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.
So much for working on that “muscle memory” — out with the new, in with the old! Starting Jan. 1 that is. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Comment by Enrique -
“A business that doesnt evolve to meet the demands of their customers, doesnt excel.”
I think most diehard NBA fans want the leather ball back. Sell the synthetic ball to the public, but let the pros go with leather. I get sick seeing the wonky bounces off the rim. Sometimes that ball looks like it was made by Nerf, not Spalding.
Comment by taka_spark -
If the new ball reduces the number of 3-points shots in the typical game, then I am all for it. The 3-point shot makes basketball a circus act, what with the points per shot average being HIGHER on 3-point attempts, than on 2-point attempts. What this means is that the NBA REWARDS teams for trailing in a game and resorting to the 3-point shot as a desperation strategy; as well as rewards teams for demonstrating an inability to penetrate the defense – exactly the opposite of what it should be. The offensive scheme in basketball should be to penetrate the defense to get the best percentage shot. Instead you succeed in doing so and, from a percentages standpoint, you are actually HURTING your own team. CRAZY! (But they will never admit it or change it, as much as it skews game outcomes and is therefore bad for the game.)
Comment by Rob Bonter -
It doesn’t take a conspiracy theorist to see that this is all about money a the expense of the game. They didn’t change the ball for any functional reason related to the game. I’d look Stern in the eye and call him a liar to his face if he said so. There was nothing wrong with the old ball. Nobody was complaining.
However…
Change the ball, and kids all over the country want their parents to pop $100 for a new basketball, so they can still have the one their favorite players use.
Change the ball, and even though the price stays the same, Spalding’s per unit profit goes up, because the new ball is exactly what it feels like – cheaply made.
Change the ball, and some of the added per unit profit can be shared with the NBA.
They changed for no reason other than to sell a bunch of basketballs. Expect all kind of theme and novelty balls at high prices made from this cheap material.
They’re dead set on sticking to fixing something that wasn’t broken in order to make kids reject their dad’s old ball and spend on a new one. They’ve already bullied the networks into repeating their BS reasons for the new ball, and Stern has does what he does best – responding to criticism by covering his ears and shouting “LA LA LA LA LA, I’M NOT LISTENING!!!” Now is appears that the closest thing this league has to a conscience, our esteemed Mr. Cuban, has capitulated as well.
The players are indeed some of the greatest athletes in the world. The league, on the other hand, is turning into a crooked joke that places just about everything over the game itself.
I used to really love basketball.
Comment by Matt Andreas -
The ball will not be a problem in the long run. Like you said the players will get use to it. Playing pick up ball in the hood we always used whatever ball was there. Sometimes it could be the worse ball in the world, but hey we rolled with it.
One thing I notice with Nash is that some of his bounce passes don’t lift off the ground as hit as they use to. I noticed a couple of time Amare and Nash were running the pick and roll and his bounce passes just skid along the floor instead of bouncing up. Of course Amare miss the pass and a turnover happen. I think even the announcers tried to blame it on him coming back from injury and being out of shape, implying he couldn’t bend over to pick up the pass. How bogus is that ? I think they were instructed by the Evil Empire to not say anything about the new ball.
Comment by Vaughn -
Did you Vince Carters shot Mark? I hope Stern did and if so I want him to still tell me there’s nothing wrong with the new ball.
Comment by Joe Malloy -
how much did the animal right people have to do with new ball?
I think you have a point with the ball being good for soft jumpers. I have noticed that Tmac cant buy a three pointer or his usual line drive jumper but his soft inside shots(what few there have been)seem ok.
Comment by soonenough -
Hey Mark, I must have bought at least 5 classic NBA leather basketballs, and yeah they do need about 1-2 weeks to break in but after that, there is not another basketball that comes close to the performance, feel, handle, the way it comes off your fingertips and sails through the net for a perfect swish. Why would the NBA change something that isn’t broken, just recently you had Lebron James come out publicly and bash the new basketball. And for you knuckleheads out there that say “oh, its just a ball” , this new ball is a terrible product, it is too sticky when dry and too slippery when wet. Its no where close to the old leather ball.
Among his beefs with the new ball, James said it doesn’t have the same bounce as the old one. “Sometimes you can grip it, and sometimes during the game it sticks to your hand,” he said. “It won’t bounce, it will just roll on you. I don’t know why we can’t get used to this ball. But it’s just not good.”
James also doesn’t understand why the league changed balls in the first place.
“You can shorten our shorts, tell us how to wear wristbands, things like that. Change the dress code. But the one thing we care about is the basketball,” he said. “When you start changing the thing we play with every single day, it doesn’t make sense to me at all.”
The new ball is nothing like the old NBA leather ball. I know I have the new ball and it doesn’t come close to the classic leather one. Also for the people that say it takes one cow to make four leather basketballs, Spalding Vice President Dan Touhy stated that “not a single cow will live because we changed to a composite ball.” The company acquired leather from meat producers that had already removed the skin. What is the NBA thinking? Stick with the classic leather ball that’s been used for over 20 years!!!!!! I’m tired of the gimmicks. Don’t mess with the integrity of the game!!! Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O’neal, Lebron James and over 90 % of the NBA players want the old ball back, please bring it back. Hopefully this will be similar to when Coke realized the classic was better than the “new coke.” To Commisioner Stern, the sign of a good company is that when they make a mistake, first admit it, seek a solution and then correct it. Mark please fight to bring the old ball back and keep the integrity of the game intact. I’m tired of seeing players struggle because of a faulty basketball. Maybe Commissioner Stern hasn’t heard the phrase “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Comment by Tony Cappali -
Hey MARK,don’t know your email address, but im a chicagoan. All this talk about the tribune considering selling the Cubs, I was wondering if you were still considering purchasing the Cubs. I think your a good owner who isn’t cheap because he wants a winner so just wanted to know if you were still thinkin about the getting the team
Comment by Herson -
How exactly is a new basketball going to help the NBA business?
Comment by Matthew -
I thought there was a strange bounce too but I think the players will adjust. They change rules in all sports so people need to get used to it.
Comment by Oratip -
They are pro athletes. They will eventually get used to it. Just like pro tennis, tennis racquets are continuously changing. Even the balls are faster now.
Comment by Sedu -
Okay so you change the ball, why? How about we turn it into a football to really spice things up. I would love to see Tim Hardaway and the killer crossover be done with a Football. Maybe Chris Mullin would be a great quarterback, um I mean shooting guard.
If the players dont like the ball change it back. You have 3 things in basketball :Players, the ball, the hoop. Dont change those 3 and your fine, you have a great sport.
Comment by Manager Assistant -
Mark, I’m surprised to hear that your ok with the 7ft ‘ers making less dunks etc, but rather adapting hteir skills. C’mon man, the dunk is a skill. Not all dunks go uncontested, so when I see a guy going head to head, one on one with another equally talented guy, and a dunk is the result..that’s NBA bliss at it’s best. That’s when people get on their feet and come back for more..more being either beer or tickets. I’m seeing a lot less one hand show dunks, and I miss those. Last night I saw Dirk do a nice 2 hand slam…all by himself. Big deal. I would have liked to see him driving the lanes and dunking from there, but the man still has his jumpshot. either way, it seems like your going soft on the issue. I would rather see that ball go, and return the old one. Change is good, but you don’t see baseball players having to adapt to a new ball, soccer, volleyball, football etc.
Comment by Matt -
Hi Mark,
here’s what we found in our research surrounding your idea for a kids-only movie theatre:
*i emailed you this as well but just wanted to post it because i’m not sure you saw it.
So i’ll cut right to the chase…the way we see it you’re going to have 2
obvious target markets: the kids, and the parents of those kids. The kids
will range from about 3-10 years old and the parents, about 25-44. There
are about 30 million kids in the US from this age group and about 85
million adults. Grand total = 115 million people. Excellent number of
people to target but also an excellent range of ages. Average household
income is $38,766 (for 25-34) and $46,103 (for 35-44).
However, the conflict we ran into when we interviewed a random sample of
parents (mostly mothers) wasn’t surrounding ticket price, but food. Almost
all said that a huge reason why they limit their trips to the movies with
their kids is junk food. We can assume with little doubt that kids between
3 and 10 are not going to want fruits and veggies to munch on at the
movies. By offering both you can allow the movie-goers to battle it out
for themselves whether the kids give into the parents healthy habits or
the parents give into the kids. However, this could create tension in your
facility and thus, potentially have a negative impact on the consumer
experience.
One more issue lies within the competition. Obviously, going to the movies
carries a lot less frequency then renting movies/video games. In 2005,
1.43 billion movie tickets were sold for $8.95 billion in revenue at the
Box Office. But, the video game industry brought in a whopping $27 billion
dollars! So, it might be worthwhile to have a video game option in each
theatre used as a tie-in to the movie. I know you have thought about
having retail tie-ins available for purchase (which i wouldnt advertise
strongly because we recieved very negative feedback from the adults we
interviewed) and i think kid’s would jump at the thought of being able to
play a video game that tied into the movie while being at the movie. A
simple game that doesnt require much skill for the younger kids who might
not have the attention span needed to sit for an hour and a half. Also,
parents probably wouldnt object to this as much as retail.
Hope this helped a little and thanks for your time. My class really
admires your blog 🙂
feel free to contact me whenever,
Rachel
Comment by rachel -
do you think it would be possible for the players to put it in their arbitration or player contracts from the union that they want the old ball back, and possibly get it? or is that a far stretch even if they fight for it hard enough?
Comment by boz -
Mark-
The burning question I have and it seems no like no one has the answer too is …Why the change of the ball? Who was complaining about the ball in the first place? What scientist said ” I think we should CHANGE THE NBA BALL, that’s it! I would love to know what NBA executive was on his tenth Jack Daniels when he came up with that idea. Do you have a clue?????
Comment by Wil -
did you see vince carter’s 3 pt shot at the end of regulation vs the wizards? i’m not sure the old ball would have done that — and until this year where it has done that in a bunch of games..i’ve never seen thaht before.
Comment by Chi -
Yeah, Michael Redd just scored 57 points last night so I’m sure he loves the new ball. By the end of the season everybody will have forgotten about the ball controversey, just like everybody has forgotten about the dress code. It just sucks to adjust to a new ball, but everybody has to play with it. It’s like playing pick-up basketball and somebody is leaving and the game ball is theirs. You have to use a new ball the may be totally different or even be a bad ball, but it doesn’t stop the game and nobody lets it affect them, unless they are looking for an excuse. Anyway, great analogy huh? haha
The ball is obviously here to stay and nobody will even remember that it’s new soon. I wonder what D-Stern is going to implement during the pre-season next year though. A ban on multi-colored headbands maybe?
Comment by Brian Laesch -
Give it a year and no one will even remember the old, leather basketball. And they’ll continue to make improvements with the new ball so it’ll be even better next year, and the year after, etc.
Comment by wailea -
Maybe the new ball is the reason the Jazz are leading the league right now.
Comment by John -
well, for every change there are pro’s and contra’s.
Since there’s no way back, I think players will have to become comfortable with the ball. The discussion if this ball is better or not, can only be done at the end of this season. By then, all players have a feel for the ball and can compare him with the old ball.
Comment by Mafel -
The new NBA has one glaring problem. When it gets wet, it gets extremely slippery and you really can’t control it very well. This makes everyone get more conservative when our hands get sweaty in games, or when the ball gets wet from other players sweaty uniforms on a rebound or something like that. More conservative means less excitement for the fans. All the NBA players are fine with it being synthetic, but PLEASE do something to the composite material recipe so that when the ball gets wet it does not get so slippery!
Comment by Mark Madsen -
Mr Cuban…apparently a few folks aren’t used to your facetiousness LOL!
My gripe is why Ms Stern felt a need to change the ball, period. There was nothing wrong with the leather…no one was complaining…why make the change? I equate the ball change to having retractable running boards on an SUV…yeah, the technology is there…but is it necessary?..or just marketing? Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
Stern is trying to invoke his own ‘fashion’ statement on the league without coming-out-of-the-closet to admit how little he has done to maintain the sport’s integrity. It’ll all blow up in his face eventually and that day is drawing nearer with recent player and fan disgruntlement.
Mr Cuban…I started a poll at pistonsforum.com (NBA thread: A NEW commissioner!) asking who they would choose to replace Stern. Right now…you are running neck & neck in the lead with Sir Charles 😉
Comment by detteam -
Gee, so the NBA would use an inferior ball from Spalding than a better ball from Baden because it could be a $$$ issue?
And they did less research apparently than Mark?
And they interviewed less current players about it than the Poughkeepsie Times-Journal-Telegraph-Inquirier?
And I have yet to hear a player say a single good thing about the ball?
Sounds like David Stern’s new NBA of inferior quality, sidebar referee politics and big brother mind control.
Comment by Anand -
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!
Comment by Antonio Howell -
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?
Comment by david -
You wrote:
“Players who have been in the league for years have gotten used to the old balls “
That makes me laugh, cuz I’m 12.
Jake
Comment by Jake -
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?
Comment by Mutwiri -
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..
Comment by Brad -
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.
Comment by Brian -
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. 😀
Comment by Clt_Bobcats Watcher -
#13 that was so funny, I can’t remember my comment now!
Comment by Mavs Fan Annie -
so is it hard to type with Stern’s dick in your mouth?
Comment by James -
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.
Comment by wailea -
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.
Comment by Isa Saalabi -
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
Comment by Cory Howell -
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.
Comment by Mark -
I’m sure they’ll adjust, but there probably should’ve been a better way of introducing it .. and longer testing to minimize the impacts. At least with the new rules the players can’t waste anytime complaining about it on the court.
Comment by sdy -
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
Comment by AJL -
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?
Comment by Travis -
I just don’t understand why NBA does not want to listen to the players, or you???
http://www.GentleTip.com
Comment by GentleTip.com -
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
Comment by Sean Doyle (TP) -
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
Comment by kyle templeton -
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.
Comment by Crazyglues -