What would be the ideal amount of games for the NBA regular season?

[SouBeachTalents]

82 games is just too long of a season imo, I'd have the NBA open on Christmas Day, have the regular season run into the end of April, and make the season 60 games long

[KobesFinger]

Play each team once, home and away. That's 58 games. The NBA season lasts approx 24 weeks, so a game every 3 days or so. No need for back to backs. It means the shitty East teams cant scrape the playoffs with a losing record by beating worse Eastern teams

[Trollsmasher]

164

[Soundwave]

I think 68 would be about right. Enough time that it's a marathon, but not long enough that it drags on too long. Will never happen though.

[inclinerator]

eighty two

[Sarcastic]

I'd love to hear the actual pitch one of you would give to the owners on why they should cut the season, sacrificing millions upon millions of dollars.

This is an actual business, not a hobby.

[Akrazotile]

I'd love to hear the actual pitch one of you would give to the owners on why they should cut the season, sacrificing millions upon millions of dollars.

This is an actual business, not a hobby.

You dont "pitch" it

You call a team rep and say Im not buying tickets or merchandise anymore until you shorten the season. Period. And you stick to it.


Of course, one person doing it wont have any effect. It would have to be a big chunk of the people who contribute to ticket revenue. Most folks on this board are prob not season ticket holders, myself included, so it wouldnt come from us.

I actually would love for it to happen bc it would improve the product. But it would take a coordinated effort to influence the league that way and as long as people are still ponying for the current system, thats what we'll get.

Amazing, really. When they changed commissioners, I thought by swapping out one guy in a suit for another we'd automatically have CHANGE and HOPE so I just figured CHANGE and HOPE would carry the day. Gotta love that CHANGE HOPE CHANGE HOPE ya know? It surely fixes everything. Especially if you repeat it enough times. Then it comes true. CHANGE HOPE, CHANGE HOPE, CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE HOPE HOPE HOPE.


I know you feel the exact same way Sarcastic.

[Skyscraper]

I'd love to hear the actual pitch one of you would give to the owners on why they should cut the season, sacrificing millions upon millions of dollars.

This is an actual business, not a hobby.

a way to decrease overhead, increase importance of games, and above all maximize profits

All you need to do is convince owners of the last thing.


Play each division rival 4 times (16 games)
Play each other conference team 2 times each (20 games)
Play each opposite conference team 2 times each (20 games)

56 games

A game every 3-4 days to allow for most rest and best competition.

Alongside the playoffs for the NBA championship, also include a nonplayoff team playoff for the right to a Top 3 lottery pick. This way there will be less tanking.
Sure there will be that "so the teams that just barely make the playoffs can get a #1 pick?"

In a sense only if the historically bad teams have owners who really did not put into their product. Why allow a team that fields no effort for a competitive team (see 15 win Bucks last year, or 12 win Nets a few years back, etc) a Top 4 pick?


This way there will be less tanking and more important games played


Pros: The "non playoff teams" still get that extra revenue
Less tanking
More competitive play
More exposure to teams you would not ordinarily see playing.

Cons: Less money? Put advertisement on players jerseys and temporary tattoos or something

[L.Kizzle]

The NBA has been playing 82 game seasons since the early 60s, why change now?

They played with terrible conditions back then. Didn't have private jets, teams planes and buses. Some teams played up to 5 games in a row. Didn't have team trainers, not even mentioning personnel trainers and chefs and physicians, ect.

They're lucky games haven't been added to the schedule.

[willy_yep]

each team playing each other twice, one home and one away would be ideal. i'd rather see more quality in play rather than quantity.

[outbreak]

365

it should stay as it is, I think it's pretty much perfect.

[jzek]

50-60

[Smook A.]

No, less amount of games would suck. NBA is entertaining as hell, so why change the amount of games? 82 is fine

[L.Kizzle]

It's more teams then ever and there will be more teams added to the league in the future. Why the hell would they shorten the season with more teams on the horizon?


-The last season to feature less than 82 games, was the 61-62 season, a whopping 2 less with an 80 game season. There were 9 teams total.
-9 team league beginning in the 1962-1963 season until 1966, there were 82 games played.
-10 team league for the 1966-1967 season, 82 games.
-12 team league for the 1967-1968 season, 82 games.
-14 team league between 1968-1970, 82 games.
-15 team league for the 1970-71 season, 82 games.
-17 team league between 1971-1974, 82 games.
-18 team league, between 1974-1976, 82 games.
-22 team league, between 1976-1980, 82 games.
-23 team league, between 1980-1987, 82 games.
-25 team league for the 1987-1988, there were 82 games played.
-27 team league between 1988-1995, 82 games.
-29 team league between 1995-2004, 82 games.
-30 team league since 2004, and people believe there should be less games?

[Hey Yo]

The last lockout featured 66 regular season games. That didn't seem like a big difference other than the season starting late.

When it comes to injuries though, an 82 game season is beneficial.