Hoops

NBL in small venues? Yes or No?

The fact that there are two TV timeouts per game that aren't used by any of the broadcasters, and the fact that there are two TV timeouts that are only used by one of the three broadcasters for two of the four or five games a week, is ridiculous.

Calling them after made baskets isn't helping.

The problem that basketball has it often fouling and free throw shoot take a while and timeouts. I'm fine with watching these events but if you are new to basketball it might be a little boring. I support TV timeouts but only if ads are played through, more revenue etc.

There doesn't seem to be too many deals going around to see NBL games, certainly not in Cairns. Maybe introduce a buy 2 get one free game packages? Everyone likes a bargain, and after 3 games people might be keen for more.

Or maybe a rule change along the lines of "In the last 3 mins of regulation, each team will only be allowed to use a maximum of one timeout, regardless of how many timeouts they have remaining"

Right now, I think teams get 3 timeouts each in the second half. That's a total of 6 timeouts in 20 minutes of basketball. Though they are only supposed to last a minute, it tends to be a min and a half delay all up. Meaning a total of 6 x 90 = 9 minutes worth of TO's for 20 minutes of basketball.

By reducing it to a max of 2 timeouts in the second half and inserting that above rule = teams will take one timeout in the 3rd and if its a close game, one in the last 3 min of regulation.

Not sure of the value of the TV timeout, when half the time (maybe a slight exagerration) they don't even play an ad during the broadcast. I'd rather see a slightly longer 1/4 and 3/4 time break.

I cannot see what the problem with Basketball is from an entertainment perspective.

Compared with football (soccer) where you may sit there for 90mins and witness "not much".

But maybe I am such a huge fan of the game, that I can't see the flaws (from an entertainment perspective) that normal non-basketball followers people can.

What does the normal, non-basketball fan think is wrong with basketball from an entertainment point of view is what I would be asking.

Is it:

- Too many longish breaks? - Timeouts, plus Half-time is too long, FT's etc?

- People don't understand the rules?

- Or is it because of the quality of the game(or lack thereof?)

The worrying thing, IMO, is that when you throw in the quarter time and half time breaks, the many timeouts and substitutions, the stoppages in play and the ft's (especially if it is a foul feast), you can have an extremely long, slow and (boring) game.

Football is boring IMO, but maybe people like it because you have 45 mins of football with limited to no stoppages, followed by a short break and another 45 mins of largely uninterrupted play.

The 3 on 3 FIBA game is great.
Have witnessed that and it is crazy. Unbelievably uniterrupted and flowing, requiring extreme fitness.

The 3 on 3 game would not be a bad initiative to showcase somewhere in Aus. e.g plenty of dunks, open 3s etc.

Forced field placements and power plays were standard parts of limited-overs cricket long before T20 was a thing. In fact, I believe power plays only truly exist in the one-day game, and the name has simply carried over to T20, although I don't watch much of either so I could be wrong. (FTR: a 'power play' is a period of the game with tighter fielding restrictions than the other parts of the game. In 50-over cricket, it's the first ten overs, and a five-over block of each team's choice. In T20, I believe it's only the first however many overs. It was previously the first 20 overs, and the teams getting to choose when to apply them is a relatively new rule, which is, I believe, where the term originated.)


My point is, yes there's a whole lot of showbiz about it, but nothing anywhere near as drastic as 'first to a hundred' basketball.

"Big Bash is insanely entertaining and they have done whatever they want - the bails glowing is just one example."
Other than the shorter game, the rules haven't actually changed though. The light-up bails are just an aesthetic thing.

"I am sure Koberulz has never seen and NBL game at MSAC. Simple."
I love how you think this makes you right, when in fact nobody was disagreeing with that, since nobody was talking about MSAC. Even you, apparently, since you claim it was a typo.



"Be great to see Perth playing out of Challenge again."
It really wouldn't. Particularly during the week. It's basically inaccessible via public transport and parking costs an arm and a leg.


"The way I have heard it that by the time, and that's a big if, there are 16 teams playing in the NBL the Wildcats will be playing in China with a 2nd string side playing here."
[citation needed]

I'm sure you have, but that's entirely irrelevant.

You took a shot at me over my 'lack of basketball knowledge', which was actually a lack of knowledge of public transport in a location I've never been to, and 'trying to make it sound real', by which I can only assume you mean speaking with a misplaced tone of authority, which I wasn't doing in the slightest.

You went on to claim the Tigers played at MSAC. I pointed out that they didn't. You continued to dig in and suggest I was an idiot, despite the fact that I mentioned MSAC by name in every single post I made on the subject, giving you ample time to spot the mistake you'd made. It's not like you made the error, didn't realise it initially, and then it was never mentioned by name again so you still didn't notice.

Basically, you're calling me an idiot because you made a mistake, which is a pretty flawed argument.

...

The Tigers play at SNAHC. Why is MSAC relevant?

Like I said: you don't even know which venue the Tigers play in.

"Of course you said possibly Kobe, that's a way of saying you don't know and are hoping you maybe right."
No, it's a way of saying that I recall hearing something along those lines and may or may not be right. I was quite aware of the possibility I could be wrong, which is why I said "possibly".


"How do you know I don't know what venue they play in?"
You mentioned the atmosphere at MSAC when it's full. When is MSAC ever full for an NBL game?

"I think Koberulz and Tiger Watcher should win a shared award for lack of basketball knowledge and trying to make it sound real.

MSAC a great venue"

That's hilarious. I said *possibly* no public transport, which isn't definitive and relates only tangentially to basketball at all. You don't even know what venue they play in.

Good point earlier about taking games into NT. Perth used to have one or two home games there until the season and league was reduced. But there would be nothing stopping say TSV having a 'home' game there, especially during a longer season.

Aren't all stadiums air-conditioned? I would have thought the players union (is there such a thing??) would be all over that.

The French Pro A is notorious for a lot of 'boutique' venues - 3500 to 4000 capacity.

(I watched a French Pro A game on TV.
Despite the small venue, the broadcast did not look bad on TV)

The France Pro A has a TV deal until 2017 for only two live games to be shown per week.

Yet teams have an average budget of $4.1 million euros, which works out to be $6.3m AUD.

Sponsorship must be quite large.

What is this league doing/teams doing that we aren't?

Is it simply because French Pro A teams are bankrolled by extremely wealthy businessman? Surely they would still expect some sort of profit back or expect to at least break even? (which suggests sustainability)

The other problem with the smaller stadiums is that they're terrible to get to, which decreases attendance. Challenge Stadium is essentially inaccessible by public transport, and you can get a seat at Perth Arena cheaper than Challenge's parking fees. The Cage apparently has no parking, and possibly no public transport access.

And yeah, the Cage in particular looks terribly amateurish, with the netball lines in place.

A lot of the current venues look like 'glorified local recreational centres.' I would like to see more thought go into the court colouring etc so they provide a better TV product.
But to answer the original thread, yes if they're going to run with 60 games, no if they're going to run with 28 games and maybe a mix if they're going to run with 44.