Biggest Problem Facing the League?

[KembaWalker]

Look up who defended him on how many shots and what the percentages were. Then edit your post.

Doesn't really change or affect my opinion, if the DPOY PG is gonna get taken out of the game while his team gets cooked by an opposing PG by simple switching then defenders need more tools. Or offenses need fewer (ie call moving screens). Same thing

This is the single worst take on defense in the history of the world. Nobody has a man in the nba........ if you say man you need to never speak of the sport again without studying.

Learn to read. Teams have to switch because offenses are allowed to illegally screen every possession. Basically why we are in this current era of basketball thanks to the Warriors and every single team runs the same 2 sets every time down the floor. NBA defenses need more tools or offenses need less tools. Sorry this went above your comprehension level

[Doctor MJ]

But, nothing is ever perfect. What do you think the biggest problem facing the league is right now?

So I said "bad refs", but I'd prefer not to use that wording. What I'm seeing are refs who can clearly see that they are being manipulated by the players but can't seem to help but give the players what they want. I think the NBA needs a philosophical shift in its officiating where it's considered completely acceptable if miss a foul call while a flopper is flopping. Try to get every call right of course, but make sure you no longer give flopping the benefit of the doubt.

I almost chose superteams, but the truth is that we might be finding a healthier equilibrium going forward just naturally given the way some of these superteams have failed. Or we might not, in which case this may soon become the biggest issue for me.

The problem is flopping is 90% of the time the result of a REAL FOUL! So how do we address that? Sure a good number of flops are total bull but most are real fouls and players demanding they get the foul called because they were legit fouled!

Announce the new philosophy in the off-season. Tell the players what to expect, follow through when they challenge you.

This will absolutely result in some guys not get calls they should have gotten at first, because habits are habits, but if you just stick through the inevitable outcries when this happens, the players will adapt to play more effectively in the new landscape.

Also to be clear, if you're thinking that some fouls are so hard that it may actually look like the flop is trying to look like. What to do with that ambiguity? As I said, you're trying to get every call correct, we're just pointing the benefit of the doubt the other way from where it has gotten magnetically drawn to. If you saw the foul, it doesn't matter what play acting he does afterward, but it's important not to feel pressured into calling the foul simply because a guy is play acting. And right now, refs absolutely feel that pressure.

[dhsilv2]

Doesn't really change or affect my opinion, if the DPOY PG is gonna get taken out of the game while his team gets cooked by an opposing PG by simple switching then defenders need more tools. Or offenses need fewer (ie call moving screens). Same thing

This is the single worst take on defense in the history of the world. Nobody has a man in the nba........ if you say man you need to never speak of the sport again without studying.

Learn to read. Teams have to switch because offenses are allowed to illegally screen every possession. Basically why we are in this current era of basketball thanks to the Warriors and every single team runs the same 2 sets every time down the floor. NBA defenses need more tools or offenses need less tools. Sorry this went above your comprehension level

If you're the DPOY then you should be impact the rotations from those screens and switches. if you're not then you're not a great defender. Learn to THINK!

[AussieBuck]

Flopping and illegal screens so I guess the refs.

[Yuri Vaultin]

Not bad refs persay, but consistency of the refs. All fouls should be fouls, travels should be travels etc. The name on the back of the jersey or team on the front should EVER factor in. A game should be called the same at the beginning of a game as it's called in the last 30 seconds. Refs shouldn't care what the score is.

Just call games and players the same and the product will grow and improve.

I'm thinking of Towns a week or so ago when the refs put their whistle away because he was in foul trouble which led to him getting away with blatant fouls. Sports rules should be black and white. Also flopping players should be punished in a draconian fashion. Take points from a team and reverse results if they win via a flop - it is cheating and I've wanted FIFA to go this route for far too long.

/rant

[NZB2323]

The games in round one just had the highest ratings in 3 years. The league is doing fine.

[jlokine]

political talk has died down because it's not an election year.

if people (americans) dont think that americans have to be the best at everything, you'd stop caring that the there are more international players at the top... i really dont care where luka or giannis is from.. i dont understand people's obsession with a player on your local team and what passport they have.. we're not talking about the national team right now. if you want to talk about it from FIBA or Olympics stand point, sure.

[syrus3]

The incessant whining about 82 games being too much!

I do not want less basketball!

Just get rid of the back to backs and that’s it.

Cutting games will not prevent injuries.

There should be 4 All-NBA teams.

More marketing around teams. TNT/TBS used to have the best intros with many stars. Plus bring back the Inside The NBA type shows and stick it on NBA TV.

[pipfan]

Looks like how the game is called is the runaway-I wonder if casual fans think the same? That's where the league makes its $, not with diehards like us

[Sothron]

Too much three point shooting. I want to see the low post game back in the NBA.

[Patches Perry]

A looming problem is lack of diversity in style of play. Every team seems to heading towards a similar style of play and similar players at every position. It's tough because that style is beautiful, but if everyone is doing it, it might become boring. Part of the fun used to be the clash of styles.

Overall I think the league is in great shape though, I don't see any of the listed problems as big issues.

[Mephariel]

A looming problem is lack of diversity in style of play. Every team seems to heading towards a similar style of play and similar players at every position. It's tough because that style is beautiful, but if everyone is doing it, it might become boring. Part of the fun used to be the clash of styles.

Overall I think the league is in great shape though, I don't see any of the listed problems as big issues.

This would be my pick, but looking at the ratings, I don't think it really affects it that much.

I just can't get into this generation of stars. Ant-Man, Ja, Cade...none of the have like a signature style to me. Maybe Ja. But Ant-Man and Cade still feel like a poorer version of previous stars.

[PlayerUp]

Went with refs as well here.

They control the game.

Adding the ability for a team to challenge 1 play per game is a solid addition but they need to do more here. Maybe change the rule so that if a team challenges the call and wins they get to keep their challenge and make additional challenges until they finally lose a challenge with a limit per quarter or limit when they can re-challenge again.

[AussieCeltic]

This is the single worst take on defense in the history of the world. Nobody has a man in the nba........ if you say man you need to never speak of the sport again without studying.

Learn to read. Teams have to switch because offenses are allowed to illegally screen every possession. Basically why we are in this current era of basketball thanks to the Warriors and every single team runs the same 2 sets every time down the floor. NBA defenses need more tools or offenses need less tools. Sorry this went above your comprehension level

If you're the DPOY then you should be impact the rotations from those screens and switches. if you're not then you're not a great defender. Learn to THINK!

I wonder how he feels after todays game. Seems as though marcus locked up Kyrie

[TheWhiteMamba]

The biggest problem imho is Simmons-like situations (where a player simply refuse to play for the franchise paying him). The ideal solution (tough it's not applicable with the current CBA) is that the team submit an application to the commissioner, and when the commissioner approve it, the contract of the player is voided, and the player is banned from the NBA for the entire original duration of that contract (so in the case of Ben Simmons, he'll lose something around 140million $ and can't play for another team in NBA before 2025.

The other main problems are:
1) really low interest in Regular Season (they have to bring back some defense and toughness allowing players to be a little more physical especially on the perimeter)

[Da ThRONe]

Too many regular season games is clearly the answer here. Most fans are too busy to even watch every game for their favorite teams(this includes me). The cat is out of the bag teams understand the concept of resting guys and now they don't even take many RS games serious.

[floppymoose]

7-Potential Lockout looming

oh god stop... you're killin me!

[Statlanta]

Load Management. People might use Doncic's, Booker's and Middleton's injuries as even more excuses to load manage. Players need to play.

[MemphisX]

I think the league is probably the healthiest it has been ever. I think there will be about 20 teams entering this offseason that think they can make moves to make the conference finals. It has NEVER been like this. Fans will always find something to complain about within the game.

[TheLand13]

Injuries. Easily.