Second @Baller#3

The more alignment to the NBA, the more opportunities will open up to the NBL such as cross-league initiatives, player movements, and even $'s.

Oh no there'll be no Kobe, whatever will we do!?

NBA Africa is already a thing. It's only a matter of time, and it’s good for the game.

Basketball while global, doesn’t have the investment going into segmented leagues around the world like football does. If you want to watch the best basketballers in the world you look to the NBA, but with football you look to several leagues as they’re scattered amongst many leagues — albeit in Europe. You could argue the best football league in the world is not in fact a league, but rather the FIFA World Cup every four years. If you think of basketball in this light, you can see how the NBA is the actual "World Cup". FIBA would have you think otherwise, of course.

KET what are you going on about. Like seriously a 'narrative builder' what are you even trying to say.

I get the rest of your post but I think you’ll find under the ‘new’ rules of the nba in which it is more physical indeed means that there’s less of a crossover.

Also to suggest there’s no good defence in the nba is fucking laughable. There’s always been elite defenders (just look what jrue holiday was able to do to patty mills in the olympics) the issue is with younger generations and the rules. It’s pretty hard to play defence when you know James Harden will fling his body into you and you’ll be the one punished but now that’s changed. So all you ‘nba = no defence and physicality’ lads need to settle down as even the best offensive players in the nba would be mediocre at best if they were to transition over.

Let’s also not forget the rule changes came about because of ratings plummeting (something in which I think not only had to do with the low scoring games but also being a non MJ period (obviously he was at the wizards but I mean more so peak him)), which in this case they’ve changed rules again for ratings but also for how bad the offensive bias got.

Again let’s keep in mind the game is two sides and shouldn’t be favoured towards one or the other.

NBL blitz preseason game has more defensive intensity then most NBA regular season games.

Great to see KET hasn't actually watched an NBA game at least this year and probably in a while and just checks box scores and highlights

KET if you're honestly going to say no defence is played then you’re simply lying. Literally the most important skill as a big is to defend the pick and roll and protect the rim. Plus runninn out to world class shooters, containing drives etc. I agree that on average the the effort level isn’t as high as other leagues but it is an outright slap in the face to say defence isn’t played. Simply look at Draymond on the warriors and how crucial he is. Good defence is all around the nba and particularly the playoffs far exceeds anywhere else.

But enjoy watching McCarron 'pressure’ Cadee, absolute world class talent right there

#987 blinkered by the dozen NBA guys who thrive on defence. Teams play defence in the playoffs as you allude too. But during the regular season hardly anyone plays any form of defence other than a few specialists.

Agree in recent years levels have gone down in the regular season, but suggest that none is applied in any form is literally hyperbole. The good teams all emphasis defence, just because they deal with bullshit rules, scorers that far exceed anywhere else and bigger court dimensions doesn't mean no d is played. If you sit back and say the nba doesn’t play d then you’re ignoring countless teams that do indeed play d. Just because it goes against your narrative of the nbl is better because of defensive intensity when in reality it’s that plus low class offensive players that makes the d stand out whereas the nba has both world class d and o. Try to not look at the box score folks

You actually might want to sit down and watch an NBA game properly #993.

#997 you might want to watch a leave that has actual good players as opposed to the no offence nbl