Storyline: The meaning of basketball is lost in the current NBA system. Let’s shorten the season, increase the shot clock, and replace series basketball with one-and-done.
Courtesy: samdarley.sportsblog.com
I don’t like the NBA. Sure, watching Golden State and Steph Curry dominate is entertaining. And so is watching the San Antonio Spurs play excellent team ball, despite having a team that’s aging.
But the only time I really watch NBA games is during the Playoffs—when each game truly matters. During the regular season the meaning of each game is lost in the shuffle of the marathon that’s the 82-game season.
That’s why I believe the meaning of basketball is lost in the current NBA system. How can it be regained? The following conditions need to be met for meaning to be put back into this wonderful sport.
Shortening the Season
82 games is way too long for a basketball season. On average a basketball season ranges from about 30 to 40 games a season at the collegiate and high school levels. So why is the NBA season 82 games long? The reason is capitalism, “the invisible hand” of greed. Owners are in favor of the 82 game system as it consistently packs their pockets with huge wads of cash.
The thing about all these extra games, though, is that it devalues the importance of players giving 100% every outing. Even an elite team, such as Golden State, could give little or no effort every game, suffer a good number of losses, and still find a way to sneak into the postseason. But think about how it is in college basketball. A string of bad losses can be the difference between the NIT and a NCAA tournament berth. Putting it “all on the line” is crucial in the NCAA, every single game.
Courtesy: si.com
Not only does 82 games devalue the importance of each game, but it’s grueling for players. In a span of six to eight months NBA players will play between 82-110 games. This can lead to repeat injuries and players simply getting fatigued.
Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich does an excellent job in dealing with this problem. He’ll occasionally sits the dynamic, yet aging, scoring trio of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan. That an excellent response to this the problem, but the problem shouldn’t exist.
Here’s my recommendation. The NBA needs to reduce the season to 52 games: 16 reserved for divisional opponents, 20 against the rest of conference opponents, and 16 games against opposite-conference teams (each team will have a cross-conference rival that they’ll play twice). Under this system players will receive more rest between games and competition levels will be more intense.
Slowing Down the Game
The NBA needs to correct the shot clock situation. 24 seconds is not enough time for a true possession. This system encourages isolations and a good deal of one-on-one play, which is not the way basketball was meant to be played. The short shot clock also reduces the importance of defensive play as players save up energy for the next offensive possession.
Courtesy: rantsports.com
The ideal time for a shot clock is 30 seconds, the system that’s used at the college level. Although it’s just six seconds more. 30 seconds is enough time to run an offensive set. Just look at Virginia. The Cavaliers play remarkable defense and then use up almost all of the shot clock when they’re on offense, executing sets and plays to perfection. It’s why every single year they’re one of the lowest scoring offenses in the NCAA. But it’s also why they make a deep run annually in the NCAA tournament. It’s the focus on fundamentals, such as defense and rebounding, as well as slowing the game down and executing on the offensive end, that puts Virginia in that position year in and year out.
And it’s the way basketball was meant to be played. It wasn’t meant to be a game where there’s no defense and where the idea of good offense is dribbling down the floor and jacking up a three. A 30-second shot clock at the pro level would make every possession critical and force teams to play in this manner.
No More Series in NBA Playoffs
With the conclusion of March Madness, the NBA Playoffs start up soon after. But then the playoffs drag on for two more months and don’t end until mid-June. The wonderful thing about March Madness is that there aren’t any series. Teams realize they have to lace ‘em up every game. Upsets happen every year and that’s what makes it so entertaining to watch.
Middle Tennessee shocks Michigan State (wsj.com)
But, with the series system of the NBA Playoffs, a team can afford to have a hiccup. It’s far from the high school and collegiate levels where it’s one game to decide whether you advance or go home. Some claim a one-game system would be unfair; an upstart 8-seed could possibly knock off an elite 1-seed. Well, that may seem like tough luck, but it’s just part of sports. Michigan State probably had their minds on playing in the Final Four in Houston, but instead they watched it from the dorms after lowly Middle Tennessee State pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history.
The current series system for the playoffs make it extremely hard for the underdog and it protects the favorites. But the thing that makes sports so interesting is unpredictability. The underdog factor is less prevalent under the current system. And, with that, part of the true meaning of sports (not just basketball) is lost.
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The NBA is a league that has the greatest basketball players on the planet. However, the extremely long season, the 24-second shot clock, and the current playoff format makes the NBA something that feeds our propaganda-filled, capitalistic society.
These reforms need to be made so that the NBA will be a sports league instead of solely a business. After all, it’s the National Basketball Association…not the National Business Association.
