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Quinarvy
One thing I really like about the MLB is the farm system. It allows for more trades and lets teams develop players.

It also creates scrapheap super finds (De Aza).

So, here's my idea for making the D-League a real system.

1) Each team gets a dedicated D-League team, no more sharing teams.

2) Each team should be relatively close to their home team (100 mile radius?) which would develop interest in local fans seeing them.

3) Let NBA teams draft high school players, but they have to play a year for the D-League team. Then can be called up. Adds some interest there.

And as for a maybe:

4) Bring back something along the lines of the territorial picks, but they have to play a season in the D-League, so players might just opt to go to college and be drafted the normal way. Can only use a territorial pick every five years.

A way this would work:

Say the Bulls have a D-League team in Aurora, Rockford, Joliet, or Naperville. Let's say Aurora for the sake of discussion.

After the 06-07 season, the Bulls like this Rose kid from Chicago. They take him with their territorial pick. He goes to the Aurora for a year, instead of Memphis. Still plays for Bulls, which is why I picked him.
Jake
I'd like to see at least part of this get some thought.

I need more explanation of territorial picks and possible ramifications of taking high schoolers again, etc.
Quinarvy
QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 6 2012, 10:51 PM) *
I'd like to see at least part of this get some thought.

I need more explanation of territorial picks and possible ramifications of taking high schoolers again, etc.


I just threw the territorial out there.

But basically with territorial picks or high schoolers, they have to play in the D-League for a year. At least. Maybe the contract still ends at the same time.

The risk is they bust or don't develop.

Benefit is they can learn from vets, play in NBA systems, and the D-League gains star power.
Jake
It certainly would be cool in theory, but I have to think the NBA would have looked into this to some extent. Is this something that the NCAA wouldn't like? Does the NCAA really have leverage over the NBA?

Looking at it now, some NBA teams already have their own NBDL teams -- a potential problem may be sustaining more franchises in a league that no one cares about. But as you said, perhaps the situation would create interest. The thing that makes MLB minor leagues more popular to some extent at least is the fact that it really doesn't compete with the NCAA. For all intents and purposes, no one cares about NCAA baseball. The non-MLB baseball they'll see is the local MiLB team.

Can you convince a hardcore Illini fan to start going to an NBDL game when everyone's time for this sort of event is limited?
Quinarvy
QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 7 2012, 09:01 AM) *
It certainly would be cool in theory, but I have to think the NBA would have looked into this to some extent. Is this something that the NCAA wouldn't like? Does the NCAA really have leverage over the NBA?

Looking at it now, some NBA teams already have their own NBDL teams -- a potential problem may be sustaining more franchises in a league that no one cares about. But as you said, perhaps the situation would create interest. The thing that makes MLB minor leagues more popular to some extent at least is the fact that it really doesn't compete with the NCAA. For all intents and purposes, no one cares about NCAA baseball. The non-MLB baseball they'll see is the local MiLB team.

Can you convince a hardcore Illini fan to start going to an NBDL game when everyone's time for this sort of event is limited?


Well the thing is, it hurts the NCAA for sure. Some kids will jump right to pros. The NCAA stars go back to being the juniors and seniors who developed.

Meanwhile, the out of high school phenoms give star power to NBDL. Say a team is in Joliet. People might go see their teams players develop on that stage.

Crowds will follow the talent.
ZoomSlowik
I do think they need to make the NBDL more viable, especially if they make it a 2-year requirement (Though that really only helps the NCAA and kids have proven they can produce after one year, or in rare cases even right out of high school. That's another debate). I can see the territorial picks increasing interest for that too.

I don't ever see the NBA teams agreeing to let those carry over to the league though, it heavily favors teams in more talent rich areas that also tend to coincide with the bigger markets. The Bulls would have had first crack at Garnett, Wade, Rose and Parker, who does Utah get first crack at? Plus I could see kids transferring their senior year to schools closer to the teams they want to join. A lot of guys already do that for better competition and improving their eligibility status.
Quinarvy
QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Jul 7 2012, 07:55 PM) *
I do think they need to make the NBDL more viable, especially if they make it a 2-year requirement (Though that really only helps the NCAA and kids have proven they can produce after one year, or in rare cases even right out of high school. That's another debate). I can see the territorial picks increasing interest for that too.

I don't ever see the NBA teams agreeing to let those carry over to the league though, it heavily favors teams in more talent rich areas that also tend to coincide with the bigger markets. The Bulls would have had first crack at Garnett, Wade, Rose and Parker, who does Utah get first crack at? Plus I could see kids transferring their senior year to schools closer to the teams they want to join. A lot of guys already do that for better competition and improving their eligibility status.


Maybe it inspires teams to do things like the BullsSox academy?

Chicago becomes the extreme winner in this case, that's true. Maybe make the territory where they are born?
Quinarvy
I feel like if the league did this, plus remove the salaries limits/rules (other than minimum) and only had a luxury tax like the MLB, it would increase the parity so damn much.
Jake
QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 7 2012, 11:48 PM) *
I feel like if the league did this, plus remove the salaries limits/rules (other than minimum) and only had a luxury tax like the MLB, it would increase the parity so damn much.


I don't think removing the salary cap would increase parity. The territorial rule would also be a big slap in the face to parity.
Quinarvy
QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 8 2012, 05:18 PM) *
I don't think removing the salary cap would increase parity. The territorial rule would also be a big slap in the face to parity.


Maybe make the territorial pick every 10 years?

And I think removing the cap would help. Otherwise we see stupid contracts get thrown out because of Max Offers and Contract Limits.
madisonsmadhouse
I'd love to see the NBA use the D league as a true minor league. Some guys just need that extra step, and time, before they go to the NBA. Instead of developing, they just sit and rot on a bench.
Balta1701-B
QUOTE (madisonsmadhouse @ Jul 9 2012, 09:53 AM) *
I'd love to see the NBA use the D league as a true minor league. Some guys just need that extra step, and time, before they go to the NBA. Instead of developing, they just sit and rot on a bench.

The only way that teams would do that with guys drafted in the first round is if putting them in the D-League for a year meant an extra year before they became free agents, like with baseball. Otherwise, you put the player with the big league roster so that he can be useful if you think he might be remotely helpful. 2nd rounders fine, you can put them in the D-league and no one cares, but you're not putting pick #22 in the D-League for 3 months to get playing time when he can fill 8 minutes per game with the main roster.
Quinarvy
QUOTE (Balta1701-B @ Jul 9 2012, 10:10 AM) *
The only way that teams would do that with guys drafted in the first round is if putting them in the D-League for a year meant an extra year before they became free agents, like with baseball. Otherwise, you put the player with the big league roster so that he can be useful if you think he might be remotely helpful. 2nd rounders fine, you can put them in the D-league and no one cares, but you're not putting pick #22 in the D-League for 3 months to get playing time when he can fill 8 minutes per game with the main roster.


And I'd be fine with that. Make them earn the contracts like minor league players.
Balta1701-B
QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 10 2012, 11:15 AM) *
And I'd be fine with that. Make them earn the contracts like minor league players.

Problem of course is that the "Players" wouldn't be very happy with that, which means the owners would have to give up something in exchange for that money.
Quinarvy
QUOTE (Balta1701-B @ Jul 10 2012, 11:56 AM) *
Problem of course is that the "Players" wouldn't be very happy with that, which means the owners would have to give up something in exchange for that money.


Like removing RFAs?
Balta1701-B
QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 10 2012, 01:08 PM) *
Like removing RFAs?

Which of course, they would hate.
ZoomSlowik
QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 10 2012, 12:08 PM) *
Like removing RFAs?


I really wish they'd get rid of RFA. 90% of them are matched anyways and it can cause teams to make epically dumb contracts either because of the guy's draft position (it would have takent like an $7 mil QO for OJ Mayo, like $9 mil for Beasley) or because someone knows they have to overbid to actually get the player.

Either make it 4 years until FA or make it a hard 5-year option for the team depending on who needs to conceed in the next deal.

As it applies to the NBDL, I'd think NBA players would love to keep some of these guys in the D-League as long as you can't demote vets. That means more jobs for the current players at the expense of guys that aren't part of the player's union yet.
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