How Does The NBA D-League Operate/Survive?

[Sports Enthusiast]

Passed a game on ESPNU tonight. I have never really watched a game but how are these teams run? Are they owned by the NBA teams or are they independently owned? I ask this because if they aren't NBA owned id struggle to figure out how these teams survive because the game I passed tonight looked like they were playing in some random school gym like NBA Summer League that didn't house many fans. The teams were...the Idaho Stampede at the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

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[BigMac1212]

Only if the D-League gets a full 1-to-1 D-League to NBA ratio should this experiment continue.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Only if the D-League gets a full 1-to-1 D-League to NBA ratio should this experiment continue.

I'm not sure how there's even a demand in the first place. I believe NBA teams can have 13-15 guys on their roster and some like never ever play. I'm not sure why the experiment ever started.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

I think the NBA runs these at a loss like the WNBA.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

I think the NBA runs these at a loss like the WNBA.

Didn't know they ran the WNBA. I guess I just don't see what purpose it really holds unless you draft a freshie out of college and can convince him that he's not quite ready for the NBA.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

It's better for the nba than losing everyone overseas. There are always a few diamonds in the rough that end up in the nba.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

I know there are other minor league basketball leagues. I have forgotten the name of them. I think they had a CBA team or something where I lived a few years ago. Baseball is the only sport where I've been convinced the minor leagues are needed for the big league. Football had NFL Europe and that was a bust.

 

[bluesfan94]

I know there are other minor league basketball leagues. I have forgotten the name of them. I think they had a CBA team or something where I lived a few years ago. Baseball is the only sport where I've been convinced the minor leagues are needed for the big league. Football had NFL Europe and that was a bust.

What about hockey?

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

What about hockey?

Not really a hockey guy but juniors is equivalent to summer league baseball or college basketball. The AHL. The ECHL is a waste of time. The AHL I guess gets some top guys who need to adjust to professional life but your biggest stars didn't rot a day in the minor leagues. In baseball everyone plays.

 

[PredsV82]

Not really a hockey guy but juniors is equivalent to summer league baseball or college basketball. The AHL. The ECHL is a waste of time. The AHL I guess gets some top guys who need to adjust to professional life but your biggest stars didn't rot a day in the minor leagues. In baseball everyone plays.

curious as to why a person who is "not really a hockey guy" finds himself on a hockey message board site..

but that notwithstanding, minor league hockey at the AHL level is exactly the equivalent of the AAA minors in baseball, i.e. a place for players who aren't quite ready for the NHL to get playing time in order to develop. Developmental leagues are necessary because the NHL, like baseball, drafts at age 18, and drafts many more players than will ever actually make it, but, also like baseball, the low rounds often end up producing major league talent that simply isn't evident at age 18.

the ECHL survives because apparently hockey is popular enough that people want to see professional level hockey played on smaller towns. Its true very few ECHL players make it to the NHL but its not unheard of either.

I think you are mischaracterizing junior hockey... its much more like high school sports than summer leagues or college.

as for D-league basketball, I agree, I have no idea how it survives financially unless its totally subsidized by the NBA as a means to keep marginal talent from going overseas. Also don't see the need since they only draft two rounds every year.

 

[Bjorn Le]

It's a minor league and it's going to take awhile to develop a market for minor league basketball in the US. As long as NBA teams fund them, and that isn't a problem given how big the NBA TV contracts are, it may grow to eventually serve the same purpose as AA/AAA baseball and AHL hockey.

curious as to why a person who is "not really a hockey guy" finds himself on a hockey message board site..

but that notwithstanding, minor league hockey at the AHL level is exactly the equivalent of the AAA minors in baseball, i.e. a place for players who aren't quite ready for the NHL to get playing time in order to develop. Developmental leagues are necessary because the NHL, like baseball, drafts at age 18, and drafts many more players than will ever actually make it, but, also like baseball, the low rounds often end up producing major league talent that simply isn't evident at age 18.

the ECHL survives because apparently hockey is popular enough that people want to see professional level hockey played on smaller towns. Its true very few ECHL players make it to the NHL but its not unheard of either.

I think you are mischaracterizing junior hockey... its much more like high school sports than summer leagues or college.

as for D-league basketball, I agree, I have no idea how it survives financially unless its totally subsidized by the NBA as a means to keep marginal talent from going overseas. Also don't see the need since they only draft two rounds every year.

Uh not really. Many players for junior jump straight to the NHL. You literally can't do that from high school to the NBA. Hockey junior would be comparable to mid-level minors in baseball (A to AA), and is comparable to the role in which US colleges play in basketball and football.

 

[PredsV82]

It's a minor league and it's going to take awhile to develop a market for minor league basketball in the US. As long as NBA teams fund them, and that isn't a problem given how big the NBA TV contracts are, it may grow to eventually serve the same purpose as AA/AAA baseball and AHL hockey.



Uh not really. Many players for junior jump straight to the NHL. You literally can't do that from high school to the NBA. Hockey junior would be comparable to mid-level minors in baseball (A to AA), and is comparable to the role in which US colleges play in basketball and football.

about as many players jump straight from junior to the NHL each year as would jump from high school to the NBA if the NBA still allowed it.

junior is more like high school in that the players are considered amateurs and aren't getting a college education out of it, and there is an age limit beyond which you can't play junior any more. Lower minor league baseball players are professional, and there is no age limit.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

curious as to why a person who is "not really a hockey guy" finds himself on a hockey message board site..

but that notwithstanding, minor league hockey at the AHL level is exactly the equivalent of the AAA minors in baseball, i.e. a place for players who aren't quite ready for the NHL to get playing time in order to develop. Developmental leagues are necessary because the NHL, like baseball, drafts at age 18, and drafts many more players than will ever actually make it, but, also like baseball, the low rounds often end up producing major league talent that simply isn't evident at age 18.

the ECHL survives because apparently hockey is popular enough that people want to see professional level hockey played on smaller towns. Its true very few ECHL players make it to the NHL but its not unheard of either.

I think you are mischaracterizing junior hockey... its much more like high school sports than summer leagues or college.

as for D-league basketball, I agree, I have no idea how it survives financially unless its totally subsidized by the NBA as a means to keep marginal talent from going overseas. Also don't see the need since they only draft two rounds every year.

One day I was googling something and a topic from here on the subject appeared on the search. I do have a minor league team where I live but I don't love hockey or anything like that.

I guess but in baseball even A-Rod and Griffey played some in the minor leagues. Granted you see a guy like Strausburg shoot up in like 3 1/2 months but he was still there. I was lucky enough to see him throw a game in person. One of the few hockey names I know....Alexander Ovechkin. My guess is he didn't play minor league hockey. If he did he would have probably had an off the charts record night that'd never be broken.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

It's a minor league and it's going to take awhile to develop a market for minor league basketball in the US. As long as NBA teams fund them, and that isn't a problem given how big the NBA TV contracts are, it may grow to eventually serve the same purpose as AA/AAA baseball and AHL hockey.



Uh not really. Many players for junior jump straight to the NHL. You literally can't do that from high school to the NBA. Hockey junior would be comparable to mid-level minors in baseball (A to AA), and is comparable to the role in which US colleges play in basketball and football.

I've never understood the one and done rule. It has helped mid majors get more competitive, I can't deny that and that's not a horrible thing however I do think its bad for the game as a whole. It does hurt bog teams sometimes and sometimes its beautiful. Kentucky is a good example.

 

[PredsV82]

I've never understood the one and done rule. It has helped mid majors get more competitive, I can't deny that and that's not a horrible thing however I do think its bad for the game as a whole. It does hurt bog teams sometimes and sometimes its beautiful. Kentucky is a good example.

the one and done is the NBA's rule and was implemented to prevent them from drafting high school player who looked good and then flopped against tougher competition. Basically the NBA saving themselves from themselves and making colleges take the risk.

College coaches would prefer a minimum of two years college before being draft eligible.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

the one and done is the NBA's rule and was implemented to prevent them from drafting high school player who looked good and then flopped against tougher competition. Basically the NBA saving themselves from themselves and making colleges take the risk.

College coaches would prefer a minimum of two years college before being draft eligible.

Two would be fair. One year to me doesn't make a huge difference. If a kid goes for a year and busts he's still screwed himself because he doesn't have the college degree and while he will have that draft contract its not hard to get rid of a guy. Its a risk and I can say I don't envy these guys who had to choose between education and millions.

 

[HisIceness]

I remember when the DLeauge was operating in small Southern cities like Asheville, Fayetteville, Roanoke, Mobile, Greenville SC, etc.

I think one of the problems with that was a lot of the arenas these teams played in were complete dumps. Asheville Altitude in particular played in one. These cities for the most part were also more interested in High School/NCAA football than anything else.

Basketball is a lot like Football in the sense that the NCAA is the best developmental program for the major leagues. You either have it or you don't. That isn't to say that there can't be a good player who makes his start in the D-League but it's not likely.

I think the best thing for the D-League going forward is to have the teams close to the NBA parent team. It seems to have done well in Dallas with the Texas Legends playing in the suburb of Frisco, the Spurs have their team in Austin, the Lakers have their team in Los Angeles County. The Hornets are moving their team to Greensboro next season, which I question somewhat since Greensboro isn't a city that seems to care about pro sports but time will tell.

 

[Bjorn Le]

about as many players jump straight from junior to the NHL each year as would jump from high school to the NBA if the NBA still allowed it.

junior is more like high school in that the players are considered amateurs and aren't getting a college education out of it, and there is an age limit beyond which you can't play junior any more. Lower minor league baseball players are professional, and there is no age limit.

As 17 year olds sure, but remember players can jump from junior at 18, 19, and 20 too. For the top 30 rookies in scoring, Domi, Duclair, Ehlers, Bennett, Fabbri, McCann, McDavid, and Nurse came directly from junior. There's others as well, and to be honest this is a rather light year on directly from CHL players. Juniors really isn't anything like high school, and such a discourse implies they are less developed/weaker players than college players, which is a debate and really isn't true as a rule. I'm comparing skill level/development, and hockey junior players most closely resemble one and done college players in basketball and football, and development wise resemble minor league baseball players in their closeness to the NHL.

 

[Voight]

Two would be fair. One year to me doesn't make a huge difference. If a kid goes for a year and busts he's still screwed himself because he doesn't have the college degree and while he will have that draft contract its not hard to get rid of a guy. Its a risk and I can say I don't envy these guys who had to choose between education and millions.

Yes but you have players like K-A Towns & Anthony Davis who were just too good for the NCAA and had no reason to play another meaningless year.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Yes but you have players like K-A Towns & Anthony Davis who were just too good for the NCAA and had no reason to play another meaningless year.

That's why I hate the rule. If they wanna risk it that should be on them. I mean the real world sucks. Even regular people fail. I don't think I'd feel too bad for them especially if they get drafted and that rookie contract.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Baseball - still eligible to play college ball even after an MLB team drafts you out of high school. Also eligible to return for your senior year if you did not sign with the team that drafted you during your junior year, and then re-enter the draft the following year.

Hockey - still eligible to play college hockey even after getting drafted by an NHL team.

Basketball and Football - You enter the draft, no more college ball for you!

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Baseball - still eligible to play college ball even after an MLB team drafts you out of high school. Also eligible to return for your senior year if you did not sign with the team that drafted you during your junior year, and then re-enter the draft the following year.

Hockey - still eligible to play college hockey even after getting drafted by an NHL team.

Basketball and Football - You enter the draft, no more college ball for you!

In football though you have to play 3 years regardless.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

Interesting to see this league expanding though for next year

http://arenadigest.com/2016/02/07/d-league-for-2016-greensboro-chicago-and-more/