POP HOPS ON BIG CHANGES
San Antonio coach on board for shorter season, new playoff format
Traditionalists of the NBA, or traditionalists of any sport, typically view major changes to rules and format changes as an assault on the record books. But Gregg Popovich, 70, who holds more records than any active NBA coach, definitely doesn’t care.
“I don’t give a s—t about record books,” Popovich said. “You might. Other people might. But I don’t care.”
Popovich, it should be noted, is like the Godfather of ‘load management,’ the practice of resting healthy players that is a big reason why the NBA is discussing big changes to the NBA schedule.
Among the proposals from commissioner Adam Silver, according to ESPN, is shortening the schedule from 82 games to 78. Popovich said the benefits – more rest, less travel – are obvious.
“Longer careers by the best players and all players is something we should all want to see,” Popovich said.
Only seven years ago, the Spurs were fined $250,000 because Popovich rested his best players — Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginoboli and Danny Green — for a nationally-televised game against the Heat. David Stern was still the league’s commissioner, but his successor, Adam Silver, has generally been more accommodating toward players and teams on the issue.
Load management “is probably viewed now as more progressive,” Popovich agreed.
But it could be argued Silver acquiescence has diminished the product, with stars resting more often without giving much notice. Kawhi Leonard has become the poster player for load management.
Combining that with tanking, the sense of inevitability for game-togame results and roster turnover has rendered the regular season more meaningless and boring than ever. The league is just getting over a stretch of franchises sacrificing entire seasons because they felt the Warriors were unbeatable. Television
ratings are sagging.
Silver’s answer to some of these issues is drastic changes to the schedule. According to ESPN, the commissioner is in “serious discussions” with the NBPA and broadcast partners about implementing these proposals in the 2021-22 season:
• Shortening the season from 82 games to a minimum of 78.
• Reseeding the four conference finalists based on regular-season record.
• A play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots in each conference, with the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth seeds all competing.
• Adopt a separate in-season tournament like the European soccer leagues.
Popovich said he’ll blindly follow Silver’s lead.
“I don’t care. Whatever they do, they do. I have bigger fish to fry,” said Popovich, whose Spurs are struggling mightily this season. They have a 5-11 record heading into Saturday’s game against the Knicks. “Mr. Silver will work at that stuff and do his best job with all his colleagues. And I will offer no advice because they’re a lot smarter than me. And I don’t want any out of bounds plays from him.”
Of the proposed changes, the inseason tournament is the most difficult to contemplate. It would run from about Thanksgiving until midDecember, according to the ESPN, and potentially involve compensation for the winner. Silver is reportedly driving the proposal, and the logic is simple: For teams never playing for anything (ahem, Knicks), this is at least something.
Still, it’s adding games to the middle of the season when the stars are already complaining about there being too many. In European soccer, for instance, these side tournaments are typically reserved for the ‘B’ players, especially in the early rounds. Basketball stars demonstrated this summer they have no interest in playing in the sidekick international tournament (the FIBA World Cup), so it’s hard to imagine Leonard getting amped for the NIT of the NBA.
The other changes make sense. The wild-card format has worked out well in MLB, and having a playin tournament would have the positive effect of keeping the regular season more meaningful for more teams for a longer period of time.
Reducing the number of regularseason games could have a negative impact on the league’s revenue, and this proposal needs approval from players and owners, both of whom benefit financially with a higher league revenue. But it’s clear the schedule needs adjustment with so many stars taking games off for rest. Hopefully, stripping four games from the schedule comes with a stipulation that “load management” will be unacceptable.
Reseeding the conference finals eases the disparity problem. In recent years, the league’s top 3 or 4 teams came from the Western Conference. They beat each other up while LeBron James, for eight straight years with the Heat and Cavs, had an easier road to the Finals. Making that fairer is the easy fix.
Some of the NBA’s single-season records like 73 wins for the ’16 Warriors and 73 losses for the ’73 Sixers will be rendered obsolete. Career marks will be harder to attain with fewer games.
But if Popovich, who owns the third most victories as a coach in NBA history, doesn’t give a s—t, than neither should anybody else.
“Each game is important in the sense that, I think that’s why we do this. The competitive nature of it is great. For me, when the game is over, it’s over,” Popovich said. “Whether it’s a loss or a win. And you go back to work the next day just all of you do. And you do the best job you can. But streaks and records and all that kind of stuff, nobody cares.”