If You were in Charge of the NBA what changes would you make to the league?

[DJackson10 2,481]

So I've always loved topics like this because I find it always interesting to see what rules people like and dislike in certain sports. The NBA is a pretty great sport to debate given all the rules that are always hot topic. Some of these are solely mine but a few are thrown together ideas I've come across talking to friends/family and in general as well as ideas of both mine and another mixed together. SO I'll start with the Biggest Rules topic 

NBA Player Development/G-Leageu/College-Age Limits:

• I'd take away age limits. However my only age restriction is a player has to be 18 at the start of the NBA Regular season. As for College you can come out of HS as long as you are 18 or if you go to college you Must stay 3 yrs
• If a player leaves College before his 3yrs is up he can join the G-Leauge through their Sept draft but isn't eligible to join the NBA for at least one Full Year.
• International players must be 18 at the start of the season to be draft eligible.
• Any North American Player who chose to go overseas instead of college as long as they meet the age Requirement is allowed to enter the NBA Draft as well 
• Whatever G League team has drafted said player has first rights to sign that player to their NBA team. A player can either enter the NBA draft or go through FA (I still haven't figured out the rules for that though)
• I would develop and make a G League Club for every NBA Team 
• I already like the 2 way contract but lets spice it up a little. The players on said team are eligible to come up to the NBA team at any point and any player with 3 yrs or less can be sent to the G League for further development
• Veterans can be signed to the G League but must have a 2 way deal to be brought up to the NBA team. 
• A Two way contract player I'd get rid of the 30 day requirement and just give them Options like Baseball. 
• European and International Prospects can be signed to the G League as well as Assigned to the leaguer further development or playing time. Again these players will have options for 3 yrs where they can be used to send up and down
• Players have a right to refuse a G League assignment and can ask for their release from the club. 

NBA CONTRACTS/SALARY CAPS/DRAFT LOTTERY/PICK TRADES/FREE AGENCY SET UP:

• I'd throw a Hard and Soft cap into the mix. Meaning no team can be over the cap and sign a FA. This forces teams who want to make super teams as well as the stars either take less money and have depth or sacrifice depth for a big money deal. This also forces teams to make smart decisions on where their money goes and who is signed
• A Hard cap floor also forces teams to sign players. This was also discourage teams from trying to tank. We don't need to see Team X or Y who has guys who wouldn't make the G League playing against The upper tier teams and getting destroyed by 30 on a nightly bases. It's bad for the teams these teams play at home as it loses ticket and other sales and makes the league look bad. Any team under the cap would be fined. 
• Protected picks. I think pick protection doesn't help at all. I get wanting to protect some teams from themselves and league equality but lets face it the NBA hasn't had equality for yrs. Protection picks traded only enables and encourages the team giving away a pick if they are bad enough to tank so they don't have to give up the pick. I'd have zero pick protections. Force teams to use their own judge meant here
• Take away Max Contracts: Too many players think they deserve one or a mid level deal and honestly they really don't. 
• I'd get rid of the draft lottery completely. The NFL doesn't have a tanking problem but they also don't have a draft lottery. The Lottery like pick protection just enables and encourages tanking as teams who won't make the playoffs know if they intentionally suck enough they will no matter their record have a higher chance moving up in the draft. 
• NBA FA will start before the NBA Draft. It will start the legal tampering and then legal signing period will occur in or around the day the nBA draft would be. The Draft will be moved to the Free Agency period. This helps teams get some holes filled and possible construct their team better as well. 

NBA GAME RULE CHANGES:

• I would change the shot clock first and foremost to a 30 second shot clock. I think the 24 is too little and 30 seconds should help add more flow and offensive play development. We see how well it works in college
• Another thing I'd add is the bonus 1 and 1 and 2and 2. Instead of an automatic two shots at the line first give them a chance to earn the two points by having to make the first FT
• I'd love to add the FIBA court sizes but I don't think thats feasible. 
• Make periods 10 Mins instead of 12. The game needs to be speed up a little 
• Change foul limits to 5 instead of 6 and make Technical fouls also count as Personal fouls
• Allow touching at the rim or cylinder like FIBA AKA allowing Rim/Cylinder goaltending
• Flopping/Diving results in a Technical foul 
• Allow more physical basketball See too many guys fouled at the rim not wrapped up do to being afraid of getting a T. Players should be able to wrap a player up to prevent an easy and 1 as long as upper should area isn't touched
• Bring back hand checking. I miss some of the more old school physical play. You get a foul for basically breathing on a guy today

So what changes would you make or things would keep? Do you agree with any of the suggestions above? 

[SaintsInDome2006 47,462]

End the canned music between plays.

Enforce dribbling and traveling rules.

I like extending the shot clock.

I’d like to see a hard age rule of 20 enforced. The drafts can be ridiculous.

[Juxtatarot 10,784]

Eliminate the mid-court line and the over-and-back rule.  It's completely unnecessary.

[DJackson10 2,481]

12 hours ago, SaintsInDome2006 said:

End the canned music between plays.

Enforce dribbling and traveling rules.

I like extending the shot clock.

I’d like to see a hard age rule of 20 enforced. The drafts can be ridiculous.

Forgot the enforcement of traveling some how

Yeah I agree with age with but If we can get the G League into better development then maybe I'd be ok with that. Also I'd love to change yearly status of players. For example I think it's ridiculous guys who get hurt their first year and don't play at all. Other leagues doesn't matter if you play or not. I can see the MLB rule being good but in basketball? Get rid of it. once you are drafted you miss the year you are then a 2nd year player. Just don't see how it's fair to say X is a rookie despite being injured after or before the draft season before and has a WHOLE YEAR WITH NBA TRAINERS AND COACHES kind of puts the rookies at a disadvantage of the award. 

Also going through getting rid of Max deals. To get the players to accept I'd offer them more Revenue % then they had before

[DJackson10 2,481]

3 hours ago, Juxtatarot said:

Eliminate the mid-court line and the over-and-back rule.  It's completely unnecessary.

I'd get rid of over and back rule for certain situations but not entirely. It forces you to play in a configured space. I want to add more defense less offense. 

[Koya 12,069]

Anyone who doesn't make the playoffs has the same change to get lottery picks 1-3, and after that it goes by order of finish if you don't win one of the lottery slots.

Want to tank to make sure you get pick 4 or 5? Go ahead, cause I don't think it will be that ouch a motivator - and if it is, even chances for all non playoff teams for picks 1-5 in a lottery. No more tanking to up your Chances of the top picks. 

[Chemical X 5,587]

red, white and blue ball

season is too long and if teams don't care aboot the regular season, why should fans......cut down to 60 games

bring back 3 to make 2 and 2 to make 1

stop the replay madness

van gundys can no longer coach

go to point system, like the old CBA................1 point for winning a quarter, 3 for winning the game

players can longer foul out...............after your 6th if you commit a foul, other team gets an added FT or Tech FT

 

[DJackson10 2,481]

3 hours ago, Chemical X said:

red, white and blue ball

season is too long and if teams don't care aboot the regular season, why should fans......cut down to 60 games

bring back 3 to make 2 and 2 to make 1

stop the replay madness

van gundys can no longer coach

go to point system, like the old CBA................1 point for winning a quarter, 3 for winning the game

players can longer foul out...............after your 6th if you commit a foul, other team gets an added FT or Tech FT

 

Not really sure I like most of these but I LOL at the Van Gundy one. I like Replay only for certain things though. Maybe let coaches challenge Not opposed to the ball color. Don't remember the old CBA rule at all was this before my time? Not sure wha you mean on the 3rd rule. Last one I don't like because the foul outs add strategy to the game. 

[modogg 4,403]

i had a good shower thought last night. Looking at the NHL and what the Las Vegas team has been able to do, has been pretty amazing. Considering there are so many metiocre or poor organizations each year i would think of some way to work with this. Maybe offer a G league a chance to make the NBA, and they can have the expansion league option too. in turn, a team that finishes dead last too many times or something like that gets demoted to the G league for a few years

[DJackson10 2,481]

14 hours ago, modogg said:

i had a good shower thought last night. Looking at the NHL and what the Las Vegas team has been able to do, has been pretty amazing. Considering there are so many metiocre or poor organizations each year i would think of some way to work with this. Maybe offer a G league a chance to make the NBA, and they can have the expansion league option too. in turn, a team that finishes dead last too many times or something like that gets demoted to the G league for a few years

You're basically talking promotion and Demotion which is something I've wanted in sports for awhile. Because it actually forces teams not to tank. 2nd league means less money and less exposure. The only issue with that is G League teams are owned by NBA teams so It could be reason for collusion. For example Barcelona has a Barca "B" team which is the reserve team. In Spanish league the reserve teams play at a higher level and don't play at what we call in Italy Primivara League which is what the 18 and above reserves play in which isn't Serie A.B.C or Lega Pro. In Spain the Reserve teams aren't eligible for the countries tournament the Copa Del Rey since Barca Senior team plays in it. They also can't play in the same league as one another and play at least 1 league below the senior. So say if Barca Senior team ever was demoted for whatever reason (It'd probably be the end of the world the players would probably need armed guards to protect their lives) Barca B would then have to be "demoted" to the 3rd tier league. I've always been a fan of promotion and demotion in sports but American's won't go for it. The thing is you need to cut off half the league and turn them into two leagues of 15 teams. I just don't see it working.

What I would call for is possible relocation for teams who are doing poor and have poor attendance. I like league expansion and quite frankly I love the features in NBA2k the last two or so years that allow this sort of thing but I think expansion waters down the league more. If we were to expand I'd have two teams. One in Seattle/Vancover/Vegas but considering how big time Canada is for the Raptors now like they are The Blue Jays I don't know if it's feasible or The Raptors would allow another Canadian franchise do to that being fan revenue and all that doesn't go to them. East Buffalo/St Lois, NJ (I think the Nets own rights though in Jersey like East Rutherford if I'm not mistaken). I love your idea though because it'd make tanking not happen however you'd have to re arrange the draft and all too. 

[SaintsInDome2006 47,462]

I wish they’d get rid of the lottery altogether. Just rank draft picks by record like it used to be.

[Long Ball Larry 13,864]

On 4/12/2018 at 1:33 PM, Koya said:

Anyone who doesn't make the playoffs has the same change to get lottery picks 1-3, and after that it goes by order of finish if you don't win one of the lottery slots.

Want to tank to make sure you get pick 4 or 5? Go ahead, cause I don't think it will be that ouch a motivator - and if it is, even chances for all non playoff teams for picks 1-5 in a lottery. No more tanking to up your Chances of the top picks. 

 

3 minutes ago, SaintsInDome2006 said:

I wish they’d get rid of the lottery altogether. Just rank draft picks by record like it used to be.

They are getting closer to this starting next year.

[Long Ball Larry 13,864]

3 minutes ago, SaintsInDome2006 said:

I wish they’d get rid of the lottery altogether. Just rank draft picks by record like it used to be.

Completely eliminating the lottery would only increase tanking.  Of course, apparently tanking is totally fine unless you're the sixers.

[DJackson10 2,481]

34 minutes ago, Long Ball Larry said:

Completely eliminating the lottery would only increase tanking.  Of course, apparently tanking is totally fine unless you're the sixers.

I doubt it. I think the lottery only increases teams because if they know they don't have a better chance at the top 3 and would stay where they are there's no point in it. Don't give teams an enabler. That just enables them to tank having a chance to get the #1 overall pick despite you are the 4th or 5th worse team. I'd also eliminate pick protection because the weaker teams I tend to believe tank to not give up the pick. 

[Deamon 4,717]

On 4/16/2018 at 11:23 AM, DJackson10 said:

I doubt it. I think the lottery only increases teams because if they know they don't have a better chance at the top 3 and would stay where they are there's no point in it. Don't give teams an enabler. That just enables them to tank having a chance to get the #1 overall pick despite you are the 4th or 5th worse team. I'd also eliminate pick protection because the weaker teams I tend to believe tank to not give up the pick. 

????

Tanking definitely is decreased with the lottery. 

[DJackson10 2,481]

7 hours ago, Deamon said:

????

Tanking definitely is decreased with the lottery. 

Really? Look at all the teams who did it this year. I think the lottery is nothing more then a bandaid to the real problem. I would take away pick protection and implement a hard cap floor. If teams knew they didn't have a chance at a top 3 pick or moving in the draft to better their chances at a better help I think it decreases tanking. Doing those 3 things do a few things. I think protection of picks is nothing more then the league babysitting bad GMs from making terrible moves. It also enables certain teams to tank a little knowing if they are in the top 5 worst teams that pick isn't given up. It also stops giving up the pick multiple times to teams. Getting rid of the draft lottery would discourage teams from tanking knowing if they can only be as bad as 8th without a chance to move into the top 5 via a lottery might force them to be more competitive. The Hard cap. Well that prevents the embarrassment of what the Sixers did for 2-3 yrs of signing a bunch of bunch of guys off the street that wouldn't be in G League. It forces teams to stay competitive. 

[Spartans Rule 1,490]

There's only one way to eliminate tanking - get rid of the draft. If there's a system that rewards teams for losing, teams will lose on purpose. Any idea that ignores that reality is a waste of time.

I'd get rid of the draft, make rookies free agents. Teams have a hard salary cap. No individual salary cap - if you have to pay LeBron half your cap to get him, so be it. This makes having superstars way less of an advantage.

No super teams, no tanking, just a competitive league top to bottom. Will never happen, but that's what I'd like to see.

[nittanylion 727]

Return to the 80's - mid 90's. Seriously. Somewhere along the line, NBA went from being a sport, to a sideshow.

I hate unfettered Free Agency. Teams used to be defined for decades by their core group of players. I prefer that, and I really don't care how it affects their freedom. OK, so I'm being extreme, but my point is, there's way too much player movement for any team to establish an identity these days. As in: "Now, thats Pistons basketball!" "He's a true Celtic", etc...

Also, kids need to spend more time developing game in some kind of system before being allowed to play 'pro' ball. They should have to play some Europe to toughen up. Total lack of fundamentals and defense. Much of what I watch these days (granted, not much anymore), barely resembles the game of basketball as it was meant to be played. I think that's sad.

I honestly think you could put together any collection of today's NBA 'stars', and they'd have their asses handed to them by the Showtime Lakers, the vintage Celtics,  Bulls, heck, any of the cohesive 80's-90's Teams. Pistons, Blazers, Jazz, Suns...they'd get outsmarted, outtoughed and outtechniqued...and then start crying.

I turn 50 next week. I'm a curmudgeon. So what? Get off my lawn.

[thecatch 2,129]

On 4/15/2018 at 3:46 PM, Long Ball Larry said:

Completely eliminating the lottery would only increase tanking.  

Would it, in practice?  Would/could teams possibly tank any harder than they were this year?  Maybe, it’s just hard to believe. 

[thecatch 2,129]

On 4/25/2018 at 0:30 PM, Spartans Rule said:

There's only one way to eliminate tanking - get rid of the draft. If there's a system that rewards teams for losing, teams will lose on purpose. Any idea that ignores that reality is a waste of time.

I'd get rid of the draft, make rookies free agents. Teams have a hard salary cap. No individual salary cap - if you have to pay LeBron half your cap to get him, so be it. This makes having superstars way less of an advantage.

No super teams, no tanking, just a competitive league top to bottom. Will never happen, but that's what I'd like to see.

This. 

[Long Ball Larry 13,864]

1 hour ago, thecatch said:

Would it, in practice?  Would/could teams possibly tank any harder than they were this year?  Maybe, it’s just hard to believe. 

probably fair, though i wonder if part of the reason that this year had so much serious tanking was that it was the last year before the more flattened odds.  but with a straight draft you would think that doing the Sixers' process would be more appealing.

[brun 896]

Hard cap with Rookie auction draft.

[DJackson10 2,481]

On 4/27/2018 at 7:56 PM, Long Ball Larry said:

probably fair, though i wonder if part of the reason that this year had so much serious tanking was that it was the last year before the more flattened odds.  but with a straight draft you would think that doing the Sixers' process would be more appealing.

it'd be harder if you gave a hard cap floor as well like MLB has. 

[Caveman_Nick 7]

Make the court 3’ wider, 6’ longer, and move the 3 point arc out 18 inches all around

[DJackson10 2,481]

On 5/8/2018 at 3:09 PM, Caveman_Nick said:

Make the court 3’ wider, 6’ longer, and move the 3 point arc out 18 inches all around

I like that idea however I don't think the nBA will. Less seats means less money there. 

[Insein 9,104]

Had a 10 point circle from 30 feet away. Bring down the 25 point basket with 1 minute left in the halves. Bring down the 50 point basket at 15 seconds left. 

[Long Ball Larry 13,864]

Was thinking during the most recent Lowe post episode that maybe they should do the draft lottery in buckets.

like 1-6 worst teams are in 1 lottery for the 1-6 picks, 7-11 for another, 12-20 for another, then 21-30 for the last slot.

not sure of the exact demarcations. It something That gives a variety of incentives for tanking vs trying and doesn’t totally #### truly terrible teams.

[DJackson10 2,481]

On 5/31/2018 at 10:26 PM, Long Ball Larry said:

Was thinking during the most recent Lowe post episode that maybe they should do the draft lottery in buckets.

like 1-6 worst teams are in 1 lottery for the 1-6 picks, 7-11 for another, 12-20 for another, then 21-30 for the last slot.

not sure of the exact demarcations. It something That gives a variety of incentives for tanking vs trying and doesn’t totally #### truly terrible teams.

How about just getting rid of the lottery all together? I think that would help the most. I think the lottery just enables tanking because with the lottery teams 1-6 know they have a chance to get at least a top 3 pick if not the #1 overall. If you get rid of the lottery maybe you'll see more teams stop tanking knowing if X teams are way worse then you then you won't try to tank. I think the whole we need to tank nonsense is nothing more then people putting a bandaid over a bigger issue. That's poor scouting by NBA teams and a huge lack of player development. These European guys are coming over these days more fundamentally sound with better BB IQ's. One of the things they do better then the American kids is playing within a system where the American kids it's all about ISO 1v1 ball. Not playing within a team. The US has lost that aspect. I've said this for awhile but don't be surprised if by 2024 or so team USA is struggling more. Once guys like Lebron and KD and others retire the USA team Is doomed. We'll be more so questioning why we aren't dominating teams and struggling to get a bronze rather then our sheer domination to the gold. I just think like a ton of other issues in the NBA the NBA likes to just put Bandaids or a really bad proof cover that is only gonna last 2 or so yrs before the problem rears its ugly head again. Lets stop putting band aid on these issues and fix the actual issues. 

Lets work on actual player development and draft reform. I don't think it's bad to say if you go to college you should spend 2 or 3 yrs before draft eligible but at the Same time you give the kids an option to go pro after HS as long as they are 18 by the draft. If not they can always play in the D League or go overseas if they don't want to play college ball. I think it could weed out a lot of pretenders and give these drafts a little more options to pick in a player pool. 

[Koya 12,069]

Do what the NFL did to the Giants when they were lost in the wilderness late 70's into 80's / MLB to Steinbrenner which led Stick Michael et al to build a dynasty.

[DJackson10 2,481]

On 4/26/2018 at 10:51 AM, nittanylion said:

Return to the 80's - mid 90's. Seriously. Somewhere along the line, NBA went from being a sport, to a sideshow.

I hate unfettered Free Agency. Teams used to be defined for decades by their core group of players. I prefer that, and I really don't care how it affects their freedom. OK, so I'm being extreme, but my point is, there's way too much player movement for any team to establish an identity these days. As in: "Now, thats Pistons basketball!" "He's a true Celtic", etc...

Also, kids need to spend more time developing game in some kind of system before being allowed to play 'pro' ball. They should have to play some Europe to toughen up. Total lack of fundamentals and defense. Much of what I watch these days (granted, not much anymore), barely resembles the game of basketball as it was meant to be played. I think that's sad.

I honestly think you could put together any collection of today's NBA 'stars', and they'd have their asses handed to them by the Showtime Lakers, the vintage Celtics,  Bulls, heck, any of the cohesive 80's-90's Teams. Pistons, Blazers, Jazz, Suns...they'd get outsmarted, outtoughed and outtechniqued...and then start crying.

I turn 50 next week. I'm a curmudgeon. So what? Get off my lawn.

I missed this response somehow but yeah I hate how it's all about the highlight reel plays. Nothing more then 1V1 hero ball. No team ball and all about getting on the Top 10 plays. A lot of guys also have horrible Basketball IQs too. Seriously you are up 10 with less then 2mins to play and the shot clock is at 15 and you are jacking up a 3? How about running some clock and getting a better maybe higher % shot off. Force the opponent to make you make a mistake. Fouling a player and still letting him get to the cup and score? How about if you are gonna foul the guy make sure he doesn't get a shot off to begin with instead of allowing an And 1. I've also seen terrible rotations on defense and guys who just flat-out aren't interested in defending *Cough Harden Cough*. The NBA is becoming a clown show of prima donnas. 

[Frostillicus 13,951]

This thread is amazing. 

[Good Posting Judge 13,663]

Every player gets one punch per year.

[Good Posting Judge 13,663]

On 4/26/2018 at 7:51 AM, nittanylion said:

Return to the 80's - mid 90's. Seriously. Somewhere along the line, NBA went from being a sport, to a sideshow.

I hate unfettered Free Agency. Teams used to be defined for decades by their core group of players. I prefer that, and I really don't care how it affects their freedom. OK, so I'm being extreme, but my point is, there's way too much player movement for any team to establish an identity these days. As in: "Now, thats Pistons basketball!" "He's a true Celtic", etc...

Also, kids need to spend more time developing game in some kind of system before being allowed to play 'pro' ball. They should have to play some Europe to toughen up. Total lack of fundamentals and defense. Much of what I watch these days (granted, not much anymore), barely resembles the game of basketball as it was meant to be played. I think that's sad.

I honestly think you could put together any collection of today's NBA 'stars', and they'd have their asses handed to them by the Showtime Lakers, the vintage Celtics,  Bulls, heck, any of the cohesive 80's-90's Teams. Pistons, Blazers, Jazz, Suns...they'd get outsmarted, outtoughed and outtechniqued...and then start crying.

I turn 50 next week. I'm a curmudgeon. So what? Get off my lawn.

Every word of this is terrible, which is pretty amazing. Most terrible posts in here are like 90% bad, but somehow every single bit of this is just incoherent nonsense. 

Rent an oil rig, drill 150 feet down, and then drop your laptop in the hole.

[Epic Problem 2,778]

 

[DJackson10 2,481]

On 6/14/2018 at 0:36 AM, Good Posting Judge said:

Every player gets one punch per year.

That might help Draymond let his frustration out on someone. Are Nut shots legal? 

[DJackson10 2,481]

Here's an out of the box thought. So for those who watch soccer you know how players are loaned to certain clubs for either further develop their game or get more playing time there current team can't? What if the NBA allowed teams to loan out a player to say a European team or something similar where they can develop more. Europe does a great job developing their players. Maybe set up another system where a players contract could also be sold to Europe? Obviously the bigger star players would never agree to terms to go to another league but at least lesser stars. I mean it's clearly an out of the box thought but something I just thought of. Probably will never happen but is a thought. 

[spodog 215]

I'd request that they play defense, at least occasionally.

 

(yes, I realize this is a 2 year old thread)