#nbadiscussion

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The Classroom: NFL Playoff Race and NBA Highlights - Episode 68

First GenXers presents The Classroom Ft. Ep.68 (NFL Playoff Race, NBA Week 11 and Much More!!) Original Air Date: 01.04.26 (6pm) Description: First GenXers presents The Classroom returns with Episode 68, breaking down the heated NFL Playoff race as teams battle for positioning, plus a full recap of NBA Week 11 with key storylines, standout performances, and early trends to watch. The crew dives…

The Classroom: NFL Playoff Race and NBA Highlights - Episode 68

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NBA’s conference imbalance

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that NBA conferences are imbalanced. Teams with better records in the West can’t make the playoffs, while weaker teams in the East make the playoffs. Lebron James will probably make it to his 8th NBA finals in a row this year, thanks to the weaker Eastern Conference. It’s part of the reason why James doesn’t take regular season seriously and often wants to rest. 

It’s time to change the stone age playoff system, so that we can have more interesting playoffs and regular season. The first round of the NBA playoffs is very predictable, with the top 4 teams usually moving on to the second round. Unlike the NHL, where a number 8 seed can win a Stanley cup, an upset rarely happens in the NBA.  Mark cuban has a solution, allow top 16 teams from the NBA to participate in the NBA playoffs, regardless of their conferences.

               To counter this problem, here is what I think the NBA should do.

1)      Get rid of the conferences and qualify top 10 teams in the league for the playoffs.  

2)      Top 2 teams in the NBA automatically advance to the next round

3)      Teams ranked from 3 to 10 will play each other according to the existing format.

 For example,

 Winner of 3 vs 10 faces the winner of 4 vs 9

 Winner of 5 vs 8 faces the winner of 6 vs 7

 Assuming teams 3, 9, 5 and 7 won

 Winner of 3 vs 9 faces the winner of 5 vs 7

 Assuming 3 and 7 won

 Winner of 1 vs 7 faces the winner of 2 vs 3, in the NBA finals

 This will create more excitement in the NBA, as teams will try to finish in the top 2 and the regular season will be more meaningful.

Accessed from: https://www.themandarin.com.au/21199-vertical-fiscal-imbalance-agenda-issues-paper/

Conference Imbalance in the NBA [Mark Cuban's Solution?] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggeYrJXklY4

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Evolution of the Game

Having been a basketball fan for a very long time. I have seen the game evolve. There have been many rule changes over the years, which has made the sport only more interesting. However, one trend that I see emerging is the extinction of a Center position in the NBA.

“As the league moves closer and closer to positionless basketball, teams are opting for smaller big men who may not be able to block shots like Noel or post up like Gasol but who can offer just a bit more flexibility on the court.”(Ziller, 2017)

                Back in the day, players were more inclined to score inside the paint, 3-point shot was extremely rare. However, over the last few years shooting a 3-point shot has become an essential skill that every basketball player must possess. With teams choosing to play small ball, it becomes almost impossible to defend if you have a 7 feet Center on your team, and that’s why the Center position has become a liability in the NBA in the last few years.  

               Traditionally, only point guards and shooting guards were required to have ball handling capabilities. However, in the recent years Power-forwards and Centers have started adapting to this new style of play. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, who are around 7 feet tall, can handle the ball, drive to the paint, pass and shoot 3-pointers like a typical Point-guard in the league.

This has been a very positive change for the NBA because it levels the playing field. As there are now players who are short for NBA standards ( 5’9 to 6 feet) like Isiah Thomas, who can score thanks to the advent of small ball and the high frequency of 3 pointers. This gives young kids, who are not abnormally tall, hope to make it to the NBA. At the same time, the big men, who are willing to work hard and develop a skill-set can also do well in the NBA. Traditionally, big men (like Shaq and Dwight Howard) were able to dominate the league based on sheer size and athleticism, even though they lacked variety of skills and had poor work ethic.

Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/sports/wp/2016/04/15/its-a-point-guards-game/?utm_term=.af2bb59c7634

Ziller, Tom(2017).  The center position in the NBA is dying.  Retrieved from https://www.sbnation.com/2017/7/17/15981266/nba-center-position-bad-free-agents