense.

Why would FT% lower? Increased pressure?

[Nebula1]

Players would scramble on and off the court depending on whether they were defensive players or scorers. Let's not turn a beautiful game into that silly form of rugby you guys like.

On the surface it seems like it would be a total mess, but hockey pulls it off in a very fluid manner. I just think it's an incredible suggestion to consider. I like out there stuff.


On a total shift of topic, I'm very curious about a Bucks trade with Atlanta. These guys have a decent squad but could use a bump.

How about Kris Middleton & Nate Wolters for Dennis Schroder?

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=kwfsazv

[Nebula1]

The FT idea is terrible. 1) the game speed is fine and 2) the problem is with the fouls called, not the shooting process


All we're going to get is lower FT% across the board. Simply allowing a team to decline the attempts in favor of a new possession makes more sense.

Why would FT% lower? Increased pressure?

Less attempts, rhythm and increased pressure. That's just a guess though since I imagine the splits between a first FT attempt and a second has to show a higher success rate on the second.

[KidA24]

Players would scramble on and off the court depending on whether they were defensive players or scorers. Let's not turn a beautiful game into that silly form of rugby you guys like.

On the surface it seems like it would be a total mess, but hockey pulls it off in a very fluid manner. I just think it's an incredible suggestion to consider. I like out there stuff.


On a total shift of topic, I'm very curious about a Bucks trade with Atlanta. These guys have a decent squad but could use a bump.

How about Kris Middleton & Nate Wolters for Dennis Schroeder?

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=kwfsazv

Umm.... Middleton is the best player in that group...

[drew881]

The FT idea is terrible. 1) the game speed is fine and 2) the problem is with the fouls called, not the shooting process


All we're going to get is lower FT% across the board. Simply allowing a team to decline the attempts in favor of a new possession makes more sense.

Love that idea.

This idea is interesting, but I figure it will slow the game down as well. How long does a coach have to decide whether or not to shoot the FTs? Will that be closely enforced, and if someone is taking too long to decide, what is the penalty? If it is anything like the other time limits with an NBA game, it probably will be abused. You are simply adding another stoppage.

All sports have their areas where players take longer than we would like. I agree that calling fewer fouls is the answer. Especially charge/blocking/flopping fouls, a lot of the pumpfaking and drawing contact fouls, and the aggressive ball pressure calls. Just stop calling a lot of these both ways and you won't have players trying to job the system.

Also, I get where you would decline attempts (down by 3 with little time left/bad FT shooter). I would rather just have a situation where with under a minute you can decline in favor of a new possession. That is the only point of the game where I think it truly effects the sportsmanship of the game, and eliminates anti-climactic strategy of fouling someone before they can attempt a 3.

[Nebula1]

How about Kris Middleton & Nate Wolters for Dennis Schroder?

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=kwfsazv

Umm.... Middleton is the best player in that group...

I'm not sure he's the best prospect, however. Bucks need a point guard, Hawks could use a 2/3 and I think Middleton could possibly start for them with Korver. Wolters replaces their PG reserve.

I think it's a very interesting trade if you take off the Bucks homer glasses. Schroder has some serious potential.

[Nebula1]

The FT idea is terrible. 1) the game speed is fine and 2) the problem is with the fouls called, not the shooting process


All we're going to get is lower FT% across the board. Simply allowing a team to decline the attempts in favor of a new possession makes more sense.

Love that idea.

This idea is interesting, but I figure it will slow the game down as well. How long does a coach have to decide whether or not to shoot the FTs? Will that be closely enforced, and if someone is taking too long to decide, what is the penalty? If it is anything like the other time limits with an NBA game, it probably will be abused. You are simply adding another stoppage.

It's certainly faster than actual FT attempts and the NFL has no problem accepting or declining in a timely manner. I think it would speed things up and make the game more interesting. If Dwight Howard can't improve his FT%, then no more attempts, but also no more hack-a-Howard as a strategy. The only time basketball games actually get muddled is during end of game situations with all the fouling. This eliminates that gross strategy.

[emunney]

I don't know if it would speed the game up or not... that would likely depend on another timer and enforcement thereof. I just like the balance it brings to the game.

[Badgerlander]

Zach Lowe @ZachLowe_NBA · 2 minutes ago
Vote possibly taking place at B.O.G. later this month shows league has interest in implementing reform for the next lottery/draft.

Tweaks include decreasing odds just a bit for lotto teams with the best records, sources say. Lottery would draw top-6 picks, up from top-3

Proposal follows same general principles as the one I outlined here, with some small tweaks in the odds/percentages: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-l ... is-coming/

League sources: NBA sent memo today indicating 30 teams could vote on slightly revised lottery reform proposal at Bd of Gov later this month

[mcfromage]

Zach Lowe's piece about the 76rs use of cap space and the 1 year deal K.J. McDaniels signed is insightful reading.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/k-j-m ... contracts/

The rookie minimum salary for this season is $507,336. Every second-round pick has a one-year contract offer worth that amount sitting in front of them. Most don’t sign it, because teams don’t have to guarantee a cent of that contract. Most second-round picks know they are tenuous NBA prospects, and so they justifiably grasp at any guaranteed NBA cash they can secure right away.

McDaniels said, basically, “Screw that.” He signed that one-year offer, even though it is fully nonguaranteed. The Sixers could cut him tomorrow. McDaniels wanted to be a free agent next season, not four years from now, and so he took a short-term risk in hopes of snagging a long-term reward. It might sound hokey, but McDaniels wanted control of his destiny.

“For a gigantic percentage of the league’s players, making it is about finding the right place at the right time,” Bartelstein says. McDaniels wanted more flexibility in finding that place early in his career.1

He’s a confident kid, and the Sixers are so bad that he’s almost guaranteed huge minutes — even if Philly in theory has an incentive to sit him so McDaniels doesn’t create a robust free-agency market for himself next summer. Bartelstein expects McDaniels to play, regardless.

“Philadelphia is in the business of developing young players,” he says. “I have a difference of opinion over what I think is a good contract structure versus what they think is a good structure, but I don’t question their integrity.”

As an aside, a healthy portion of the league broke out the snark applause when the McDaniels story broke. The Sixers are going to extremes in rebuilding, and as happens with most radicals, their tactics have engendered distaste. Philly has signed only one free-agency contract above the minimum in two summers since Hinkie arrived, and even that deal, a four-year, $4.2 million contract with Darius Morris, carried only $200,000 guaranteed and was barely above the minimum.

They have the most cap room in the league, and they’re not using it. How do you think agents feel when a team that could provide negotiating leverage sits out free agency? Some executives at other teams are fired up about Philly’s extreme tanking. Some of that anger comes from a heartfelt concern over competitive spirit and the league’s image. Some of it is envy. Hinkie’s bosses have green-lit an unprecedented multiyear exercise in losing that guarantees him long-term job security few GMs ever see.

And that plan isn’t crazy, or wrong. It’s an extreme use of rules available to anyone. Other teams have selectively tanked individual seasons, but shied away from extended losing in fear of alienating fans, losing customers, and falling deep into the red. Philly hasn’t fallen into the red yet, and it appears unconcerned about other possible consequences.

[Badgerlander]

Chad Ford @chadfordinsider · 11 minutes ago
Next step for NBA: Structuring draft day like NFL. 15 mins between picks + allowing trades to happen in real time on draft night.

Chad Ford @chadfordinsider · 14m 14 minutes ago
New Draft Combine format plus push for lottery reform shows Adam Silver is serious about improving the NBA Draft process. All good news.

Zach Lowe @ZachLowe_NBA · 15 minutes ago
Under current rules, worst team has 25% chance at No. 1. Second-worst: 19.9%. Third-worst: 15.6%. Proposal would give 4 worst equal 12% odds


Zach Lowe @ZachLowe_NBA · 21 minutes ago
Four teams w/ best record would have, in order, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2.5% chance at No. 1 pick and better chance than today of moving into top-6

Zach Lowe @ZachLowe_NBA · 22 minutes ago
Proposal details: four worst teams would have equal 12 percent chance to win No. 1 pick. Worst team could fall no lower than No 7.

[paulpressey25]

Doc ( or others).please do a separate thread on new lotto. This is a very important topic for us. Needs own thread. Thx

[trwi7]

**** 15 minutes between picks. Makes the whole thing unwatchable.