Prolonging the regular season

[Evgeni]

Something I never really understood about the NBA is why they make the regular season so grueling with so many games in a short period of time and then send the players for a half year vacation. The fans suffer from this as well. Personally I would much rather prefer to have 1 or two games a week each week for the entire year, than 3-4 games a week through out 6 to 8 months (depending on whether the team makes the playoffs).

Can someone explain the logic behind this? It seems like a lose-lose situation right now.

 

[Maximus]

The Cavs just played their last game on June 16th. They'll all be back in a couple weeks for training camp. That's far from a half year vacation...it's only about 2-1/2 months.

1 or 2 games a week year round would be boring as hell in my opinion. I couldn't imagine a week where there is only one single game...talk about the fans suffering. Players need a break, need free agency period, draft, summer league for the rookies to get ready, training camp, etc.

I do think the season should be shortened to 70 games or so...but I doubt it happens. 4 games in 5 nights is ridiculous.

 

[Real Deal]

Stopped reading at 1 game a week. Very bad suggestion, these are professional players we are discussing here, not kids growing in up and needs to be limited.

3 games per 7 days and sometimes 4 is right where it should be. Back to backs are fine, 4 games in 5 nights is not fine. However 4 games in 7 days is okay too. They have the best damn treatment known to man.

That's the only gripe in today's NBA scheduling. It's truly taxing on a player and a good coach like Pop tells the NBA to fuck themselves and benches his players in a TNT game because of it.

Fix that then we're good. Limit the back to backs, and I could be very happy with a 3 game week.

But your opinion on 1 game a week would have me going crazy. It'll be the most boring basketball season.

 

[Stark]

The season is fine as is. Maybe stretch the games out a bit so that the regular season runs an extra week or two. The 4 in 5 nights needs to stop.

 

[Evgeni]

Why once or twice a week is boring but no basketball at all for your team from April/May to October is not boring?
I am bored as hell now, even though my team played in the finals. What about fans of non playoffs teams?

The average joe doesn't have 5-6 months vacations from his work each year. So why does NBA punish the fans with this prolonged boredom? Nothing is happening at all now, not even signings. But when the regular season starts I usually don't even have time to watch all the Cavs games because there are so many. It just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[randymoss1881]

Stopped reading at 1 game a week. Very bad suggestion, these are professional players we are discussing here, not kids growing in up and needs to be limited.

3 games per 7 days and sometimes 4 is right where it should be. Back to backs are fine, 4 games in 5 nights is not fine. However 4 games in 7 days is okay too. They have the best damn treatment known to man.

That's the only gripe in today's NBA scheduling. It's truly taxing on a player and a good coach like Pop tells the NBA to fuck themselves and benches his players in a TNT game because of it.

Fix that then we're good. Limit the back to backs, and I could be very happy with a 3 game week.

But your opinion on 1 game a week would have me going crazy. It'll be the most boring basketball season.

Don't worry it sounds like the Commish is fixing the 4 games in 5nights. while the Goodell guy is busy tarnishing the rep of a well respected player to save his own ass

 

[The Oi]

Why once or twice a week is boring but no basketball at all for your team from April/May to October is not boring?
I am bored as hell now, even though my team played in the finals. What about fans of non playoffs teams?

The average joe doesn't have 5-6 months vacations from his work each year. So why does NBA punish the fans with this prolonged boredom? Nothing is happening at all now, not even signings. But when the regular season starts I usually don't even have time to watch all the Cavs games because there are so many. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Good luck convincing NBA players that because Evgeni doesn't get 5 months off, they don't get any off.

 

[ajz20]

Good luck convincing NBA players that because Evgeni doesn't get 5 months off, they don't get any off.

But we would be getting ready for game 5 of the Finals tonight!!
You dont want a 4 week playoff series?

 

[gourimoko]

Why once or twice a week is boring but no basketball at all for your team from April/May to October is not boring?
I am bored as hell now, even though my team played in the finals. What about fans of non playoffs teams?

Fans of the sport still watch the playoffs.

The average joe doesn't have 5-6 months vacations from his work each year. So why does NBA punish the fans with this prolonged boredom? Nothing is happening at all now, not even signings. But when the regular season starts I usually don't even have time to watch all the Cavs games because there are so many. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Find something else to do man...

Relax.

 

[godfather]

Imagine how NFL fans feel? The NBA ends mid-June, starts up Late October. 3 and a half month gap, that's nothing.

NFL ends early Feb, doesn't start till early September (not including pre-season football). 7 month gap.

So no, the NBA off-season is not long at all.

 

[Simon]

Fans of the sport still watch the playoffs.



Find something else to do man...

Relax.

Football is back and baseball is on....

 

[rabman_gold]

Something I never really understood about the NBA is why they make the regular season so grueling with so many games in a short period of time and then send the players for a half year vacation. The fans suffer from this as well. Personally I would much rather prefer to have 1 or two games a week each week for the entire year, than 3-4 games a week through out 6 to 8 months (depending on whether the team makes the playoffs).

Can someone explain the logic behind this? It seems like a lose-lose situation right now.

Yeah, I can explain this, starting with the quote underneath.

Football is back and baseball is on....

The sports seasons are separated for good reason. If they all play at the same time, that will take market value away, they can't make maximum cost with 2/3 sports going on at the same time. Why do you think All-Star Weekend (and the All-Star Game) are so popular being in February, when Super Bowl ended the month before and Spring Training Camp would start the month after?

Also, you want to talk about grueling sports? Football is a hundred times worse because of the pace they're going at (thus are forced to go once a week for the most part). Baseball, on the other hand, is less intense than basketball and can almost play games 6-7 times a week. While 4 games in 5 days/nights isn't so great, they've virtually played 70-80 games a year in the sport's entire lifetime. And it's hardly the most dangerous sport out there (though it has the most injuries, not usually fatal).

The bigger problem would be the amount of revenue that would be lost with a reduced amount of games (and not including cutting the season to 1 game a week). You may get your basketball fix, but the sport itself would suffer. Salaries worth millions, tens of millions, would no longer be feasible. It's not a problem in football because of the popularity in the country, the different rules applied to the cap, and the difference in stadium size. Basketball relies on more games, which leads to more basketball marketing (shoes, balls, advertising revenue).

Summary:

• Basketball can't go on at the same time as football/baseball
• Basketball needs more games than football, a LOT more
• Basketball needs to sell its brand (with more games)

 

[Evgeni]

Just to clarify. I didn't suggest to change the number of games, but to spread them over 12 months rather than the current 6-8 months. I think players will prefer that because it's not as draining physically, and fans who hate the boring summer but don't have enough time to watch 3-4 games a week will prefer that as well. Not sure about the commercial side of this though.

I am not from the states so I don't watch baseball or football. But correct me if I am wrong, but these sports don't continue on summer, so I don't think there should be much concern over the overlap.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

Baseball goes on the entire summer. And no way would NBA players want to cut into their off-season time-off at all (especially not a significant cut).

 

[Stark]

Just to clarify. I didn't suggest to change the number of games, but to spread them over 12 months rather than the current 6-8 months. I think players will prefer that because it's not as draining physically, and fans who hate the boring summer but don't have enough time to watch 3-4 games a week will prefer that as well. Not sure about the commercial side of this though.

I am not from the states so I don't watch baseball or football. But correct me if I am wrong, but these sports don't continue on summer, so I don't think there should be much concern over the overlap.

Baseball is pretty much exclusively played in the summer. Regular season begins in April and the World Series ends in late October, just in time for basketball season to start back up.