So after a week of watching games with the new ball, I still think it was the right business move for the NBA. The NBA is on a business roll and our leadership continues to be consistent in their decision making abilities.
IN terms of the impact of the ball on the game itself. Its clear that the ball impacts all teams equally. Its also clear that it doesnt impact all playes equally. Some players have really benefitted from the new ball, while others have suffered. While i think players will make adjustments over the course of the season, and players "muscle memory" of the old ball will disappear and be replaced with a natural comfort of the new ball, its far from there yet.
The players who seem to benefit the most are guys who make their living with jumpers in the 10 to 15 foot range. The ball doesnt come off the rim as hard as the old ball, which has led to shots that I think would have bounced out in the past, staying in now. Players with soft touches on short jumpers are loving the new ball.
On the flipside, players, particularly point guards who are great passers instinctually, where a split second is the difference between an amazing pass or a turnover, or where a quick move to the basket with a quick release to the rim to get the ball between , around or above 7 footers appear to have suffered the worst. Why ? Because you have to know exactly where the ball is and how it will bounce to make an off the dribble no look bounce pass between 2 defenders to a cutter for a layup or dunk. Players who have been in the league for years have gotten used to the old balls and trusted where it would be and how it would feel coming off their hands and how it would bounce. Its muscle memory combined with instincts perfected over many, many years of practice. Even with all the ball to ball variances of the leather ball, it still could be trusted to be where you wanted when you wanted it while dribbling.
The new ball can also be trusted to be where you want it, when you want it. Its just not the same place as the old ball. That is creating problems.
Watching Nashie last night, I felt bad for him. Steve knows the game so well, his passes are all about precision and timing. He knows where the game is going before the game does. He doesnt have to think it through. He just knows. It just seemed last night that there were times he had to hesitate to make sure the ball was there before he could make the pass he wanted to make. I could be wrong of course, that was my perception. That hesitation was all our quick guards needed to get in the passing lane, or for a guy to get a hand down to tip a bounce pass, it even seemed one time he had made eye contact with a guy on a pass, but when it didnt come immediately like the player expected, he looked away, a split second later the ball was there and the player wasnt looking.
I saw similar problems with our guards the past couple games on quick power drives to the basket. Devin Harris has lost the ball several times while driving hard for layups. Its not that the ball slipped out of his hands, its that it wasnt where he expected it to be when he started to explode up to the basket. The same thing happened to Jason 1 time last night as well.
Is this a long term problem ? No. Its a problem these players can adjust to , but it wont be easy for them. The interesting thing will be if rookies and young players have relatively fewer turnovers because they never had to "deprogram" themselves from the old NBA ball.
The other place where adjustments will have to be made will be on dunks. Guys are definitely adjusting to the new ball. They are still trying to figure out when they can dunk with 1 hand or if they always have to use two. For guards, whose hands arent the size of 7 foot guys, we may not see as many contested dunks at the end of games when the ball is slicker. Personally, I dont think thats a bad thing. If not being able to dunk in traffic means players get craftier and more dependent on skill, thats good for the game.
Of course, this is all just personal observation. Thats fun for bar talk, but Im not going to depend on it. So we are working on shooting percentages from locations on the court and by type of shot. Fortunately, I have several years worth of this data, so it will be easy to compare results a few weeks into the season.
The new ball means adjustments, but then again, so does every change made in the game. It doesnt matter if its the ball, the rules, the dress code. A business that doesnt evolve to meet the demands of their customers, doesnt excel.
what have you seen with the new ball so far ?
Im not saying Google shouldn't have bought Youtube. Im just saying that maybe only Google was crazy enough to take on the responsibilities of such a deal.
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(Page 1)2. i wrote this on the other post, but it was way low and i doubt that anyone saw it, so here you go again...sorry if you have already viewed.
69. mark- the problem as i see it is with the company who is making the ball. i used to work for a company called baden- and all they make is sports balls. bobby knight and pat summit are two high profile coaches that have used the baden ball for many years. baden is also the offical manufacturer of all of adidas' basketballs.
no question spalding made the best leather ball on the planet in the past. as a matter of fact they made pretty much the only one. most ball manufacturers stopped making the leather some time ago because of cost-manufacturing, etc. since the change to the synthetic spalding has taken a back seat to both baden and wilson in terms of quality. before the new nba ball their synthetic products were not good at all.
i think you should take a look at this site and maybe call baden and have them send you a ball. the site will show you the advances made in the ball and basically all the science of it. baden chnged the look of the ball by making it perfectly symetrical- which sounds silly because it is a ball and has to be round. but they changed the seam (channel) pattern so they didnt go around the ball in a weird configuration. take an old ball- leather or synthetic and put your finger on a seam and follow it all the way around the ball. it will go all sorts of directions and all over the ball. on the baden ball there is a beginning and an end. this does a couple of things- one it makes the ball have more cover material and less rubber channels- and two it gives it a consistent feel throughout the ball. so when you are holding the ball on the side there is no difference then holding it on the top or bottom because there is no cluster of rubber seams.
the other nice thing about the ball is that they recessed the valve. the valve is inside of the ball which means that there is even less rubber on the ball which eliminates bad bounces or turnovers.
their goal was to make a ball that you were not going to notice. i would have the same effect as a good referee- you wouldnt even notice it/them.
check it out- i think you would like it.
http://www.badensports.com/Technology/Perfection_TFT/Basketball.htm
Posted at 3:39PM on Nov 10th 2006 by kyle templeton
3. I agree with Mark, the players muscles and motions will adjust to the new ball over time.
For example, in the Premeir club basketball league, there was always 2 or 3 good balls for the pick-up players to use and about 10 other kinda odd ones.
When Mark was warming up with the full mix of balls he made about 10% of his shots.
When the game started with the "good ball" Mark made about 10% of his shots and he lead the rec league in shooting percentage.
Conclusion: The ball doesnt matter! You matter!
LOL
TP
Posted at 3:55PM on Nov 10th 2006 by Sean Doyle (TP)
4. I just don't understand why NBA does not want to listen to the players, or you???
www.GentleTip.com
Posted at 4:18PM on Nov 10th 2006 by GentleTip.com
5. I've noticed from the many games I watched in the past few weeks that the new ball can have a weird bounce. Sometimes, you just never know where it will land. Last weeek, Richard Hamilton shot a three pointer during the Boston game where it had the strangest slant ever! Was this new ball David Stern's way of balancing out all of the teams? Why else would Atlanta and New Orleans-Oklahoma be the top teams?
Posted at 4:32PM on Nov 10th 2006 by Travis
6. Is there any chance that the league would throw out their huge sponsorship deal with Spalding? Of course not...It looks like David Stern will beat out LeBron and Shaq on this game.
Congratulations Mark, on "agreeing" with league policies for a couple weeks now, though there's more than a bit of sarcasm that seems to come over.
http://www.dailybasketball.com
8. You're right, the players will adjust, though the pains may be harder to overcome for the veterans.
Rebounding seems to be a skill some natural rebounders are having to relearn as well. Coming off the glass with different momentum is knocking guys off balance.
9. I've gotta say, the new ball looks a lot more modern than the old leather ball (more 2k'ish). It's about time they changed to reflect the types of balls being used out there in gyms and playgrounds across the country.
Growing up in junior high & high school, the balls everyone wanted to play with were the style of the new NBA ball - not leather. The leather balls were too slick, dried out and just weren't as comfortable to play with. I guess if you're an NBA star and you get a few new leather balls every game, then you're in favor of them. These new balls could probably go the whole game w/ no problem.
Btw... Congrats to the Mavs for defeating my Suns last night. The two Western Conference Finals teams from last year are now 2-9 overall. What happened?
Keep up the good work Mark - the other owner's should have as much excitement and enthusiasm as you; the league would be much better.
Cory
Posted at 7:16PM on Nov 10th 2006 by Cory Howell
10. I've noticed the weird bounce too but I think the players will adjust. They change rules in all sports from time to time, it's just a case of getting used to it. Teething problems I'm sure.
Posted at 7:52PM on Nov 10th 2006 by Isa Saalabi
11. I was at the Clips-Mavs game the other night, and have to agree with Mark. It is only logical to think the ball will have a blanker (or equal) effect on all teams and players. But it will have a greater impact on guys who handle the ball more (point guards such as Nash), or shoot the ball more (such ad Nowitzki). Those guys who handle the ball 20, 30, or even 50% more than the average player in the league will take longer to adjust.
13. #13 that was so funny, I can't remember my comment now!
Posted at 9:14PM on Nov 10th 2006 by Mavs Fan Annie
14. Having shot with this ball recreationally in the local Gym I love it!
As for the Pros..... they should be all good (in due time).
Besides Stern will probably ask teams during the All- star break
if they would like to return to the cowhide. :D
Posted at 10:10PM on Nov 10th 2006 by Clt_Bobcats Watcher
15. As a casual fan I will say I really haven't noticed any plays that I can say "The new ball made that play" or "If it wasn't for the new ball that turnover wouldn't have happened." Since you get to be around the players and get real feedback from them I trust that this really is a problem for some of them.
However, they are all professional athletes and have been adapting to change all their lives and careers. Whether it be from playground ball on concrete to the college level and again to the NBA. I really think most players will adapt quickly. I'm sure some crafty players will even learn to like it or use it to their advantage in some way, that is what great players do in any sport (or business).
Putting all of that aside, as a fan, and strictly as a fan... I have no beef with the new ball. The players want to win regardless of the ball, the rules or the dress code! If players are competing that is what makes the game great. Big time game winning shots (like Chris Bosh's insane desperation 3 off a broken play against the Sixers...See link below - How crazy is that, even my Raps can get some airtime on Youtube and look, no copyright problems with this one!! ) are just as exciting now as they were with the old ball. I think the NBA is just as entertaining as ever, whether with synthetic or leather.
16. In The Fountainhead, Ellsworth Toohey said, "I play the market of the spirit, and I sell short" ...well Mark.... I play the market of the NBA....and I sell short....
Steve Nash, D wade, Lebron James, and Shaq all say the ball is Horriawful (Borrowing a term from Shaq). The covers just about every position from the leagues best players. Mark you still havent made it clear why you think the new ball is a good thing. It slows the game down and makes it look sloppy. Less fancy passes, less dunks... more mid range shots... all crappy for the NBA...
You got out of Broadcom at the top.... a year late so far on the Mavericks..
Posted at 11:02PM on Nov 10th 2006 by Brad
17. Mark, you have gone suddenly soft on your earlier stand of the new ball. I havent watched any full games this season yet, just highlights so i cant give an opinion.
Pliz send me a ball, I ball in Nairobi, Kenya , an average of 2-3 times a week on a tarmack court, outdoor under the harsh tropical sun - then you can have my opinion, maybe a report.
I dont think Spalding have tested the new ball under these conditions.
Is it too much to ask?
19. not up on this issue, but is NCAA going to adopt this ball too? High school?
i think this is a conspiracy to keep our NBA players from playing summer Olympics basketball. . . who wants to flip-flop between different league-standards all year?
Posted at 11:51AM on Nov 11th 2006 by david
20. Sink or swim right!
I think next time the players should get a little input about a decision that drastically affects everyone. Decision like the ball they should use maybe just a little bit of an input so that they know what to expect. Maybe even phasing in the new ball over time.
Who knows what is the best way to bring about changes.
But change we must: Sink or swim!
Posted at 1:59PM on Nov 11th 2006 by Antonio Howell
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1. I've seen that the games suck... but that could just be because it's early, but last nights game the ball keep rim rocking -bounce back and fourth and then popping out.
It was like every player's shot was off. the game must of went for like 10 mins with no one scoring as the ball just kept bouncing in and out.
Maybe that was just a fluke, but if it's not then I guess the NBA games are just going to suck this year.
Posted at 3:25PM on Nov 10th 2006 by Crazyglues