Hoops

Low NBL scores

hey bear, i enjoy it too. as would most who frequent this forum. But I want the league to get better TV ratings - its the key to professional sports revenue stream

today may have been a tight contest but when the game high scorer gets 16 its not the best look

Well anon, regarding the 'common knowledge' you say that provides you the idea that ratings are not good, I wonder if you actually have ratings figures, comparisons over several seasons or some data to back that theory?

I happen to watch most games on the TV and I am loving this season, so if the crowds are also up, as you seem to think they are, I reckon the NBL is in good shape...

It can get better, and the way games are going this year I think it is getting better, so no complaints here my friend!

scores are fine

almost all games have been good

It's true, it got really bad.

Guys like us will watch no matter if its 40 or 48 but there is potential to get more on board in a 48 min high scoring league who are used to the NBA.

There is no denying potential.

There is only denying opportunity for it.

The 40 minute game fits neatly into a two hour timeslot. I'd say TV networks like this better. Even in the NBA the management have become wary of the length of their games and even trialled 11 minute quarters in the pre season last year.

With regards to the score I often get asked why are the scores so low in the NBL? Rightly or wrongly it leads to the perception of poor quality. I don't think we can afford to have scores in the 60s or low 70s. We need 80s more often

It's only a matter of time. LK doesn't sit on his laurels or is afraid to make changes.

Example: 3 Import Rule in his second season among other changes.

"Long time fans" should have no issue with going back to the length of game that the NBL played for a "long time" ;)

The NBL has tried appealing to the casual fan for 25 years, while alienating its long time fans year in, year out.

"100% disagree. We need to stop trying to appeal to the "casual fan"

Thankfully we won't hear these sentiments from LK or JL.

Not sure scoring rate means much to the average fan, I'll take higher scores and averages and then maybe that if it's still available.

A possession is 24 seconds or less and I'm happy with how that'll work in a 48 min game, seems to be doing well in the NBA.

"We need a lot of casuals on board or even the NBA only fans who look at NBL and cringe at the scorelines or stats of our "best" players.. I know I've got friends like that."

100% disagree. We need to stop trying to appeal to the "casual fan" and those NBA-only types are always going to find something to criticise.

"If you want to know why TV ratings don't seem to be good it's because of the low scoring"

So why are the ratings much better than last year when the NBL's scoring rate was the highest of any of the top 10 leagues in the world?

It's a money making entertainment business and thats exactly how it should be treated (how to make it more worthwhile and entertaining)

8 more mins to me means more chance for highlights, scoring, bench player time and also more value for money at games.

We need a lot of casuals on board or even the NBA only fans who look at NBL and cringe at the scorelines or stats of our "best" players.. I know I've got friends like that.

Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised the change back will be coming within the next 2-3 seasons since we've moved to the digital streaming age, there's no need to bow down to networks as much as before.

"The orange and white ones were Spalding"

You're 100% correct. I was thinking of the previous Molten ones.

Spalding make the good stuff EXCEPT the crappy orange and white ones the NBL used :)

Definitely not sorry to see that Molten rubbish gone....but Wilson aren't much of an improvement.
Spalding make the real good stuff

Bear it's a well known fact the ratings aren't good. Crowds are up but you can offer a more fulsome entertainment product at the game. When you're at home you want storylines and action. Scoring generally equals action to the average sports fan

"Hated the orange and white balls too btw"

Definitely not sorry to see that Molten rubbish gone....but Wilson aren't much of an improvement.
Spalding make the real good stuff

So you'd prefer to see longer low scoring games, just because games are longer do you expect the scoring rate to increase. It may artificially increase the scores but it isn't going to see a faster game being played, if anything the game will be slower due to increased fatigue

Who says the TV ratings aren't good?

If you want to know why TV ratings don't seem to be good it's because of the low scoring

TBH not only the NBL needs to switch to 12 minute quarters but the entire Basketball world.

It's too early to draw conclusions. Round 1 was allowed to be very physical and nine of the 12 scores were below 80 after 40 minutes.

Round 2 was called cleaner and only two of 12 scores were under 80. We'll have to wait and see how the teams and refs settle down.

Traditionally, the NBL and NBA have a pretty similar scoring rates, with the NBL's slightly higher more often than not.

I think 40 mins was because they wanted to either shorten games to fit with TV schedules (2 hours) and to follow in FIBA's shitty footsteps so they could compete in Olympics, even though as we saw, Atlanta and Sydney Olympics are still equal our best results and from Rio and going forward, our best players play in the NBA.

I dont think it's the reffing- I've seen a lot of very soft foul calls over the first two and a bit rounds of the season.

It's interesting that many of the new players in the league are noted as good defenders, having won DPOY's in College or D League or just being noted for their defense- McKay, Whittington, Newley, Edwin, Egwu, Jacobsen.

I think like last season, Illawarra will be a particularly high scoring team given their game style under Bevo. So will Melbourne and Adelaide. Cairns and Brisbane will slow it down and will result in lower scoring games. Too early to talk about overall trends though, so many personnel changes so let's wait and see.

Agree with 12 minute quarters, must be a reason why they are not implemented, but I am unsure what that could be...

Would still like to see 48 mins come back, the quarters are way too short.. not getting money's worth at games.

Ok, so watching an NBL game right now and the pre-season NBA games (I know it isn't a completely fair comparison), but the scoring in the NBA is more dependent on a players' shooting skills than in the NBL IMHO.

Right now we have a little bit of inconsistency in our offensive games, generally speaking that is, for the NBL over all.

That shouldn't surprise anyone, our rosters are not as talented as the NBA, whose is? But once our NBL teams settle down and the shooting improves, so will the scores, mark my words...

Well, it's a combination of all of those things depending on the game, but the biggest impact the increase in talent has had is on the defensive end overall, IMO.

I don't think scoring is as important as good basketball re: the fans. There's been a ton of highlights already this year regardless.

For me definitely..

Glory Days had 48 mins, high individual stat records..

Need to go back to that and I'll go out on a limb here and say we wont have to wait long for LK and JL to look into that as they've clearly made a point of going to trips to the U.S. and doing what they can to emulate the success and entertainment factor of the NBA which is a positive and a far cry from the FIBA sh#t the others tried before..

Hated the orange and white balls too btw.

If they want to reel in the China market, they'll have to make adjustments for sure.

Shane Heal, Simon Kerle and Brian Gorjian respect to you all