Seeing how many rounds
Major League Baseball and the National Football League actually have in
their respective drafts, it is shocking that the National Basketball
Association only has two rounds for theirs. Look at the publicity the NFL
can generate in the offseason with six rounds.
Granted, there are only
12 players per NBA team. But with the NBA’s new product, the National
Basketball Development League, it’s time to change their thinking.
The lack of
affiliations makes it hard to track the NBDL players called to the NBA.
In Asheville, North Carolina (my backyard), many baseball nuts follow the
Asheville Tourist players fortunate enough to get called up to their Major
League affiliates in Colorado. Because players can be picked by any old
NBA team, there’s no such connection in the NBDL.
While understanding
that the growth of pro basketball requires a stable and dependable minor
league, the NBA is just getting a real understanding of the minor league
market, and how people in minor league markets react.
The surest way to
promote the NBDL is so subtly simple it’s mindblowing: Simply extend the
NBA from two rounds to four. The picks of teams in Rounds 3 and 4 go
directly into the NBDL.
Think about it: With
eight NBDL teams of ten players each, with 30 NBA teams this time next
year there would be 60 of those 80 spots filled. Since the draft is in
June, and the season starts in November, it gives players ample time to
gel as a team, so they aren’t rushed like the teams are now. (Although
I’m the first to admit the NBDL draft last year was very well done, there
was serious parity with every team still in the playoff hunt until at
least a week to go.)
This makes more sense
than just a blanket NBA investment, the teams will actually follow their
picks out of necessity. Yes, it makes the NBDL teams “pseudo-shared
affiliates,” but the interest in following certain NBA teams in the NBDL
towns can’t be anything but a positive for the NBA at this point. And it
gives much needed PUBLICITY for the NBDL. They could even encourage
(pressure?) the right folks to put the third and fourth rounds on espn2,
and NBATV (hey, that channel needs programming).
The NBDL would have to
do more to cybercast all these games, and get more game films to those
teams. (Think road trips and the parent team’s players catching up on
their NBDL mates.)
Here are some of the
rules that will be needed presuming an 8 team league in 2004-2005
(Remember that an “A” player is a college, high school, or international
player entering the regular draft, and that a “B” player is a current NBDL
or other league player):
1. “B”
players are in the NBA draft for round 3 and 4 only. This is only for the
first year. Each NBDL team will designate 2 players as exempt and keep
them.
2. Each
NBA team gets two picks. They may pick 2 “A’s,” or an “A” and a “B” but
not 2 “B’s.” Any “B” picked is immediately reclassified an “A.”
3. All
uncalled “B’s” that were contracted NBDL players are returned to their
teams. Others are free-agents or put in a future NBDL draft.
4. Each
team cannot pick more than one center from Round 3 and 4.
5. NBA
teams cannot trade or otherwise barter those picks. After the draft, they
can trade players between other teams within the NBDL before July 1.
6. After
July 1, “A” players are contracted for the equivalent of $60,000 per
season. The NBA team provides the salary, insurance, and other perks, not
the NBDL or its teams. Players called up during the season agree to a
predetermined rookie minimum’s equivalent. When a player is called up,
the NBA team must pay the standard NBDL salary to a “B” player that fills
the spot unless/until the “A” player returns.
7. Players
from the same NBA team can’t be moved to separate NBDL teams. “A” players
can be sold or traded to a different NBA team with the minimum payment to
player of a 10-day NBA contract for the rights.
8. Players
drafted automatically go to the following teams and be rostered for around
15 NBDL games (this will change throughout the years as the NBDL expands):
Asheville: Los
Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, New Charlotte Team
Greenville:
Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, New Orleans Hornets
Columbus: Washington Wizards,
Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies
Fayetteville:
Miami Heat, L.A. Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs
Huntsville: Houston Rockets, Orlando
Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks
Mobile: Utah Jazz, Philadelphia
76ers, Seattle Supersonics, New York Knicks
N. Charleston:
New Jersey Nets, Portland Trailblazers, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings
Roanoke:
Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors
The roster will have to
be expanded to 11 or even 12. Even then, it’s highly probable that the
NBDL coaches will play all the players, they mainly do anyway. Sure, some
current NBDL players will be cut, but many will be in a player pool and
reserve squads to fill in vacancies. (Folks, that’s life.)
Of course, asking the
NBA teams to cooperate for a couple of years won’t be much of a problem,
eventually it will wear out its welcome, and will help push the inevitable
expansion to a full minor league. In the event that there are someday 30
NBDL teams (ok, it’s a dream), it’s easily conceivable that six rounds at
least will be needed.
The players will need
experience, so PLEASE increase the periods to 12 minutes. Ten minute
quarters are a joke. Giving six fouls per players with only 40 minutes
promotes thugball and a bunch of boring free throws. And please take away
the NBA Rookie/Sophomore Game on All-Star Weekend. It’s outlived its
usefulness. How about an NBDL All-Star Game on NBA All-Star Saturday
instead? Full game, full rules.
Instead of drafting
players to ride the pine, give them some experience in NBA style
basketball with a dramatically better pool of basketball players. This is,
after all, a “developmental” league.
