http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-nbas-new-preseason-schedule/ Seems like a pretty solid idea IMO.
It does seem like a good idea, but I'm stunned they're doing something that isn't trying to squeeze more cash out of the days (that I can see).
Seems like they are limited by the CBA in that respect; and since the revenue from the preseason is probably a rounding error for them, if it puts a better product on the floor and helps injuries, it's a good long term profitability move.
I hope they make this move, but I'll be surprised if they do. So often there's talk of changing/reforming some aspect of the game and when the smoke clears, nothing's happened. Example? There was a lot of talk about changing how the lottery is done. Result? Nothing.
I don't think that's a great example. Didn't lottery reform come within 3 or 4 votes literally 2 months ago? Silver seems like he has a ton of ideas he would like to implement. Stern had become slightly set in his ways.
I think it's a great example. Moving NBA owners can be like leaning your shoulder against the Great Pyramid and expecting it to move, in my humble opinion. I wish Silver luck. He's really going to need it in order to make significant changes.
Maybe the trade off in their mind is this will get people talking about the NBA earlier. Most fans, even good fans, don't really care about the preseason.
If they follow through, the NFL will seem even more ridiculous trying to ADD games to an already brutal sport. I hope this goes through.
They will probably pitch it to the owners as "season ticket prices stay the same", and snce season ticket holders are the only ones that really pay for preseason, they are just out the concession etc revenue. Then they will use the fewer games as another bargaining chip against the players next round of labor strife.
A small step--- but the only one the owners will allow. 82 games for an up and down physical sport like basketball is still asking for trouble. The ultimate goal for me, to make the regular season worth watching and increase the quality of the NBA brand, is gettin ta 62 regular season games. There are enough people who are paying for 41 home games no matter how boring the game is, or the risk of injury to fatigued players, so it's a pipe dream but the regular season is too damn long.
I'm thinking less b2b means better national tv distribution for teams. more ops to get the marque match-ups nationally. more viewers, more money. maybe that's the money play here.
So i'm guessing they don't want to shorten the regular season schedule...they should and they should weigh the schedule like baseball. Would it be a good idea to give teams bye weeks? If they're going to make the season longer, might as well give them a second break, a real one, since many players still participate in ASW.
You mean having a one-game playoff between #8 vs #9 and then winner plays the #1 seed in the playoffs. I'm ok with that.
NBA is finally realizing this as some of their star phenom's begin to fall apart due to their own rigorous schedule the summer international competition. The NBA would be a much better sport if it would just make regular season more meaningful without the marathon B.S. Increase quarters to 15 minutes, add 3 more roster spots for each team, reduce the schedule to 30 or 40 games per season. Each team plays 2 games per week, plenty of rest for all players in between games. Ban players who are known floppers, bring back full contact rules on the perimeter, contract 3 or 4 teams and spread the talent from those teams evenly throughout the remainder of the league. BOOM. The NBA will rival the NFL in popularity once that happens.
in part, i think its occurring because the players are for the first time openly complaining about it, gone is David Stern's "if the players are willing to take a paycut", with that influx, yeah they are. The Spurs haven't helped it, with Duncan's "yeah i took a paycut but i've got multiple additional years out of it"
