By TIM REYNOLDS
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA has accomplished the method of fixing 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 match 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 component to the postseason.
“Generally, it was upbeat coming out of our meeting,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated. “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 informed The Associated Press in early June that it could change, although he cautioned that the brand new rule would possibly 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 workforce within the sport on the time the foul was dedicated, together with continued possession.
Silver addressed a lot of different matters, together with:
REVENUE
The NBA is coming off a large monetary 12 months, with income topping $10 billion for the primary time and basketball-related revenue reaching $8.9 billion, one other file.
Silver stated the numbers are significantly 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 may survive the coronavirus — 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 stated. “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 largest tales of the offseason.
It hasn’t been one which Silver has significantly loved.
“This needs to be a two-way street,” Silver stated. “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 match has usually been thought-about a hit, so it was no shock that the league is conserving it round.
The play-in match — in its present kind — 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 workforce performs the No. 8 workforce, with the winner clinching the No. 7 seed within the playoffs. The No. 9 workforce performs the No. 10 workforce, with the loser eradicated and the winner shifting on to face the workforce that misplaced the 7-8 sport. The winner of that matchup is the No. 8 seed.
It’s been successful, primarily as a result of it tends to present 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 component 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 may have gotten the No. 8 seed that 12 months 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 sit down out a sport to relaxation — has been a problem for the league and its groups in recent times. Silver stated it can 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 information, 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 conserving groups in the identical highway metropolis for consecutive video games in an effort to restrict journey over the course of a season.
That stated, generally, a participant nonetheless sits. Silver prompt it is perhaps time to contemplate including cash as an incentive for taking part in extra typically.
“I’m all in favor of guaranteed contracts,” he stated. “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 12 months 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 stated. “We have always considered the ABA players a part of our brotherhood and we are proud to finally recognize them with this benefit.”
Silver stated 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.”
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Source: www.bostonherald.com