Firstly, I assume that players would rather play than train. NBA players would do it - right now, teams are playing three days straight and previously they'd have stretches of four games in five days.

So, it might be possible to get players paid the same amount as they are now.

The issues I see are the venue hire costs and the season ticket cost that fans are likely to pay. Fans would only support a certain number of games too - after a while of two games a week, people would get sick of it.

In another thread I suggested this is dealt with by teams playing regional games. e.g., the 36ers would play 15-18 games under a standard season ticket in Adelaide, and then a spread of other games in Whyalla, Mount Gambier and so on. The Kings could play in regional NSW or even Canberra. The Breakers outside of Auckland. Not sure how this would work for smaller teams like Wollongong or the FNQ teams.

Issue then is that TV is not going to support those games, and would you even get a decent return after travel costs and set up hassle?

I can't see it bringing in more expensive players and I don't think it would provide more opportunities for young players unless the regional games forced the use of U23 players or something like that.

Best bet at the moment to create those opportunities would be more teams: more salary cap money to spend, players spread more thinly, and more use of younger prospects. If you add 2-3 teams, a bench player at a current team could be a starter elsewhere.

Yes, I think the NBL season should have more games.

However that's not going to happen because of the following:

1) Not enough funding for the extra travel for all teams.

2) Not enough teams in the league.

3) We're having a hard enough time getting coverage for 3 games per week. With a bigger schedule, you'd have to play games across the whole week (ala NBA) in order to fit the season within that 6 month period.

If you increase the number of games then crowd figures will drop, probably significantly. Either through apathy (will a member really go to 20 home games versus 14) or because the regional type games mentioned by Isaac will be played at smaller venues.

If you want to fix development in this country, and it's something that Paul has sort of mentioned previously, then fixing the second tier will help a heap.

Younger players won't get any more of a run in an extended series in the NBL save for serious long term injuries to starters.

But the SEABL is too big, has too many older players and little inducement to produce players for the next level as a focus. Would be interesting to see the SEABL as an 8 team, U25 development league with no imports, and transfer fees paid whenever a SEABL graduate players his 25th NBL game or similar.

I think they should have every team play each other 3 times a season like they used to. I feel it's a much fairer system than the one they are currently doing and easier to work out who finishes where on the ladder if there are multiple teams with the same win / loss record

l agree the season should be longer that way we can have 10 more games to show how bad the 36ers coaching team is as if we don't suffer enough FFS they should have a mercy law for all 36ers fansto put us out of our pain.again last night was a prime example 10 points up lost by 18 FFS does the coaching group understand the fuxxing game lasts for 40 minutes .so have plans in place again the golden KID plays 36 minutes apart from the first 5 minutes was only making an apperance.gotta love the 3 year plan

More games wouldn't mean the younger players would get more chances, just means there will be 10 more games played with the same rotation.

I agree with Isaac, the thing that stops the NBL doing this is venue hire. Venue hire in Australia is the silent killer here. If the team doesn't own the venue they have to hire the venue, rent ranges from 20k - 38k a game. Somewhere like Wollongong has to sell around 3,000 before they even come close to covering venue hire.

If you want younger players to develop, i believe 48 minute games is the better option.

I don't think 48 minute games would do it. Ten years ago, teams ran similar rotations in a 48 minute game. Development players still struggled to get a run unless it was a blow-out - no different to today.

More teams is the key. The player points cap is another factor.

More games and separate the league into conferences by location . to accommodate for extra travel .

ie eastern conference:

Gold coast . townsville. cairns. Nz. Sydney

west: Perth adeliade Melbourne woolongong and extra Melbourne team


Good call ?.

And 48 minute games

You need more than nine teams, most players from our junior teams used to walk onto NBL teams and get minutes, now a lot of them cant even get a look in, and that's even after some have been to college.

There just arent enough nbl spots for the amount of good basketballers we have.

It might also free things up a bit, at the moment most teams run nine or ten players and play high pressure defence for the whole game. Go back to how it used to be with less depth on the rosters and you will probably get a better spectacle.

Liam Rush talked briefly about how the NBL has gone up a notch since he left.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/basketball/playing-dad-keeps-tiger-on-tippytoes-20120202-1qviv.html

HO, I really like that U25, no import (or one import) transfer fee idea for SEABL. That is definitely an idea worth working on, even if it required some tinkering to get past stakeholders (eg div 1 and div 2 promotion/relegation rather than getting rid of teams etc).

I like the idea of conferences, development player / age limits to ensure more playing time for juniors, and longer games.

I don't know whether it will fix the problem, though, because it's a coaching mentality - do whatever you need to to win, which usually means putting on experience and big bodies and proven skills.

Isaac how is more teams the key? The league is already pathetic enough as it is, by adding more teams you would be watering down the league even more. That might give more youngsters opportunities but in terms of the economics of the game as a spectacle it simply wouldn't work.

If the league was to expand beyond the Brisbane & 2nd Melbourne team, I think Newcastle/Central coast is a must. Lots of fans around there!

Also, NBL is still just as popular in Tassie, maybe look at that.

Canberra.. It has always been a hole for entertainment, I think leave it out.