If a Blogger were Commissioner...

by Fantasy Junkie on Feb 26, 2007 12:32 PM PST in Links

ClipperSteve over at Clips Nation posed a question to all the SB Nation blogs, Blog-a-Bull, Sactown Royalty, Mavs Moneyball, Indy Cornrows, Pounding the Rock, Bright Side of the Sun, Blazers Edge, and Bullets Forever. For the question, I'll let ClipperSteve take it away:

Certainly all bloggers have delusions of grandeur, so I wondered what these guys would do if they were the most powerful person on the planet. Yes, the Commissioner of the NBA. The answers ranged from facetious, to serious, to scatological.

Make sure to check out all of our answers, If a Blogger were Commissioner.

If you were commish, what changes would you institute?

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I would definately put an end to

all this "drawing charges" crap. It is an insult to the game of basketball to see big men like Shaq and Jermaine ONeal trying to draw fouls from Monta who is atleast 150lbs lighter than either.

I would also bring back hand-checking, they're big boys not to mention professional athletes. Let them play.

I would also reduce the penalties for fights, etc. I used to love watching NBA fights and I'm sure more fights would attract the more casual fan. I'm almost positive atleast 10% of hockey fans watch hockey for the fights.

Oh, and one more thing, I would get rid of the salary cap. It is so frustrating how GMs have to navigate around salary caps to make feasible trades and what not. Now I do realize that this would turn the Lakers/Mavs/Knicks into the Yankees of the NBA but I honestly wouldnt mind, (see: in relation to oaktown A's in the MLB). It would greatly improve the quality of coaching in the NBA since coaching in the NBA sucks right now, particularly in the East. Also, there are plenty of rich CEOs and whatnot from all the Silicon Valley companies in the area, (Larry Ellison of Oracle and the Google owners to name a few) that might end up buying the Warriors and then we would be able to afford some real quality players!

by ZombieWarrior on Feb 26, 2007 12:45 PM PST reply actions

NO!

getting rid of the salary cap would be ridiculous. Look at the yankees. A-rod, Jeter, Giambi, etc etc, now imagine an nba team just buying kevin garnet, kobe and lebron or something like that. theres nothing fair about not having a salary cap. thats what makes football and basketball so much better because every team has a chance to be good. i mean i guess they can kind of get away with it in baseball but basketball is different. with only five players on the court if you buy two superstars and have other solid players your an elite team. plus basketball is so different because one player can have an effect on the entire game. in baseball a great player might get a hit 3 or 4 times out of ten and then be good defensively on everything hit to him. in basketball, great players are basically unstopable and can "be up to bat" or have the ball in their hands everytime down, make other players better and get their own.

the thing about the charges is definately great, but i actually really like the no handcheck rule because it rewards quick gaurds and makes defenders play D with their feet. I always hate it when you totally blow by someone and they use their hands to push you out the lane.

by travisl212 on Feb 26, 2007 3:16 PM PST up reply actions

Indeed

I agree on staying keen on handchecks. Guys like Bruce Bowen need to be exposed for the frauds that they are.

As for the salary cap, I have a better idea to deal with it in my main post below.

by J-Triumf on Feb 26, 2007 7:46 PM PST up reply actions

Require Players to have College Degrees

Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious.

by Kobe on Feb 26, 2007 12:55 PM PST reply actions

i would

first of all i would make a rule where the tv station can go to commercial once in the last 2 minutes of a game. im not sure about the logistics of it, but im sooooo sick and tired of see 6 seconds of action, a foul and a tv break. i think this is one of the biggest problems in the nba in attracting casual fans, because the causual fan sometimes feels the end is the only part worth watching. when it takes 10 minutes to play the final 2, it just pisses them off more.

i would get rid of crash and pass, its just not a rule that fosters competition

i would move the minimum draft age up to 2 years out of college

i would stress equal calls for all players. no more star favoritism. i know its probaly impossible, but there is not way wade should live at the line like he does. if defendors cant hand check on the outside they should be allowed to be more physical under the basket.

disband the lakers

by Nellieball on Feb 26, 2007 1:08 PM PST reply actions

why the 2 years limit

obviously greg oden and kevin durant are ready. why the 2 years

by travisl212 on Feb 26, 2007 3:04 PM PST up reply actions

purely selfish reasons

i just want college basketball would improve and players to stay in school longer

by Nellieball on Feb 27, 2007 11:54 AM PST up reply actions

Get rid of the dress code

Also stop re-naming stadiums after the latest hot business, Give em a name and stick to it.
I'd make them interpret the rules more fairly, give the defenders a chance to play in their own space without getting called for fouling when an offensive players jumps on top of them.
I'd also give out seat locations based on knowledge of the game instead of deep pockets, you'd have to pass a test to get court side.
I'd also make the teams announce their starters 30 minuttes before game time to give fantasy players a chance to tweak their lineups.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Feb 26, 2007 1:24 PM PST reply actions

ok

that last thing is just stupid

by travisl212 on Feb 26, 2007 3:07 PM PST up reply actions

disband the lakers AND....

get rid of flops.. make it a penalty just like in other sports. That way, you wouldnt have players trying to jump in to the defender while shooting and pretending they are getting fouled.
Instruct the refs to call fouls where there are fouls and thats it.
Getting the other team fouled out should not be an allowed strategy. If the offensive player wants to create contact.. how is that the defenders fault/foul?
Im sick of the warriors getting poor treatment from the refs in these aspects of the game. i.e., all our guys getting in foul trouble.
There are too many rules for when the refs should and shouldnt call fouls, it creates too many questioned calls and slows the game down.
Like corey maguette (spelling?) in the clips game the other day wasnt even trying to get a shot off right.. all he was worried about was drawing a foul, 1. nobody wants to watch games like that, 2. shouldnt that be a foul on corey because he is the one attempting to make contact?

by ilubthedubs on Feb 26, 2007 3:22 PM PST reply actions

Tons

The fouls that are called are ridiculous. Passing the ball then having the defender run in front of the passer and drawing a foul should NOT be called a charge.

Dress code...stupid.

Age limit...stupid. Monta Ellis in college right now? I dont even want to think about it.

by gswrico on Feb 26, 2007 3:48 PM PST reply actions

to have the officials

stop picking on our beloved dubs. Even a lesser Eastern conference team (i.e. Hakws, Bobcats) gets a better treatment from the refs AT the Oracle Arena!

by MANUTEs BOLs on Feb 26, 2007 4:07 PM PST reply actions

outlaw charges

just get rid of them completely. and make the refs learn that if an defensive player gets jumped into it is not a foul on him.

by AJC3317 on Feb 26, 2007 5:22 PM PST reply actions

My choice...

There are lots of things I'd change (pass & crash, hand-checking, zero-tolerance, etc.), but the main thing I'd change, is to add 1 & 1's, a la college and HS ball. The sad truth is not only can NBA players not make free throws, but there's very little pressure to. It absolutely drives me crazy when a team is up 3 points, in the waning moments of a game, and they get fouled, and there is zero pressure to make the first free throw. 1&1's emphasize the importance of free throws, and add much more excitement to the last 2 minutes of basketball games. Of course, this rule would be very detrimental to the Warriors, but good for the NBA in general....in my opinion.

by bradyk2 on Feb 26, 2007 5:44 PM PST reply actions

I agree

that rule really stresses freethrows and lets teams have a chance at the end when down three and the other team has the ball. It would make endings even more intense.

by racsan on Feb 26, 2007 6:10 PM PST up reply actions

OH LORDY

Man, I'd have a field day as a commissioner. Basketball is my favorite sport and it hurts to see the top pro league constantly poisoned by the Stern regime.

First things first: get rid of that idiotic dress code. It has nothing to do with basketball--players already have their team uniforms serving as their work attire--and I'm just morally opposed to it (freedom of expression, stereotypes based on clothing, obsolete standards, etc.). I don't care how "gaudy" some players' outfits may look to some, they'll probably still look better than those ugly suits. I'd also give coaches and draft-day prospects more freedom in what to wear. Let's treat these guys like adults for once.
Taking a page out of the NFL--no more guaranteed contracts. Players will have to show their worth every season or face the possibility of getting cut without penalty to the team. This could solve a lot of salary cap and luxury tax problems as well as provide more dynamic competition.
Speaking of competition, I'd like to attempt to fix the conference disparity problem with a seemingly-elaborate-but-relatively-simple realignment plan. Taking another page out of the NFL, it would essentially put the league's 15 oldest franchises (or rather, the 14 oldest and the Cavaliers) in one conference and the surviving ABA teams and newer franchises in another. I've actually typed this out on Notepad once and it resulted in only eight teams switching divisions and two divisions switching conferences. I may elaborate further in the diary section.
Speaking again of competition, fix the playoff system: first by eliminating the 8th seed in each conference, thus giving the top seeds a first round bye and making regular season games more important. Second, return the first round (as well as shortening the second round) to a best-of-5 series, making those games more important--and making sure that the playoffs will no longer last forever every year.
Taking another page out of the NFL: enforce an age limit of 20. Yes, I'm well aware of the amount of talent that came straight out of high school, but if it works well for the NFL, it could work well for us. It could result in more mature attitudes.
Taking yet another page out of the NFL: de-emphasize fan voting for the all-star game. Allow players and coaches (and maybe some sportswriters) to have a say in who starts for each conference, so that more deserving talent can get the spotlight. Conversely, I'd like for fans to have some say in who participates in the dunk contest and 3-point shootout. Wouldn't you rather see Carter and Kobe performing big time dunks instead of judging them?
And now, doing the opposite of the NFL: ease up on punishing taunts, celebrations, etc. Let the players have their fun. It could very well lead to audiences having more fun too.
Allow players, coaches, etc. to criticize officials. It's just plain freedom of speech, and it humanizes the referees. Create a system allowing these people to respectfully point out the mistakes of referees and/or punish those referees who do not make objective calls. This should result in a more fair game. Also ease up on technical calls and reverse what Stern has done--again, let the players have fun.
Simplify the rules of the game in regards to fouls, violations, etc. Bring the game back to a more natural flow like it was in the 80's. No more half-circle under the key, ease up on "phantom fouls" (though I'd still want hand-checking to be watched for to punish unnecessary roughing and reward active defense), no more 5-second back to the basket, simplify illegal offense/defense, etc.
Make sure the draft isn't so damn close after the end of the Finals, giving more time for teams to scout. Of course, with my shortening of the playoffs this shouldn't be as big of a problem. I'd say mid-July would be a better time to hold the draft.
I wouldn't make a rule for this, but I'd like to discourage teams from doing throwbacks so damn much, especially in light of newer and better designs. The only teams I wouldn't bother about this are Boston (because they're the Celtics) and Atlanta (because, unlike other teams, their throwbacks actually look good). Same thing with bright-ass alternate jerseys, some of which have little to do with a team's actual colors/theme/etc.
Get more network TV time. Basketball deserves to be accessible to more people. Bring back the weekend double/triple headers that NBC once had. I've missed way too many games due to ESPN's incompetence.
Don't be so damn afraid of hip hop music. Basketball is a game that relies heavily on rhythm and flow, so it's only a natural match (plus it just sounds good). People who judge music based on stereotypes and image instead of the actual music are ignorant anyway, and there are plenty of songs that already fit or can be reasonably re-fit for marketing purposes.
Create new restrictions on retiring numbers. Only allow players whose contributions can be proven to have a significant impact on a team to have their numbers retired (Malik Sealy? Please). Only allow actual players who actually played for the team to have their number retired (no more "sixth man" nonsense--and last time I checked, Michael Jordan never played for Miami).
Guys, enough with this "disband this or that team" talk. Rivalries and idiot fans aside, you're just being silly. :P
Another possibly insignificant complaint: smack some sense in to Electronic Arts and make them respect the trade deadline like they used to. NBA Street V3, while a great game overall, was stupid for having Baron Davis still on the Hornets. I suspect something similar with the new Street title.

I know some of my proposed changes may be detrimental to the Warriors as they are now, but from a more neutral perspective for the good of the game and the long term, I think it would make things better.

by J-Triumf on Feb 26, 2007 7:39 PM PST reply actions

very nice

great list, and ur right about #16. dunleavy and murphy are still on the dubs in the new game, and webber is still on the sixers. i'm still getting the game tho :)

by AJC3317 on Feb 26, 2007 8:39 PM PST up reply actions

very excellent list

I agree with most of what you said

by ZombieWarrior on Feb 26, 2007 8:45 PM PST up reply actions

Ok, lets seee.....

20 Things I would do with the NBA....

Obliterate the Dress Code.
Ban of the mini team logos on the top of the back of the shorts (Pacers, Hawks). They look stupid.
Get rid of the "bro" team warmup jerseys. They also look stupid.
Get rid of the rule that says a team cannot make a new uniform that is black.
Force each team (with the exception of new teams like the Bobcats) to have 5 Hardwood Classic Nights each year. More revenue to the league.
Remove the rule that says Owners cannot join their team in the huddle.
Remove the rule that denotes how players must stand during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Separate the Dunk Contest into two brackets of "Rising Stars" (Players in third season or younger) and "All-Star" (Players in third season or later). Each side has 4 players, and it works like it does now except the winner of each contest faces off.
Restrict the Playstation Skills Challenge to Point Guards Only.
Reform the "Haier Shooting Stars Challenge" into a game of 3 on 3.
Make a "Big Man Contest" which tests shotblocking and dunking over other players in the post.
Immediately opt out of the current television contract with ABC/ESPN/TNT. Re-Sign into a contract with All-Star, Western Conference Final, and Thursday Games on TNT, Eastern Final on NBATV, and NBA Finals/Sunday Games on NBC. Possibly sign on smaller networks like Versus for some regular season games.
Push for better distribution of NBATV, and lower the price on NBA LEague Pass to attract more viewers.
Redesign the Collective Bargaining Agreement to allow players of ANY AGE to try out for the NBA.
Add on a few expansion teams. Add on the obvious, such as Oklahoma City, St.Louis, and Kansas City. Attempt to add Mexico City, sell tickets at discount in Mexico.
Continue full steam ahead integration of Europe. Aim for NBA and Eurobasket to combine into one by 2020.
Have fans contribute 50% of the MVP vote.
Create a "Oops" rule which allows a team who has signed a contract for 3 million or more a year for 3 years or more to opt out of the contract one year or less after it has been given, with the league paying the player the remaining money and the player going to Free Agency. A team gets this once every 3 years, and the rule is tradeable between teams. It expires if not used.
Give every team adult shorts. Why can we not buy Warriors Shorts?
Get rid of the Refs "No Tolerance" rule.

Oh, and a bonus rule....
21. Never, ever, ever, ever, let Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers do the NBA Finals intro ever again. Ever.

by Zorgon on Feb 26, 2007 8:21 PM PST reply actions

#'s 15 and 21...

I don't think it would be a good idea to have a basketball team in Mexico City purely because Mexico is a soccer first country... and allowing their fans a significant discount to watch games would make it unfair for other teams... especially since salaries and such heavily rely on ticket sales.

I really PRAY TO GOD that they never let TOM PETTY or anyone in similar genres (like that this is how a heart breaks song for the playoffs a couple of seasons ago) do songs for the NBA... Man was that HORRIBLE!!!

by mightymadskillz on Mar 1, 2007 8:26 PM PST up reply actions

A playoff change

I'll post more later, but here's one I'd love to see (originally created in my college football playoff system, but it works here too):
Let the top seeds in each conference pick their opponents, going down the line until each of the teams is chosen. Think about how much fuel this would add to the fire of each matchup, as well as taking out any benefit for a team tanking like the Clippers did.

by dprodigy19 on Feb 26, 2007 9:41 PM PST reply actions