Upcoming Affiliate Changes NY/Por/Orl/Min

[SignGuyDino]

[quote=""toad455""]With 13 teams remaining without an affiliate, I have no doubt that the league will expand for 2015-16. I see the league at at least 20 teams, if not more. If an NBA team wants an affiliate and they have an arena available, I see the league handing out expansion teams quickly.[/quote]

I wish it were that easy. But with recent reports suggesting D-League expansion fees are anywhere from $4.5-6 million now, it's not that easy.

I'm sure one of the big holdouts in the southeast is trying to convince people to invest that much in a D-League team now. Hard to invest in a team when it'd be the only one in the south.

I think the better strategy would be for 5-6 southern NBA teams to form (or move) an affiliate in the south together, in a deliberate two-year plan. Instead of trying to sell the whole team, sell a minority stake to management groups, preferably owners of local minor league baseball teams.

Then when the south recognizes this ain't your dad's NBDL, that the NBA actually are running this like a proper minor league, then the NBA teams can sell more or all of the remaining interest, letting these teams be run not unlike how minor league baseball teams are run.

Part of the "Beelieve in Asheville" strategy involves an idea to nudge the NBA to doing this. It also is based on a grassroots approach rather than the top-down "McBasketball" approach of the past. The Hornets HAVE to put a D-League team in the Carolinas. The video on the website shows a lot of advantages Asheville has over other cities in the Carolinas.

So eventually, I'd say before 2020, we're going to finally have the one-per-one arrangement that everyone has been hoping for. It'll be messy because affiliates will change in other markets from time to time, but it'll happen. The last team to have won a NBA title without now having their own D-League affiliate? Jordan's Bulls. NBA champions are recognizing now get every advantage you can get.

That along with the new rules that give advantages to teams that have their own D-League affiliate, the upcoming TV deal, and the upcoming CBA will force this issue as well. Also consider the most shafted NBA team are the Indiana Pacers. Until the other 12 NBA teams get their own D-League affiliate, they can't have sole affiliation with the Mad Ants, and that's not fair or right to them.

WHEN the D-League is a full minor league the team values will greatly increase.

Here's another advantage: WHEN the D-League has 30 teams, only allow travel within the conference for regular season games and save a fortune on travel costs. You also will have to split the D-League Showcase to one for the Western Conference and one for the Eastern Conference. Otherwise, Reno would have to host 60 games among 30 teams. Not possible. Reno can keep the West's Showcase, Asheville could seek the East's as it'd be the central city of the conference.

That being said, I have to stay off the boards now as the movement is already progressing and I'm simply too busy. I have to focus on http://www.beelieveinasheville.com and http://www.twitter.com/BEElieveInAVL now. You're welcome to join the Twitter group if you like.

But the one-per-one arrangement for every NBA team is about to happen, and soon.

[Sam Hill]

[quote=""SignGuyDino""]The last team to have won a NBA title without now having their own D-League affiliate? Jordan's Bulls. [/quote]

That's like saying the last team to have won an NBA title without now having their own website is the Syracuse Nationals.

Jordan's Bulls didn't have a D-League affiliate. It had no bearing on whether or not they won. You can't tell teams "Because Jordan won six titles and the Bulls now have their own D-League affiliate, if you want to win a title, you have to have your own."

That's silly.

[Pounder]

Silly argument, yes.

I can't help but get the feeling, however, that the Austin Toros provide a tangible benefit to the San Antonio Spurs.

[turbocamyes]

Nonsense all around. The D-League is not a minor league for the NBA. It is a place to stash players not in the rotation (years ago it was called the DL.) The place the NBA looks to for new talent is the freshman class of D1 teams, and Europe. The best 300 players in the world are in the NBA, the next hundred or so are in Europe, the next batch are still in college. After that you have the D-League.

And the Toros had a tangible benefit for the Spurs? Only four players made it to the NBA from Austin, amounting to a grand total 491 minutes played. Those four players combined to average 35 min/gm & 9.52 pt/gm in the D-Lge vs 9.25 & 3.04 at SA. In the playoffs it was worse with only Aron Baynes getting any minutes (Daye played one game & missed his only two shots.) Together they averaged 7 mins & 2 pts.

People try to equate the D-League to major league baseball and its minor league system. It is not. Generally 75% of players at the AAA have or will have major league experience. More importantly, every starter (with a few exceptions) in the major leagues has played in the minors. Not so in the NBA, and it never will happen.

[nksports]

[quote=""turbocamyes""]Nonsense all around. The D-League is not a minor league for the NBA. It is a place to stash players not in the rotation (years ago it was called the DL.) The place the NBA looks to for new talent is the freshman class of D1 teams, and Europe.[/quote]

Actually, a lot of teams use the D-League much in the same way teams used the CBA back in the 70s and 80s, when the NBA had a formal agreement with that league.

When a player goes down, and you need a short-term replacement, you pull someone up from the D-League in much the same way as a CBA player was signed to the old 10-day contract.

[Minor League Mania]

[quote=""turbocamyes""]Nonsense all around. The D-League is not a minor league for the NBA. It is a place to stash players not in the rotation (years ago it was called the DL.) The place the NBA looks to for new talent is the freshman class of D1 teams, and Europe. [/quote]

I know this has gotten off topic of affiliates but I think part of the problem is that the D-League is not setup to be a true Minor League system yet. Just my opinion, but with more teams joining the league from expansion they are going to need more talent. Once the D-League gets to a one to one affiliate, I would drop the NBA age requirement in favor of letting the players play one mandatory year in the D-League instead of college. Then you have a true alternative decision like baseball or hockey does. Just this year alone a couple kids chose to play overseas than go to a D-1 college. The one and dones are going to hurt the college game eventually. Also think the League could be a mixture of young international players teams take a risk on and veteran players trying to remain in the game like AAA baseball. Wouldn't hurt to have your NBA players rehab with the D-League. It seems rare to hear about one actually going down and playing for a couple games.

[flasah]

Rochester RazorSharks In Talks With Toronto Raptors to become their D-League affiliate in 2015.
http://rochester.twcnews.com/content/ne ... o-raptors/


D-League to realign into 2 conferences and 4 divisions for 2014-15.
http://dleaguedigest.com/2014/08/20/sou ... ue-season/

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division - Canton, Delaware, Erie, Maine, Westchester
Central Division - Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Iowa, Sioux Falls

Western Conference
Southwest Division - Austin, Oklahoma City, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
West Division - Bakersfield, Idaho, Los Angeles, Reno, Santa Cruz

If Rochester does join the league next year, they could go in the Atlantic, with Canton shifting to the Central.
However, I can see there being a few other additions as well. At least 2 teams,
Minnesota and New Orleans, are considering their own affiliates, and there is a
movement to bring the D-League to Asheville, NC as a Hornets affiliate.

[dleaguedave]

I think Washington was trying to form a hybrid with Fort Wayne, but ran out of time late in the summer. Will the possibility of a "Road Warriors" team exist in the future?

[flasah]

The Austin Toros are now the Austin Spurs
http://www.nba.com/dleague/austin/austi ... 10_13.html


[quote=""dleaguedave""]I think Washington was trying to form a hybrid with Fort Wayne, but ran out of time late in the summer. Will the possibility of a "Road Warriors" team exist in the future?[/quote]

No reason for a road team. If an NBA team wants an affiliate, but doesn't have a venue yet, they'd just put them in their own arena or even practice facility.

[Pounder]

I guess interest in this discussion fizzled out. Meanwhile, just another event that happened while I was too busy finalizing the just-completed Canada trip and slowly organizing an October getaway...

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/03/2 ... -sign.html

My mingling about the Boise State board led to this. At least the wishful thinking BSU monopolists are thinking next season is the last for the Stampede in Boise.

Now I know the Jazz had part of the Orem team not so many years ago. There's certainly more than one option (back to Orem, Maverik Center) to move the Stampede into Utah. Wondering if anyone has their ears and eyes out on this.