IMPROVING BASKETBALL--PROGRESSIVE TEAM-SPORT REGULATIONS

IMPROVING BASKETBALL—PROGRESSIVE TEAM-SPORT REGULATIONS

I mentioned in a previous article that a worthy goal should be a .500 average for every team in the league, because worthy opponents create more competitive and exciting environments for players and fans and generate greater interest and team profits at the box office and concession stands.

Everyone will reap the benefits and rewards of more balanced competition, so why not begin to even the odds by increasing team-size, limiting players to 16 minutes per game, and requiring that every player who is not sick, injured, ejected or serving a suspension play a minimum of 12 mpg? In the NBA, this would mean increasing the average team size from 13 to 15 members, just to accommodate the 48-minute game total, plus the necessary substitutes for injuries, fouls and ejections. Overtime minutes would also need to be rotationally shared and limited. The net effect of these changes will be to level the talent pools available on the floor at any given moment, whether through the rotation of 5-man units or another substitution strategy which suits the coaching staffs’ preference.

This will have the added benefits of increased levels of game-play, morale, and skill- development for substitutes, the ability to include more high-speed offensive game techniques, full-court press defense, and other methods which previously had limited use to avoid player fatigue. By limiting game-time for regulars and increasing minutes for substitutes, more realistic and balanced demands per player will mean lower stress and injury averages and potential career-extensions for players, more options for coaching staffs and management, and an overall increase in fan support and interest. Additionally, rookies will immediately see service, resulting in accelerating their learning curves, to the advantage of both these new players and their teams.

As a team sport, basketball has proven to be highly successful, primarily because of the emphasis placed on offensive and defensive strategies, assists, rapid-response maneuvers and other team-generated efforts. Predictable objections may include those who fear that lowered stats for regulars will result in the inability to compare year-by-year stat totals, but these can be overcome by the increasingly favorable stats compiled by the entire team. Lowering yearly output-per-player may also extend careers which might otherwise be cut short by depending too heavily on massive short-term production by the regulars, and increasing the chances for fatigue-related injury.


More than any other reasons given, this is an idea worth trying in order to boost every team’s chances to make it to the playoffs, the benchmark by which success in the league is measured, and thereby increasing fan interest and support and ultimately benefiting the entire NBA organization.

Mark Overt Skilbred