AI Summary
5 min readThe NBA released its 2024-25 schedule this week, and the Locked On NBA hosts Matt Moore and Hayes used the occasion to ask a question that goes beyond which teams play whom: is the league structuring its season and its television coverage in a way that actually produces the best possible basketball? Their conversation, which also touched on the Clippers’ puzzling decision to re-sign Bradley Beal, reveals a league caught between its financial realities and its desire for a compelling product.
Rethinking the 82-Game Grind
The hosts agree that the current 82-game schedule creates too many low-quality games. Moore’s primary complaint is density: too many back-to-backs and stretches of three games in four nights, compounded by cross-country travel, lead to exhausted players and sloppy play. His ideal fix is to shorten the season to between 67 and 72 games while also pushing the start date back two to three weeks into October and ending the regular season in late April. That alone, he argues, would cut back-to-backs into single digits for every team. “I just want better games,” Moore said. “When you get two teams that have multiple days of rest and know it’s a big matchup, you get great games.”
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:41) **NBA Schedule Reform Debate** - Matt Moore and Hayes discuss how to improve the NBA regular-season product by changing the schedule structure.
- 2 (11:43) **National TV Schedule and Youth Promotion** - The hosts critique the NBA's reliance on aging stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry in the national TV schedule.
- 3 (20:30) **Clippers Sign Bradley Beal and Roster Implications** - The hosts react to the Clippers signing Bradley Beal to a two-year, $13.2 million deal and discuss its impact on their pursuit of Peyton Watson.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
NBA shake-up: Should the league slash its 82-game schedule for better basketball? Matt Moore breaks down why fewer games and fewer back-to-backs could mean a higher-quality product, debating the best season format and innovative ideas like a midseason All-Star break and the future of the NBA Cup. Key talking points include injury prevention, the challenge of maintaining historical stats, and what it means for player longevity and fan excitement.
Plus, the hosts question the NBA’s heavy reliance on veteran stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry for national TV coverage, pointing to the lack of exposure for emerging talents like Tyrese Haliburton and Cam Boozer. The controversy continues as the LA Clippers re-sign Bradley Beal, raising eyebrows about team direction, roster flexibility, and potential trade implications involving Brandon Ingram, Peyton Watson, and Brook Lopez. Can the Clippers’ mix of youth and experience make noise in the West, or is a rebuild looming?
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Episode Timestamps
00:00 NBA Schedule Changes Debate
Discussion on how the NBA should alter its regular season schedule for a better product, including reducing back-to-backs, shortening the season, and adding midseason breaks.
12:03 National TV Priorities & Young Stars
Analysis of national TV game allocations, the league's dependency on established stars for TV ratings, and the underpromotion of emerging talents.
19:10 Clippers Re-sign Bradley Beal
Reactions to the Clippers re-signing Bradley Beal, implications for roster construction, and thoughts on the team's confusing direction.
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