By TIM REYNOLDS
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA has accomplished the method of adjusting the transition take foul rule, ending years of debate about what to do with the long-maligned tactic.
And, additionally as anticipated, the play-in event goes to be round for the foreseeable future.
The league’s board of governors finalized these two issues Tuesday, approving a plan to award one free throw when groups are deprived by the take foul — in addition to eradicating the “experimental” designation from the play-in ingredient to the postseason.
“Generally, it was upbeat coming out of our meeting,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned. “People are thrilled that as we head into next season, it looks like we’ll be on our normal track in terms of when the season starts, in terms of our protocols around the game, particularly around the health and safety of our players.”
It wasn’t a shock that the league modified the penalty on take fouls; Silver advised The Associated Press in early June that it could change, although cautioned that the brand new rule may nonetheless be tweaked in future years.
The take foul — during which the defender doesn’t make a play on the ball — is what the league classifies as one that happens both “during a transition scoring opportunity or immediately following a change of possession and before the offensive team had the opportunity to advance the ball.” The exception is within the last 2 minutes of the fourth quarter or time beyond regulation.
The new penalty for such a foul is one free throw, which can be tried by any participant on the offended staff within the sport on the time the foul was dedicated, and continued possession.
Silver addressed plenty of different matters, together with:
REVENUE
The NBA is coming off a large monetary yr, with income topping $10 billion for the primary time and basketball-related earnings reaching $8.9 billion, one other file.
Silver mentioned the numbers are notably sturdy contemplating the league continues to be coping with a pandemic, and it wasn’t that way back when some questioned whether or not sports activities might survive the virus — no less than within the sense of whether or not individuals would need to collect once more.
“The numbers did surprise me to a certain degree because it exceeded projections, and the projections represent where we think our business is going,” Silver mentioned. “I think it’s quite remarkable from where we came 2 1/2 years ago.”
KEVIN DURANT
Kevin Durant is beneath contract for 4 extra years with the Brooklyn Nets, and his commerce request has been one of many greatest tales of the offseason.
It hasn’t been one which Silver has notably loved.
“This needs to be a two-way street,” Silver mentioned. “Teams provide enormous security and guarantees to players, and the expectation in return is that they’ll meet their end of the bargain. There’s always conversations that go on behind closed doors between players and representatives and teams, but we don’t like to see players requesting trades and we don’t like to see it playing out the way it is.”
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
The play-in event has typically been thought of successful, so it was no shock that the league is maintaining it round.
The play-in event — in its present type — has been utilized in every of the final two seasons, the place the groups that end seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth within the East and West meet to find out the ultimate two playoff spots in every convention.
The No. 7 staff performs the No. 8 staff, with the winner clinching the No. 7 seed within the playoffs. The No. 9 staff performs the No. 10 staff, with the loser eradicated and the winner transferring on to face the staff that misplaced the 7-8 sport. The winner of that matchup is the No. 8 seed.
It’s been a success, primarily as a result of it tends to provide a March Madness really feel — 4 elimination video games earlier than the playoffs even start — and provides extra groups incentive to not tank for higher odds within the draft lottery.
There was a play-in ingredient in 2020 as nicely within the restart bubble at Walt Disney World, when Portland beat Memphis for the No. 8 seed within the Western Conference. Memphis might have gotten the No. 8 seed that yr by beating Portland twice; the Blazers needed to win just one sport to assert the spot.
LOAD MANAGEMENT
Load administration — the flamboyant time period given now when a participant will get to take a seat out a sport to relaxation — has been a problem for the league and its groups in recent times. Silver mentioned it is going to proceed to be mentioned with the gamers’ affiliation as the edges get extra into negotiations for the subsequent collective bargaining settlement.
The league has taken steps, pushed by sleep science and different knowledge, to attempt to make the schedule extra player-friendly in recent times. The stretches of 4 video games in 5 nights have been eradicated, situations of back-to-back video games have dropped, and the league has even tinkered with maintaining groups in the identical street metropolis for consecutive video games in an effort to restrict journey over the course of a season.
That mentioned, typically, a participant nonetheless sits. Silver steered it may be time to think about including cash as an incentive for enjoying extra usually.
“I’m all in favor of guaranteed contracts,” Silver mentioned. “But maybe that on top of your typical guaranteed contracts, some incremental money should be based on number of games played and results of those games. I mean, it’s that’s how most industries work, where there’s financial incentives — even among highly paid executives for performance.”
ABA PAYMENTS
The NBA and the NBPA introduced a brand new program — collectively funded — to offer funds to roughly 115 ABA gamers who performed no less than three seasons however didn’t qualify for NBA pensions. They’ll get “recognition payments” of $3,828 per yr of service.
“Our players have a genuine sense of appreciation for those who paved the way and helped us achieve the success we enjoy today,” NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio mentioned. “We have always considered the ABA players a part of our brotherhood and we are proud to finally recognize them with this benefit.”
Silver mentioned the league and the gamers “felt a need to act on behalf of these former ABA players who are aging and, in many cases, facing difficult economic circumstances.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com”