NBA DL

[bakahump]

I ask this because there are some highly informed and knowledgeable posters.

The Maine Red Claws current commercial claims "the best basketball outside the NBA".
Is that true? What are the opinions of the NBA DL compared to a Top 10 College team?

Who would win in a 7 games series, an average NBA DL team or a top 10 College team?

 

[findguapo]

D League is very good basketball. I think a middle of the road D League team would win the NCAA ship, but there are probably good arguments on both sides. The D League bench would be quite a bit deeper. D League teams also play a bit of a more disorganized style of basketball, so watching 2 top college teams play would probably be a better game.

 

[BigSoxFan]

D League is very good basketball. I think a middle of the road D League team would win the NCAA ship, but there are probably good arguments on both sides. The D League bench would be quite a bit deeper. D League teams also play a bit of a more disorganized style of basketball, so watching 2 top college teams play would probably be a better game.

To me, D League is like AAA baseball - a weird mix of young prospects and guys who'll never go anywhere and are clinging to a dream. For the most part, I think it's been a relatively successful endeavor. Every team has guys the average fan will recognize and while I would never watch a game start to finish, I've found myself watching portions on tv. Never been to a game so can't speak to the gameday atmosphere.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

I'd guess an NBDL team would mop the floor with even the top college teams. If there is a better league, it's probably in Europe. The average NBDL team is made up of former college stars anyway.

But I find it unwatchable, tbh.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

But I find it unwatchable, tbh.

That's where I'm at. I've attended Red Claws games and watched games on TV and it doesn't feel like an NBA game. I don't mean the talent or level of play, but I don't feel like I'm seeing a game that translates to how the NBA is played on either end of the court. I do like reading the player bios in the game program. A nice mix of recent NCAA players and international vets.

 

[Cesar Crespo]

It feels 2nd rate and it's dominated by guards. If a team does happen to have a decent big man, he can pretty much to whatever he wants, though. It feels far more like the college game. A lot of hero ball too, little D. Guys looking to get noticed for a 10 day contract so not necessarily playing team ball. It's pretty bad. I'm not a fan of the college game either, outside of March.

 

[moly99]

From a talent perspective it is not as good as Europe or China. The pay is about $20,000 per year, so not even really a living wage.

From a fan perspective it is OK. The one thing I really like about soccer is that it does a great job of using cup tournaments to help lower level teams showcase themselves against bigger teams. In a perfect world I think the USA would do the same thing, and the D League teams would get 1-2 games per year against NBA competition. If I lived in Boise or Tulsa or whatever that would make me buy season tickets.

I actually think minor league sports are better for families than major league sports, though, so if you either never go to games with kids or really value the experience of seeing star players I would pass on the D-League.

 

[Koufax]

I go to one or two Red Claws games a year. It's entertaining because the players are highly skilled, but there is no comparison to the NBA game. It's more helter skelter and less disciplined.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

To me, D League is like AAA baseball - a weird mix of young prospects and guys who'll never go anywhere and are clinging to a dream. For the most part, I think it's been a relatively successful endeavor. Every team has guys the average fan will recognize and while I would never watch a game start to finish, I've found myself watching portions on tv. Never been to a game so can't speak to the gameday atmosphere.

Yeah this is a good description. You have coaches you can't get better paying jobs as assistants and players who can't get better paying jobs overseas. Then you mix in a few young talents at the end of an NBA teams 15-man roster along with veterans who want to remain in the USA looking for a late season 10-day contract to get a look. It's a smorgasbord of players.

Btw it's been named "D-League" for several years now it no longer goes by NBDL (thread title).

 

[Grin&MartyBarret]

Rumors about the recent Collective Bargaining agreement hint at a much bigger investment in the D-League. They are going to introduce 2 way contracts, which will allow teams to have well-paid young guys in the D-League without impacting the cap. Big step.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Salaries went up a bit for this coming year, but are still pretty darn low. You do have to add per diem and housing that the teams provide, though.

 

[Blacken]

Yeah, the NBDL is a bad way to watch a game. You can watch them yourself if you really want--I think they stream every game on YouTube now?--but (usually; that one's a playoff game, it's tighter than usual) it's a bunch of ball-hogging selfish players who have to play that way to get a job. I would rather watch a EuroLeague game any day.