How to fix the NBA

[I-39]

Regardless of what one may think, if we face the facts, the NBA is gosh-awful right now. They are in dire need of reform to make it more competitive (more parity) and interesting. I feel like they are in a state of denial over how bad they are. Nonetheless, how would you go about fixing it if you had the power to? Here are my ideas. 

1. Fix the draft process. The talent coming out of the NBA draft has been gosh awful over the last 4 or so years. Mostly because of the dumb one-and-done college rule. Most of the young kids coming out of college aren't ready for the NBA when they are drafted. So in order to have more NBA ready players that can contribute right away to teams, the NBA ought to raise the draft age to 21 or three years removed from High School graduation (though I would settle for 20 or two years removed, like in the NFL, three would be better). This would also help make college basketball more interesting. The other part about the draft that needs fixing is to fix the draft lottery process to discourage tanking. Increase the odds of the lower teams of getting into the top 3. This would discourage tanking. Finally, get rid of draft pick protections. If you trade a draft pick, you should have to run the risk of having it get into the top 3, so you better play well down the stretch (this would also discourage tanking).

2. Either institute a hard salary cap or allow the NBA to veto collusion free agent moves (such as LeBron to Miami, Durant to Golden State, etc). This would help the talent be spread out more around the league, thus, increasing chances of other teams competing for titles rather than the usual two dominant teams.

3. Fix the playoffs. Either abolish conferences and make it so the top eight teams in the league play for the title (this would ensure you actually have to fight for a playoff spot) or get rid of the 7-8 seeds in both conferences. Right now, over half the league makes the playoffs, it is very easy to get in (especially if you are in the East). Yet, unless you are a top 3 seed, you in practice don't have a chance of winning the title. Only 1 team that has been lower than a 3rd seed has won the title since the current playoff format was instituted in 1983-84 (and that would be the 1994-95 Houston Rockets, who were a 47-35 6th seed, but were a lot better than their record indicated, as they struggled with injuries and inconsistent play early on). Having the best teams go at it in a top eight teams in the league playoff format would be much better. 

Any other ideas? 

[Roadgeekteen]

I agree with you, basketball is so damm boring. If you thought the pats dominance was boring...

[Henry]

I like those ideas. Then again, most, if not all, of the same problems exist in MLB too, what with the Red Sox, Yankees, Cardinals and Dodgers making the postseason virtually every year, but every once in a while, a typical losing team comes along and shocks everybody by winning the World Series, like my Cubs did last year.

That said, I like the idea of reducing the playoff seeds from eight to six (like the NFL) and having the lowest two seeds play a wild-card series (probably make that best-of-three or five). The same thing could also apply to the NHL, even though that league will eventually create a 32nd team to balance out everything.

[I-39]

Then again, most, if not all, of the same problems exist in MLB too, what with the Red Sox, Yankees, Cardinals and Dodgers making the postseason virtually every year, but every once in a while, a typical losing team comes along and shocks everybody by winning the World Series, like my Cubs did last year.

Not really. There has been a lot more parity in the MLB over the last 15 years or so than you may think. A fair amount of Wild Card teams have won the World Series (or have even gotten to the World Series) and no team has repeated since the late 90's Yankees. My point is in the MLB, NFL and even the NHL, you have just as good of a chance of winning it all by getting into the playoffs as the top teams. In the NBA, that is not the case in practice.

[/quote]
That said, I like the idea of reducing the playoff seeds from eight to six (like the NFL) and having the lowest two seeds play a wild-card series (probably make that best-of-three or five). The same thing could also apply to the NHL, even though that league will eventually create a 32nd team to balance out everything.
[/quote]

I was thinking the top two teams get a first round bye, but the first round would be shortened to a best-of-five or even best of three.

[jp the roadgeek]

First of all, something has to be done with all this salary maneuvering that allows certain "Superteams" to be created.  Right when Durant signed with Golden State, it basically made the entire regular season and first 3 rounds of the playoffs useless because we knew that we were going to see another Cleveland/Golden State finals.  Also, as a Celtics fan, I'm a little peeved that Cleveland shut it down near the end of the regular season and let the Celtics steal the top seed in the east, then pull the ultimate rope-a-dope and blow through the playoffs like a buzzsaw. 

As for the playoffs, the problem is that mediocrity is rewarded by having sub .500 teams making the playoffs.  No sub .500 team ever makes the playoffs in baseball or hockey, and only rarely does it happen in the NFL as the result of an absolutely terrible division.  Throw out conference seeding, and the top 12 make it.  Top 4 seeds get byes.  First round becomes best of 5.  1 plays 8/9 winner, 2 plays 7/10 winner, 3 plays 6/11 winner, and 4 plays 5/12 winner.  So, this year's playoffs would have looked like this:

BYES: Golden State, San Antonio, Houston, Boston

First Round Matchups: Cleveland vs. Atlanta, Toronto vs. Memphis, LA Clippers vs. OKC, Utah vs. Washington

Yes, it would have hurt the Celtics by having to play Cleveland in the 2nd round, but it would have penalized Cleveland by having to play an extra round for taking a dive like they did. 

[I-39]

First of all, something has to be done with all this salary maneuvering that allows certain "Superteams" to be created.  Right when Durant signed with Golden State, it basically made the entire regular season and first 3 rounds of the playoffs useless because we knew that we were going to see another Cleveland/Golden State finals.  Also, as a Celtics fan, I'm a little peeved that Cleveland shut it down near the end of the regular season and let the Celtics steal the top seed in the east, then pull the ultimate rope-a-dope and blow through the playoffs like a buzzsaw. 

This is why I say they need a hard cap and the league should have the right to veto collusion free agent deals. It may not be popular with the players, but the league needs more competition.

[dvferyance]

Shorten the season a little bit to about 70-74 games. I am ok with the 16 team playoff format but shorten the first two rounds to a best of 5 instead of the best of 7. The playoffs take way too much time they go from mid April to early to mid June. That's too long reformat it so there are shorter breaks between series and the finals are done by around Memorial day weekend. That's what I would do.

[hotdogPi]

Shorten the season a little bit to about 70-74 games. I am ok with the 16 team playoff format but shorten the first two rounds to a best of 5 instead of the best of 7. The playoffs take way too much time they go from mid April to early to mid June. That's too long reformat it so there are shorter breaks between series and the finals are done by around Memorial day weekend. That's what I would do.

So 70-74 games to eliminate half, then 5 to eliminate half again, then 5 again, ...

If the regular season only eliminates half like the playoffs do, why should it be over 10x longer?

[dvferyance]

Shorten the season a little bit to about 70-74 games. I am ok with the 16 team playoff format but shorten the first two rounds to a best of 5 instead of the best of 7. The playoffs take way too much time they go from mid April to early to mid June. That's too long reformat it so there are shorter breaks between series and the finals are done by around Memorial day weekend. That's what I would do.

So 70-74 games to eliminate half, then 5 to eliminate half again, then 5 again, ...

If the regular season only eliminates half like the playoffs do, why should it be over 10x longer?

I don't understand your question. My point was slightly shorten the regular season and shorten the length of the playoffs so they don't take so long. The duration of the playoffs is almost 2 months that is too long.

[Max Rockatansky]

Maybe its just me but it seems like whenever a league has parity people complain about there not being enough dynastic level teams.  When you get teams like the Warriors and Cavaliers people complain about the inverse with there not being enough parity.  The NBA has generally always been a pretty top heavy league in virtually every era.  Just in the last three decades you had huge sports dynasties like the Spurs, Lakers, Bulls, Pistons, and Celtics.  Personally I'd rather see great teams over a watered down top level product like the NHL and NFL have become.

[DaBigE]

...slightly shorten the regular season and shorten the length of the playoffs so they don't take so long. The duration of the playoffs is almost 2 months that is too long.

^This. The playoffs are too damn long. Ideally, I could survive with a best of 3 series, but would settle for a best of 5. A dream would be to have a bracket system like the NCAA...one and done format.

I get it, the players get a good workout, but the games get very boring to watch after a while. At least baseball and football have more strategy to them, IMO, making them more interesting as time goes on. Throw in the fouling every 5 seconds towards the end of a basketball game, and the channel is guaranteed to get flipped.

[tchafe1978]

The issue with the NBA playoffs taking too long is not the number of games, it's the scheduling because of TV. There is no need to have 3 days between games in the same city just so every game can be on national TV. Play the games in the same city on back to back nights, and have one day for travel between cities and the playoffs would probably shorten up by about 2 weeks.

[dvferyance]

The issue with the NBA playoffs taking too long is not the number of games, it's the scheduling because of TV. There is no need to have 3 days between games in the same city just so every game can be on national TV. Play the games in the same city on back to back nights, and have one day for travel between cities and the playoffs would probably shorten up by about 2 weeks.

Yes I agree the breaks between games and series are too long but I would still shorten the games given the fact the series can go as late as Fathers Day weekend I would say it needs to be at least 3 weeks shorter.

[The Nature Boy]

The issue with the NBA playoffs taking too long is not the number of games, it's the scheduling because of TV. There is no need to have 3 days between games in the same city just so every game can be on national TV. Play the games in the same city on back to back nights, and have one day for travel between cities and the playoffs would probably shorten up by about 2 weeks.

Somehow MLB manages to zip through their playoffs despite all games being on national TV. The NBA needs better negotiators.

[dvferyance]

The issue with the NBA playoffs taking too long is not the number of games, it's the scheduling because of TV. There is no need to have 3 days between games in the same city just so every game can be on national TV. Play the games in the same city on back to back nights, and have one day for travel between cities and the playoffs would probably shorten up by about 2 weeks.

Somehow MLB manages to zip through their playoffs despite all games being on national TV. The NBA needs better negotiators.

Good point the problem with the MLB is that the regular season is way too long. The playoffs should be a month earlier.

[english si]

As for the playoffs, the problem is that mediocrity is rewarded by having sub .500 teams making the playoffs.

Better yet, punish mediocrity!

Even fixing the playoffs won't solve the problem of naff teams being rewarded - after all, the draft system rewards coming last:

The other part about the draft that needs fixing is to fix the draft lottery process to discourage tanking. Increase the odds of the lower teams of getting into the top 3. This would discourage tanking. Finally, get rid of draft pick protections. If you trade a draft pick, you should have to run the risk of having it get into the top 3, so you better play well down the stretch (this would also discourage tanking).

All the stuff mentioned so far is about squashing the top half - wage caps, fewer playoff places, etc. Other than anti-tanking proposals by I-39, there's nothing encouraging the bottom teams to not be awful.

There's little punishment for being not very good - in fact worse: you might not get the acclaim - but as everything is geared to equalising teams, you get boosts for being rubbish in the hopes that you'll be better next year.

[I-39]

The issue with the NBA playoffs taking too long is not the number of games, it's the scheduling because of TV. There is no need to have 3 days between games in the same city just so every game can be on national TV. Play the games in the same city on back to back nights, and have one day for travel between cities and the playoffs would probably shorten up by about 2 weeks.

Somehow MLB manages to zip through their playoffs despite all games being on national TV. The NBA needs better negotiators.

Good point the problem with the MLB is that the regular season is way too long. The playoffs should be a month earlier.

The MLB should start May 1, and end on September 30th. Cut the number of games accordingly.

[I-39]

The issue with the NBA playoffs taking too long is not the number of games, it's the scheduling because of TV. There is no need to have 3 days between games in the same city just so every game can be on national TV. Play the games in the same city on back to back nights, and have one day for travel between cities and the playoffs would probably shorten up by about 2 weeks.

This, but the first round needs to be shortened as well and the 7th and 8th seeds need to be cut. This would help cut down on the length of the playoffs.

[dvferyance]

The issue with the NBA playoffs taking too long is not the number of games, it's the scheduling because of TV. There is no need to have 3 days between games in the same city just so every game can be on national TV. Play the games in the same city on back to back nights, and have one day for travel between cities and the playoffs would probably shorten up by about 2 weeks.

Somehow MLB manages to zip through their playoffs despite all games being on national TV. The NBA needs better negotiators.

Good point the problem with the MLB is that the regular season is way too long. The playoffs should be a month earlier.

The MLB should start May 1, and end on September 30th. Cut the number of games accordingly.

I would start it in April like it starts now and just end it around Labor day weekend. That way it can all be over with by early October. Get baseball out of the way before basketball and hockey starts and football starts getting good.

[SP Cook]

Baseball is in no need of any changes, and certainly does not need to get "out of the way" before the interminable pointlessness of the NBA starts.  It is important to remember that, despite daily hype on ESPN, 17 out of 20 people totally ignored the urban niche NBA FINALS, 97 out of 100 ignore its meaningless regular season.

[I-39]

Baseball is in no need of any changes, and certainly does not need to get "out of the way" before the interminable pointlessness of the NBA starts.  It is important to remember that, despite daily hype on ESPN, 17 out of 20 people totally ignored the urban niche NBA FINALS, 97 out of 100 ignore its meaningless regular season.

The MLB season needs to be shortened by about 40-50 games. I would simply start MLB in May instead of April. I agree about the NBA though, it is becoming increasingly pointless.

[Rothman]

Baseball is in no need of any changes, and certainly does not need to get "out of the way" before the interminable pointlessness of the NBA starts.  It is important to remember that, despite daily hype on ESPN, 17 out of 20 people totally ignored the urban niche NBA FINALS, 97 out of 100 ignore its meaningless regular season.

The MLB season needs to be shortened by about 40-50 games. I would simply start MLB in May instead of April. I agree about the NBA though, it is becoming increasingly pointless.

That is real money to the franchises that have good home crowd.  Shortening the season will never happen.

[SP Cook]

Actually, the MLB season is far too short.  In previous generations, when they did not make as much $$, the American players would barnstorm the South and California and the Latin players would go home and play in the Spanish winter leagues. 

That is what we need.  Baseball 365.  Can never have too much.

[michravera]

First of all, something has to be done with all this salary maneuvering that allows certain "Superteams" to be created.  Right when Durant signed with Golden State, it basically made the entire regular season and first 3 rounds of the playoffs useless because we knew that we were going to see another Cleveland/Golden State finals.  Also, as a Celtics fan, I'm a little peeved that Cleveland shut it down near the end of the regular season and let the Celtics steal the top seed in the east, then pull the ultimate rope-a-dope and blow through the playoffs like a buzzsaw. 

As for the playoffs, the problem is that mediocrity is rewarded by having sub .500 teams making the playoffs.  No sub .500 team ever makes the playoffs in baseball or hockey, and only rarely does it happen in the NFL as the result of an absolutely terrible division.  Throw out conference seeding, and the top 12 make it.  Top 4 seeds get byes.  First round becomes best of 5.  1 plays 8/9 winner, 2 plays 7/10 winner, 3 plays 6/11 winner, and 4 plays 5/12 winner.  So, this year's playoffs would have looked like this:

BYES: Golden State, San Antonio, Houston, Boston

First Round Matchups: Cleveland vs. Atlanta, Toronto vs. Memphis, LA Clippers vs. OKC, Utah vs. Washington

Yes, it would have hurt the Celtics by having to play Cleveland in the 2nd round, but it would have penalized Cleveland by having to play an extra round for taking a dive like they did.

Rather than byes (two weeks for even a 5-game season is a really bad layoff), have each of the 3 4-team pools play a home-and-home-plus-advantage 9-game mini-season (three games with each of the other 3 teams). Eliminate the 4th place finisher from each pool and the worst third and now you have 8 teams for the quarters. You could do something similar with 4 three-ways (make them 4 games with each of the other two teams). Eliminate the bottom team of each three-way and you are down to 8.

[I-39]

Actually, the MLB season is far too short.  In previous generations, when they did not make as much $$, the American players would barnstorm the South and California and the Latin players would go home and play in the Spanish winter leagues. 

That is what we need.  Baseball 365.  Can never have too much.

Times have changed drastically. Now MLB players are among the highest paid. With stadiums struggling to fill seats, I don't think some teams would care if the season was shortened by a month.