We have had some good opinions when it comes to the 44 minute game experiment. LeBron and Dirk Nowitzki are proponents of it. Suns coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t think it’ll do enough good. I have the theory of extending the season by a month.
But we haven’t heard from anyone that is actually partaking in the experiment. But now, thanks to ProBasketballTalk, Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins has spoken on the experiment. And he has voiced a slightly different opinion.
“The change will be for the guys who don’t start. If Joe Johnson is playing 35 minutes in a 48-minute game, he’s going to play 35 minutes in a 44-minute game. It just means the guys coming off the bench will have four less minutes to operate with. It’ll affect the bench more than it will affect the starters.”
“The TV people had positive thoughts about it, the coaches had positive thoughts and the league had positive thoughts as something that should be explored,” he said. “For us to play this game today gives the league a little bit of data to see if they want to move forward and implement it in the D-League, because that would be the next step. Maybe they use it in another couple of preseason games, before the preseason ends. That’s kind of the way I look at it.
“From a how do I feel about it [standpoint], if it’s to be, it’s to be. It’s not a bad thing. I don’t have a problem with 48 minutes, but if they feel this is a way to protect players a little more, shorten the game so that it fits in the TV window, so be it.”
Shortening the game by 4 minutes will do something no doubt. But you all know that if this becomes permanent. People will start whining at some point in the near future. If the NBA is going to make a decision whether it be shortening the game itself, or taking my advice. It must be as solid as possible. We can’t go years thinking of ideas. The NBA have their own problems coming to them. Primarily the possible money war between owners and players.
Clock is ticking NBA.
