Adam Silver could hardly dream of a better first edition for the NBA Tournament. With the Lakers winning the MVP LeBron James in the end, the commissioner saw his new idea put forward perfectly, with great, ideal audiences before the opening of negotiations for the next TV contract…
However, as with anything new, there was a fair amount of criticism, and the big boss of the NBA confirmed that he was already thinking about improvements to be made for future editions.
Avoiding competition from the NFL on the schedule
Franchises would therefore like to be more involved in the design of the parquet floors, perhaps a little too “flashy”. According to Yahoo! Sportsthe schedule could also be tweaked, with the NBA having worked with ABC to broadcast the finals on Saturday, working backwards to place the semifinals on Thursday and the quarterfinals on Monday, to account for rest and travel necessary for the different teams.
The problem is that the matches then fell into direct competition with the NFL, with “Monday Night Football” then “Thursday Night Football”. What the NBA would logically like to avoid in the future.
“One of the questions we can discuss with the players association or the teams is whether it is possible to add a few days to the season to reduce the pressure on this” confirmed Adam Silver. “There are a bunch of different things we can look at. But I think we knew, going into this premiere, that some of these windows wouldn't be ideal from a television standpoint. »
Avoiding competition from the NFL on the schedule
Some would also like to increase the sporting stakes of victory during the In-Season Tournament, by offering automatic qualification in the playoffs or play-in to the winner. An idea that doesn't really excite the league, and perhaps an additional victory in the standings for the victorious team would be enough.
Among the players, the main criticism concerns the “point average”, which has pushed certain teams to maximize the spankings inflicted on other teams, which is contrary to the “unwritten rules” of the league.
“I am not necessarily ready to give up this system” however, replied Adam Silver, when questioned on this subject. “But if, at the end of the day, there is a feeling, particularly from our American fans, that this is a lack of fair play, it is not a good idea for us to do it . »
The NBA could thus adapt the “point average”, with for example a maximum difference of 25 points counted per game. Or a system that would instead take into account the number of quarters won. A coach even suggests ranking teams based on points conceded, to encourage defense!
