Hoops

Point system - a constraint of trade??

"Even having a salary cap is restraint of trade isn't it, whoops perhaps not convenient to mention that is it."

Of course it is.

And the courts know it is, too, but its allowed as long as it satisfies a few conditions.

Schwab's contention is that the points cap does not satisfy those conditions.

"http://sportsbusinessinsider.com.au/news/category/financial-and-governance/brendan-schwab-nbls-player-rating-points-system-is-a-flagrant-restraint-of-trade/"

excellent article! thanks HO.

The point is simply that if the NBL enforced the salary cap properly there is no need for the points cap.

Isaac your point about the NBA is moot. I dont follow it but surely the purpose of a salary cap in the NBL or any league is in place to equalise the competition? Do you disagree?

The NBL just need to enforce the salary cap. It is that simple. If they did their job properly the players and particulerly those at the lower end wouldnt be left out.

The points trading proposal floated from what I can workout goes directly against your notion of not wanting the richer clubs to be advantaged over the lower clubs. Would being able to afford to buy points simply strengthen the rich clubs and weaken the poor clubs who couldnt afford to buy them?

If you're good enough to be a 10pt player you will get a spot. If not, well, you may or you may not get on to a roster. Depends how it all shakes out.

Yes, the points system has its negatives.

At the end of the day though, it's a case of "tough titties".

Nothing is guaranteed in sport.

If you are good enough to play in the league, you will get a spot.

For guys like Daly/Lewis, it just reiterates the idea that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. You have to prepare yourself for life out of basketball.

At the end of the day, working full-time in a good job will pay them better than what their earning potential is in the NBL atm?

Actually, it kind of did. It certainly closed the curtains on the idea that he would still be at the club at the end of the coming season and effectively made him a dead-end proposition that made more sense to cut than retain. The fact his points value arbitrarily added up to a college returnee+1pt player, freeing up a necessary single point to get dual imports just sealed his fate sooner rather than later.

But my comment wasn't related to that - just an observation that his points shouldn't have risen to begin with.

And given they bumped Bartlett to a 6, I'd say they're not related to talent either!

Originally I thought it time for point system to go
but thinking about Burdon instead of Christopherson and selling 9 points, my reaction has since mellowed.

I still cannot understand how that last season did not see Barlett's points value go down instead of up, but whatever. In a sense, yes, he was dropped due to points. Not because they changed, and not because of salary issues, but because it was 4 instead of 3, which made the maths not work how we wanted it to. And there was absolutely no recourse available to him.

That said, good bye Mr 0-from-9.

Muzz Buzz, you say its lessened the general appeal, but has it? NBA does not seem to be suffering or trending downward.

paul - definitely the thing that narks me the most about the points cap.

Apart from, you know, not being able to spend millions of dollars hiring NBA players and then pretending they're on $150k. But apart from that, that's my biggest pet peeve

;)

@Isaac,

Either by trading for unused points or by paying the league a luxury tax on extra points. Something that could allow the 70pt margin a little fuzziness so that players who would otherwise be 1 or 2 pts too dear on a team balancing a roster can still get a gig.

I accept that Daly and Lewis might not have been the best examples about the weakening of the league but the restraint of trade problem still exisits. I couldnt imagine what it must be like for a fringe player to know that would get a contract if rated lower. To know you had an NBL gig and income stream availble to you but couldnt get it done because of the point rating is just absurd and a restraint of trade.

I dont get the arguments about what it actually does to benefit the league and why it is needed. If the auditing process is done correctly then what is the use of it.

Do any other sports use a points rating system?

Well said, Isaac.

Furthermore, if Tom Daly (I'm a big fan too) were CLEARLY better than the alternatives available for 1-3 player points, he would've already been signed.

I believe that Townsville, Sydney and Wollongong aren't in danger of breaching the player points cap without extending their salary budget.

What we have is a subjective classification (by the NBL) and analysis (by clubs) of talent, where a given player (e.g. B.Teys) that is likely about the same standard as Daly picks up a spot that he otherwise may not have.

It's still in the best interest of the teams to put together the best roster possible given their salary constraints - this does not change.

While there is a deadweight loss from the PPC, I doubt there would be a negative net effect considering both the talent distribution effect and additional enforcement of the salary cap.

I wouldn't mind seeing a more 'flexible' player points cap i.e. a soft cap similar to the NBA's, but regarding the PPC and much fewer exceptions.

Things are really starting to heat up now with the current scandal in the NBA..

Donaghy first met with FBI agents in July 2007. A team of agents has been probing his stories ever since. As the result of their investigations, federal prosecutors have filed what is known as a 5(k) letter. The 5(k) letter means the agents have checked on the stories and have concluded Donaghy was truthful. The 5(k) letter does not apply to the 2002 Western Conference finals Game 6 because the statute of limitations had expired. More than five years went by before Donaghy described that game to any agents. There was no reason to look into that game because no one could be charged with a crime. The 5(k) letter does apply to statements Donaghy made to agents regarding the three games in 2005. The information could result in a reduction of Donaghy's prison sentence when Amon sentences him July 14. He faces a maximum of 33 months in prison under federal guidelines.

Although the FBI has concluded Donaghy was truthful, it does not mean others will be charged with crimes. Agents and prosecutors easily could have concluded that the rigging of the four games was reprehensible but did not qualify as a federal crime. There was no indication of gambling or money laundering or racketeering on the part of the NBA in Donaghy's allegations. If the NBA wants to extend a series to a seventh game, it might be fraud upon the fans, but it is not a federal crime.

How is the cretin Stern going to explain these findings.... He'll probably try and state that the FBI is corrupt......

A very interesting article:

http://linky.com.au/jom6v