Kobe Bryant ‘Won’t Complain’ If NBA Goes To 44-Minute Games

[Andrew]

Story.

Kobe: "I’m kind of old school, used to the 48 minutes, but at this stage I won’t complain if it’s less."

Well, of course Kobe doesn't mind. He only needs 32 minutes to put up 62 points.

I can't say I'm too thrilled about the NBA looking to chop and change so many things - length of the game, free throw rules, sleeved jerseys - while at the same time, seemingly overlooking more important issues that need to be addressed, such as flopping, consistency of block/charge calls, what constitutes a continuation, and so on.

[Stress Fracture]

Why not make it 40 minutes?

[Andrew]

Yeah, you'd think they'd just trim it to the other standard length of 40 minutes if they were going to cut the games at all. Maybe they figure it'll allow them to add more commercials without being too obnoxious about it.

[shadowgrin]

Maybe they figure it'll allow them to add more commercials without being too obnoxious about it.

This. Definitely this.

Broadcast length of games will stay the same but with new slots for commercials with the freed up 4 minutes.
Player health is just the second and even unintended result of this, it's mostly about the potential revenue.

[Patr1ck]

They should increase the game to 60 minutes, and enforce the reduction of everything else to an hour. Then they can just have ad competition which could be based on teams who go on runs or comebacks or even certain players, and have quick ads that overlay on top of the game during broadcasts.

[koberulz]

the NBA looking to chop and change...free throw rules

What's the story there?

[Andrew]

Apparently they've considered eliminating the second free throw, in favour of one foul shot worth two points.

[Patr1ck]

That actually isn't a bad idea. There was one idea of giving the fouled player one point for a shooting foul, them having them shoot one freethrow. The effects would probably be more flopping, but teams would not want to foul to stop the game down the stretch.

[Moz]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/279234882.html

“I come off the bench, man,” he said. “They need to put 50 minutes on that so my minutes would be up. I need more minutes, not less.”

[Andrew]

That actually isn't a bad idea. There was one idea of giving the fouled player one point for a shooting foul, them having them shoot one freethrow. The effects would probably be more flopping, but teams would not want to foul to stop the game down the stretch.

It's an interesting change I guess, but...I don't know. I think all that stuff is fine just the way it is. I'd prefer to see a reduction in flopping, and more consistency on certain calls. I think those are bigger issues as far as the quality and integrity of the game are concerned.

[Patr1ck]

True that. I don't know where all this wanted change is coming from. Lebron wants a shorter season, now, too. Could it be the Silver camp? Everybody trying to make a mark or something? If a shorter season meant players didn't hold back a bit to make sure they make it all the way through, I'd be all for it for the potential of more effort.

[Lean]

...and have quick ads that overlay on top of the game during broadcasts.

We have that on local NBA broadcasts. Same with the PBA broadcasts. They have this animated ads that go and eat up 1/3 of your screen, sometimes even covering up the play on-court.

EDIT: 7000th post!

[benji]

The games thing really picked up steam after the lockout season. Almost everybody was like "holy crap this is so much better!" If they had the normal length of the year to do it in.

I have a weird attachment to 82 games though. Just because there's something about knowing the records 59-23, 65-17, 34-48, etc.

44 minutes seems really odd because that's a tradition that's never changed. All these other rules have been changed in NBA history but games have always been 48 minutes.

The league as a whole has already moved towards imitating the Spurs regarding minutes anyway. Go back just a decade and look at how many minutes a game guys like Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley were logging. (Just ignore that Mobley had an undiagnosed heart condition while doing it. lol)

[Stress Fracture]

...and have quick ads that overlay on top of the game during broadcasts.

We have that on local NBA broadcasts. Same with the PBA broadcasts. They have this animated ads that go and eat up 1/3 of your screen, sometimes even covering up the play on-court.

The KFC ad is the most annoying one in the NBA broadcasts.

[koberulz]

If a shorter season meant players didn't hold back a bit to make sure they make it all the way through, I'd be all for it for the potential of more effort.

Yeah, I've pretty much given up following the NBA from October to March, because the Australian national league is on. 28 games over 20 (previously 23) weeks, all teams are generally in the playoff (top 4) hunt until the last month, and each team plays each other team four times, which means ladder positioning often comes down to game margins after a 2-2 series tie, so every single play counts.

Compare that with the lazy jogging up and down between teams that have no chance of achieving anything that goes on in most NBA games, and it's hard to care.

[benji]

Each NBA team playing each other four times would be 116 games.

72 games is about the fewest the teams would ever agree to.

[shadowgrin]

If a shorter season meant players didn't hold back a bit to make sure they make it all the way through, I'd be all for it for the potential of more effort.

As long as half the league can make it to the playoffs it doesn't matter.

[bowdown]

Aren't athletes supposed to be getting bigger and faster? Combined with the advancement of medicine there shouldn't be talk of reducing minutes. I don't care if games go on too long. I'm watching basketball because I like it, not because it fits within a certain time frame. All those old records are going to get skewed as well.

[Sauru]

i find it funny that kobe not complaining is news worthy

[Andrew]

True that. I don't know where all this wanted change is coming from. Lebron wants a shorter season, now, too. Could it be the Silver camp? Everybody trying to make a mark or something? If a shorter season meant players didn't hold back a bit to make sure they make it all the way through, I'd be all for it for the potential of more effort.

The same thought occurred to me. Fans like to call Stern a terrible commissioner - and to be fair, not all of his ideas have been winners - but he did do some good things for the league. The anti-drug policy he instituted early on in his tenure greatly helped the league, and possibly saved some lives as well. Perhaps Silver is feeling some pressure to make significant changes so that he too can have an impact.

[Andrew]

MJ says, in a nutshell, suck it up and play 82 games if you want to make a lot of money.

[Kevin]

MJ

one of the best shit I've read

"Could LeBron be successful in our era? Yes. Would he be as successful? No."