Forget what you are witnessing with the Olympic basketball tournament right now. Forget anything you think you've seen in terms of previous basketball tournaments. We at The FDH Lounge are proposing a concept for the NBA to utilize (they can take this free of charge; we're simple folk who need not their bags and bags of caysh) that would create the Ultimate Hoops Tournament and lead to a shortened, more-meaningful regular season.
First, let's discuss the regular season. It would consist of 66 games, down from the present 82, with the following breakdown:
^ 4 games apiece against every rival in-division
^ 2 games apiece against every other team in the league
Granted, the only additional games in-conference (as opposed to non-conference) would be the ones in-division, but I question how lopping off some Clippers-TWolves tilts would affect the survival of Western Civilization.
The regular season would start later (mid-November, as opposed to the start of November) and end earlier (start of April, as opposed to mid-April) and the playoffs would end at the start of June instead of mid-to-late June. This would allow for the tournament to be played in July and August.
Now, this proposal lops 240 games off of the NBA calendar, about one-fifth of the season. The main reason that the season hasn't been shortened prior to now is a straight cash grab, the unwillingness of owners and players alike to give up that one-fifth of the year's revenue from the gate, merchandising and perhaps above all else, TV. Because David Stern and Company are among the greatest marketers in the world, I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that that revenue could be recouped through this tournament -- if participation for healthy players was deemed mandatory. Of course, all of this would have to be collectively bargained.
This tournament also would benefit the entire sports world, since it would fall during the deadest time on the calendar, from the day after the MLB All-Star Game until August. ESPN wouldn't have to hold us hostage with more round-the-clock gaga like what Brett Favre had for breakfast if that time were legitimately occupied with something special.
So here's the tournament parameters:
^ Nine all-star squads, formulated based on where players went to college -- if they went to college. There would be teams formed with players who used to play in the SEC, the ACC, the Big East, the Big 10, the Big 12 and the Pac 10. Additionally, there would be an international all-star squad (not counting players who played college basketball in this country), a team made up of mid-major/small school players and a "high school" team (comprised of players who did not attend college). The proposed rosters are listed below, in this order, with a starting lineup, remainder of a rotation and remainder of a bench unit proposed for each team.
^ Games would be played from the day after the MLB All-Star Game until the first week of August, all across the country. Each of the nine teams would play every other team, before being seeded into a single-elimination final tournament with quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship game. The exact schedule follows below, beneath the rosters.
Here are the rosters:
| A | |
| SEC | |
| C | S O'Neal |
| LSU | |
| PF | A Horford |
| FLORIDA | |
| SF | T Prince |
| KENTUCKY | |
| SG | J Johnson |
| ARKANSAS | |
| PG | M Williams |
| ALABAMA | |
| Rotate | R Rondo |
| KENTUCKY | |
| G Wallace | |
| ALABAMA | |
| M Miller | |
| FLORIDA | |
| D Lee | |
| FLORIDA | |
| J Noah | |
| FLORIDA | |
| Bench | A McDyess |
| ALABAMA | |
| R Brewer | |
| ARKANSAS | |
| G Davis | |
| LSU | |
| T Green | |
| FLORIDA | |
| C Brewer | |
| FLORIDA A Walker KENTUCKY | |
| B | |
| ACC | |
| C | T Duncan |
| WAKE | |
| PF | C Bosh |
| GA TECH | |
| SF | L Deng |
| DUKE | |
| SG | V Carter |
| UNC | |
| PG | C Paul |
| WAKE | |
| Rotate | A Jamison |
| UNC | |
| E Brand | |
| DUKE | |
| C Boozer | |
| DUKE | |
| J Howard | |
| WAKE | |
| S Marbury | |
| GA TECH | |
| C Maggette | |
| DUKE | |
| Bench | M Dunleavy |
| DUKE | |
| J Stackhouse | |
| UNC | |
| R Mason | |
| VIRGINIA | |
| S Battier | |
| DUKE | |
| J Crittendon | |
| GA TECH | |
| M Harpring | |
| GA TECH | |
| R Wallace | |
| UNC | |
| R Felton | |
| UNC | |
| B Haywood | |
| UNC | |
| C Wilcox | |
| MARYLAND | |
| S Williams | |
| UNC | |
| G Hill | |
| DUKE | |
| B Wright | |
| UNC | |
| M Williams | |
| UNC | |
| C | |
| Big East | |
| C | E Okafor |
| UCONN | |
| PF | T Murphy |
| NOTRE | |
| SF | C Anthony |
| SYRACUSE | |
| SG | D Wade |
| MARQUETTE | |
| PG | A Iverson |
| GEORGE. | |
| Rotate | R Artest |
| ST JOHN'S | |
| C Butler | |
| UCONN | |
| R Gay | |
| UCONN | |
| R Hamilton | |
| UCONN | |
| R Allen | |
| UCONN | |
| B Gordon | |
| UCONN | |
| Bench | J Green |
| GEORGE. | |
| R Foye | |
| VILLANOVA | |
| J Maxielle | |
| CINCY | |
| J Boone | |
| UCONN | |
| K Martin | |
| CINCY | |
| S Williams | |
| BC | |
| S Dalembert | |
| SETON HALL | |
| D Mutombo | |
| GEORGE. | |
| H Warrick | |
| SYRACUSE | |
| C Villanueva | |
| UCONN | |
| D | |
| Big 10 | |
| C | G Oden |
| OSU | |
| PF | Z Randolph |
| MSU | |
| SF | J Richardson |
| MSU | |
| SG | M Redd |
| OSU | |
| PG | D Williams |
| ILLINOIS | |
| Rotate | J Crawford |
| MICHIGAN | |
| D Harris | |
| WISCONSIN | |
| M Conley | |
| OSU | |
| B Miller | |
| PURDUE | |
| M Finley | |
| WISCONSIN | |
| Bench | M Peterson |
| MSU | |
| R Davis | |
| IOWA | |
| E | |
| Big 12 | |
| C | L Aldridge |
| TEXAS | |
| PF | M BEASLEY |
| KSU | |
| SF | K Durant |
| TEXAS | |
| SG | P Pierce |
| KANSAS | |
| PG | C Billups |
| COLORADO | |
| Rotate | D Gooden |
| KANSAS | |
| D Gibson | |
| TEXAS | |
| J Rush | |
| KANSAS | |
| K Hinrich | |
| KANSAS | |
| N Collison | |
| KANSAS | |
| TJ Ford | |
| TEXAS | |
| Bench | J Tinsley |
| ISU | |
| F | |
| Pac 10 | |
| C | K Love |
| UCLA | |
| PF | C Frye |
| ARIZONA | |
| SF | R Jefferson |
| ARIZONA | |
| SG | B Roy |
| WASHINGTON | |
| PG | G Arenas |
| ARIZONA | |
| Rotate | J Kidd |
| CAL | |
| B Davis | |
| UCLA | |
| OJ Mayo | |
| USC | |
| A Iguodala | |
| ARIZONA | |
| SA Rahim | |
| CAL | |
| M Bibby | |
| ARIZONA | |
| Bench | J Kapono |
| UCLA | |
| L Walton | |
| ARIZONA | |
| L Ridnour | |
| OREGON | |
| J Farmar | |
| UCLA | |
| N Robinson | |
| WASHINGTON | |
| G | |
| International | |
| C | Y Ming |
| PF | D Nowitzki |
| SF | P Stojakovic |
| SG | M Ginobili |
| PG | T Parker |
| Rotate | P Gasol |
| Z Ilgauskas | |
| H Turkoglu | |
| J Calderon | |
| A Nocioni | |
| L Scola | |
| Bench | B Udrih |
| L Barbosa | |
| G Giricek | |
| S Pavlovic | |
| B Diaw | |
| A Kirilenko | |
| Nene | |
| N Krstic | |
| A Varejao | |
| D Milicic | |
| Y Jianlian | |
| H | |
| MM/Small | |
| C | C Kaman |
| C MICHIGAN | |
| PF | D West |
| XAVIER | |
| SF | S Marion |
| UNLV | |
| SG | K Martin |
| W CALI | |
| PG | S Nash |
| S CLARA | |
| Rotate | L Odom |
| URI | |
| D Granger | |
| N MEXICO | |
| J Posey | |
| XAVIER | |
| A Bogut | |
| UTAH | |
| D Rose | |
| MEMPHIS | |
| B Bowen | |
| CSF | |
| Bench | J Nelson |
| ST JOE'S | |
| M James | |
| DUQUESNE | |
| D West | |
| ST JOE'S | |
| R Bell | |
| FIU | |
| L Hughes | |
| ST LOUIS | |
| W Szczerbiak | |
| MIAMI OH | |
| A Daniels | |
| BGSU | |
| B Wells | |
| BALL STATE | |
| S Jackson | |
| JUCO | |
| B Wallace | |
| VCU | |
| D Fisher | |
| ARK-LR | |
| Eddie Jones | |
| TEMPLE | |
| Jamario Moon | |
| JUCO | |
| Rafer Alston | |
| FRESNO ST | |
| Kyle Korver | |
| CREIGHTON | |
| Cuttino Mobley | |
| URI | |
| Andre Miller | |
| UTAH | |
| M Camby | |
| UMASS | |
| Ku Thomas | |
| TCU | |
| Ke Thomas | |
| N MEXICO | |
| R Carney | |
| MEMPHIS | |
| E Boykins EMU | |
| I | |
| High School | |
| C | D Howard |
| PF | K Garnett |
| SF | T McGrady |
| SG | K Bryant |
| PG | L James |
| Rotate | A Jefferson |
| A Stoudamire | |
| A Bynum | |
| M Ellis | |
| R Lewis | |
| Josh Smith S Telfair | |
| Bench | A Harrington |
| J O'Neal | |
| T Chandler | |
| E Curry | |
| T Outlaw | |
| JR Smith |
And here is the schedule:
| Wednesday July 15 |
| SEC/ACC (Atlanta) |
| International/MMSmall (New Orleans) |
| Thursday July 16 |
| Big East/Big 10 (Chicago) |
| Big 12/Pac 10 (Las Vegas) |
| Friday July 17 |
| SEC/Big East (Cincinnati) |
| Big 12/International (Phoenix) |
| Saturday July 18 |
| International/High School (San Antonio) |
| ACC/Big East (Philadelphia) |
| Sunday July 19 |
| SEC/Big 10 (Cleveland) |
| Big 12/MMSmall (Denver) |
| Monday July 20 |
| Pac 10/High School (Salt Lake City) |
| ACC/International (Houston) |
| Tuesday July 21 |
| Big East/Big 12 (Minnesota) |
| Big 10/MMSmall (Detroit) |
| Wednesday July 22 |
| SEC/High School (Memphis) |
| ACC/Pac 10 (Las Vegas) |
| Thursday July 23 |
| Big 10/Big 12 (St Louis) |
| Friday July 24 |
| Big East/Pac 10 (Portland) |
| MMSmall/High School (Indianapolis) |
| Saturday July 25 |
| SEC/Big 12 (Oklahoma City) |
| ACC/Big 10 (Chicago) |
| Sunday July 26 |
| International/Big East (Oakland) |
| Pac 10/MMSmall (Milwaukee) |
| Monday July 27 |
| Big 12/High School (San Antonio) |
| Tuesday July 28 |
| ACC/MMSmall (Toronto) |
| SEC/Pac 10 (Dallas) |
| Wednesday July 29 |
| Big East/High School (Sacramento) |
| Big 10/International (Columbus) |
| Thursday July 30 |
| SEC/MMSmall (Miami) |
| ACC/Big 12 (Charlotte) |
| Friday July 31 |
| Pac 10/International (Anaheim) |
| Big 10/High School (D.C.) |
| Saturday August 1 |
| Big East/MMSmall (Houston) |
| Sunday August 2 |
| Big 10/Pac 10 (Los Angeles) |
| SEC/International (Orlando) |
| Monday August 3 |
| ACC/High School (Raleigh) |
| Tuesday August 4 |
| no games |
| Wednesday August 5 |
| QUARTERFINALS (St. Louis) |
| QUARTERFINALS (Indianapolis) |
| Thursday August 6 |
| QUARTERFINALS (Atlanta) |
| QUARTERFINALS (Detroit) |
| Friday August 7 |
| no games |
| Saturday August 8 |
| SEMIFINALS (Syracuse) |
| SEMIFINALS (Philadelphia) |
| Sunday August 9 |
| no games |
| Monday August 10 |
| FINALS (New York) |
Apologies for any formatting issues that arose in the translation from Excel to Blogger -- but that lays out the gist of our idea. Clearly, the NCAA would have to be cut in on the monetary action, but again, if there's not enough scratch to go around with a cash cow like this, then I've grossly underestimated the NBA marketing machine. Even with an interruption of the summer vacation, the players would still play fewer games, they'd have a longer break and they'd be super-energized for this tournament. Unlike the Olympics, in which the star power is concentrated onto very few teams, the great players would be distributed far more evenly (more akin to Olympic hockey, in which there are seven super-teams largely comprised of NHL players).
We will revisit this concept from time to time, first on our FDH LOUNGE Internet TV show on Sunday, August 17 (2-5 PM EDT and rebroadcast from 8-11 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) and subsequently again on the show and here. Our Senior Editor Jason Jones will surely have some striking thoughts on this concept, inasmuch as he participated somewhat in its execution. As always, it's a fully-original, thought-provoking subject from those of us here at The FDH Lounge.
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