• Stern said the board was updated on the arena situations in Seattle and Portland, and that it would get a schedule from Sacramento detailing its building situation. He also said the board voted to allow NBA teams to own teams in the developmental league.

• Granik detailed six minor rules changes, ranging from coaches being allowed to call timeouts to teams getting two free throws, instead of one, and retaining possession for a clear-path foul. He also said there will be a discussion with the competition committee in June about the way teams are seeded in the postseason, and indicated there could be a new rule about players wearing tights underneath their shorts before next season.


In other Board of Governors news:

• Six minor rule changes for next season were approved, including an end to the prohibition against coaches calling timeouts. Also, clear path fouls will now result in two free throws (instead of the current one) and possession of the ball.

• The promotion of Adam Silver to deputy commissioner won unanimous approval. Also promoted was Heidi Ueberroth, will become president of international marketing and business operations.

• Owners were briefed on the ownership situations in Seattle and Portland and arena issues involving the New Orleans Hornets and Sacramento Kings. Stern said developments on a new arena for the Kings were gaining speed.

• A briefing was also given on possible changes to the playoff seeding system, with outgoing deputy commissioner Russ Granik favoring a system in which division winners would be seeded no lower than fourth, possibly with automatic first-round home-court advantage, to replace the current system in which division winners earn the top three seeds but home court still goes to the team in any series with a better regular-season record.

• Players wearing tights, a pet peeve of Stern's, are an endangered species. They'll be outlawed next season, with exceptions given only when a medical need is shown. "On this one there was a pretty good consensus," Granik said.

• Stern said he was not disturbed by anything related to the Grizzlies-Clippers game Tuesday night, in which both teams would have been better served by losing. The Grizzlies won, putting themselves into the fifth seed and a postseason matchup with Dallas. A loss would have allowed Memphis to open at home against third-seeded Denver. "Always with respect to who plays where, [intentionally losing] was always an issue. It's something we're going to live with," Stern said.

[quote]• Stern said the board was updated on the arena situations in Seattle and Portland, and that it would get a schedule from Sacramento detailing its building situation. He also said the board voted to allow NBA teams to own teams in the developmental league.



That could be good news for some teams and bad news for others.

Will some owners pony up the needed cash to have a NBDL team?

Also it would be awesome if Billy D owned our NBDL team.

Think about the shit we could pull:

Any decent player that went undrafted could be signed to our NBDL team. If the guy pans out we'd have a clearer path to signing him.

And think about all the decent guys that go undrafted - we could stockpile talent, destroy the other NBDL teams and develop young guys at the same time.

The best thing about signing those undrafted guys to the NBDL team? They're not directly associated with the Pistons and therefore don't take up a roster spot.

NBA approves Lakers' ownership of D-League team

Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss received approval Wednesday to own his own D-League team, the first time the NBA has allowed one of its clubs to control its own minor-league franchise.

Buss' team is expected to join the NBDL next season and play at the Staples Center, already home to the Lakers and Clippers, before possibly moving in a few years to Ontario, a suburb east of Los Angeles.

The league's Board of Governors had to approve an amendment to the NBA's constitution to permit the move, which was set in motion earlier this season when the Lakers purchased the rights to an NBA Development League expansion team. (Such rights can cost anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000).

"I think we're going to see a lot of teams go down this road. One of the teams may be the Knicks," commissioner David Stern told ESPN.com following the conclusion of the annual mid-April meeting of team owners. "This is a long-term thought that's beginning to make more sense to our teams."

But the Lakers will still be bound by the same rules as the other 29 NBA teams when it comes to assigning players to their D-League affiliate. Only players in their first and second years are eligible, and no more than two players can be sent at one time to a D-League assignment. Also, the D-League's central office assigns players to their teams, preventing the Lakers from using their minor-league team as a place to stock prospects.

"The other players on their D-League roster will be free agents available to every team in the league," said Joel Litvin, whose promotion from general counsel to president of league operations also was approved by the Board. "The Lakers are going to be given their players by the league, so they're not going to be able to curry favor with players."

The Lakers' addition to the D-League will give the NBA's minor league an expanded presence in California, with expansion teams also coming to Bakersfield and Anaheim next season as the league expands from eight teams to 15. Also coming aboard are four teams from the CBA -- the Dakota Wizards, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede and Colorado 14ers -- to join the league's current franchises in Austin and Fort Worth, Texas; Albuquerque, N.M.; Fort Myers, Fla.; Arkansas; Tulsa, Okla.; Fayetteville, N.C.; and Roanoke, Va.

"We approved the Lakers' purchase of a D-League team about a month and a half ago, but we told the owners we'd have a full discussion on the subject at this meeting," Litvin said. "There was really not a lot of opposition to the idea."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2414330

So we can't stockpile talent? Damn!

Then again, it doesn't mean that we wouldn't have a clearer path to those players assigned.

If one of the assigned players developed into a capable player don't you think he'd be more willing to join the Pistons?

Considering he's been living in the area, playing in our system, working with our young guys (when they're down in the NBDL) etc?

Davidson could put a team in GR and play at the Van Andel arena (seats about 13,000, I think).

I think it would work here.

I'd love to go watch 2 future Pistons in action.

Stupid question time.

The restriction that dictates that players have to be in their "1st or 2nd year" is only for guys that are on NBA contracts, right? I'm guessing that the restriction doesn't apply to free agents playing in the NBDL, since Marcus Fizer won the NBDL MVP this year.

I wonder why they have two sets of rules?

Does that mean that a player could come out of retirement and go play in the NBDL, even if he is like 36 years old?

If so, the name "developmental league" is a bit of a misnomer.

Perhaps, the restriction is there for the players (not management). So vets can ride comfy at the end of the bench in the pros and not worry about getting their asses shipped to the DL for half a season while teams hold on to them for the playoffs. For example, Cato. Instead of forcing dude into game shape, he got to sit on the sidelines and pretend he would be of use.

• Six minor rule changes for next season were approved, including an end to the prohibition against coaches calling timeouts. Also, clear path fouls will now result in two free throws (instead of the current one) and possession of the ball.
So they're going to add more FT's to this already FT polluted game?
For a league that stresses action and entertainment, I don't like this.


• A briefing was also given on possible changes to the playoff seeding system, with outgoing deputy commissioner Russ Granik favoring a system in which division winners would be seeded no lower than fourth, possibly with automatic first-round home-court advantage, to replace the current system in which division winners earn the top three seeds but home court still goes to the team in any series with a better regular-season record.
Good rule.


• Players wearing tights, a pet peeve of Stern's, are an endangered species. They'll be outlawed next season, with exceptions given only when a medical need is shown. "On this one there was a pretty good consensus," Granik said.LMFAO...who cares. I don't think anyone wears them to look cool.

Stupid question time.

The restriction that dictates that players have to be in their "1st or 2nd year" is only for guys that are on NBA contracts, right? I'm guessing that the restriction doesn't apply to free agents playing in the NBDL, since Marcus Fizer won the NBDL MVP this year.

I wonder why they have two sets of rules?

Does that mean that a player could come out of retirement and go play in the NBDL, even if he is like 36 years old?

If so, the name "developmental league" is a bit of a misnomer.

Why have a rule that does prevent teams from shipping vets down to the D league?

Probably because the Player's Association wanted no part of the D League and is made up of (you guessed it) mostly guys with more than 2 years experience.

I doubt a 36 year old is gonna come out of retirement to play NBDL, though you never know. Until someone attempts it they likely don't have a rule for it.

Approved Rules Changes for the 2006-07 NBA Season

At Wednesday's NBA Board of Governors meeting, several rules changes were approved for the 2006-07 season. They are as follows:

Calling Timeouts

2005-06 Rule: The head coach may request a timeout (20-second or full) only if there is a suspension of play due to a player suffering an injury where bleeding occurs.

2006-07 Rule: The head coach may request a timeout (20-second or full) at any time during a game as long as his team has possession of the ball or there is a suspension of play.

Substitutions

2005-06 Rule: Free substitution is permitted only during 20-second timeouts called in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and/or overtime period. During all other 20-second timeouts, the team calling the timeout may only substitute for one player, and if that team replaces a player, the opposing team may also replace one player.

2006-07 Rule: Free substitution is permitted during all 20-second timeouts.

Clear-Path-To-The-Basket Fouls

A clear-path-to-the-basket foul is called if a personal foul occurs (1) when the ball and an offensive player are positioned between the tip-of-circle extended in the backcourt and the basket in the frontcourt, with no defender between the ball and the basket, (2) the possession originates in the backcourt, including throw-ins, and (3) the foul deprives the offensive team of an opportunity to score.

2005-06 Rule: The team that is fouled is awarded one free throw attempt and the ball on the sideline.

2006-07 Rule: The team that is fouled is awarded two free throw attempt and the ball on the sideline,

Active List Violations

Prior to the start of the game, a member of the officiating crew checks the Active Lists maintained by the official scorer against the players who are in uniform.

2005-06 Rule: If a player not listed on a team’s Active List participates in game play, the officials, upon noticing or being made aware of the ineligible player, will disqualify the player at the first dead ball.

2006-07 Rule: If a player not listed on a team’s Active List participates in game play, the officials, upon noticing or being made aware of the ineligible player, will disqualify the player at the first dead ball and the player’s team will be assessed a technical foul.

Free-Throw Procedures

2005-06 Rule: Players occupying lane spaces during free-throw attempts are permitted to extend their bodies into adjoining lane spaces.

Players not occupying a lane space during a free- attempt must remain behind the three-point line until the ball is released by the free-throw shooter.

2006-07 Rule: Players occupying lane spaces during free-throw attempts are prohibited from extending any part of their bodies into the space in front of an opponent until the ball is released by the free-throw shooter.

Players not occupying a lane space during a free- attempt must remain behind the three-point line and above the free-throw line extended until the ball is released by the free-throw shooter.

Flagrant Fouls – Penalty 1

2005-06 Rule: If a flagrant foul/penalty 1 is called and the fouled player is unable due to injury to shoot his free-throws, the opposing team’s coach selects a replacement free-throw shooter from among the players on the fouled player’s bench, and the injured player is not permitted to return to the game.

2006-07 Rule: If a flagrant foul/penalty 1 is called and the fouled player is unable due to injury to shoot his free-throws, his team’s coach (not the opposing team’s coach) selects a replacement free-throw shooter from among players on the floor (not players on the bench) at the time of the foul, and the injured player is not permitted to return to the game.

Note: The rules for unsportsmanlike acts (elbow and punching fouls) and flagrant fouls/penalty 2 state the fouled player’s coach selects the replacement free-throw shooter from any eligible player on his team (whether on the playing floor or the bench) and the injured player is permitted to re-enter the game following the free-throw attempts. There is no change to this rule.
http://www.nba.com//rules_changes_060420.html

[quote]• Stern said the board was updated on the arena situations in Seattle and Portland, and that it would get a schedule from Sacramento detailing its building situation. He also said the board voted to allow NBA teams to own teams in the developmental league.



That could be good news for some teams and bad news for others.

Will some owners pony up the needed cash to have a NBDL team?

We know Davidson's cheap ass won't, even if we needed it.

Well, we don't know the costs of running a team in the NBDL.

While it might be "pocket change" to someone like Davidson the fact remains he didn't get rich by spending a ton of money on shit.

I find it hilarious that people complain he doesn't spend enough on the Pistons.

The team salary is over $60 million!

That doesn't include the coach, GM and all the other shit that goes into making the Pistons franchise.

It's not like we're $20 mil under the cap and refusing to spend money.

I don't question the fact Davidson spends money. I do question whether or not if we would have drafted Melo or Wade and they ended up being close to the players they are now, if he would have spent to keep the roster together.

I get not wasting cash on Darko or Memo who were going to get overpiad regardless of production.

I am just wonder if there is no clear decline in the starting 5's ability in a year or two if he would go over the lux threshold to pay a Maxiell, Johnson or Delfino if they breakout, without shedding a key player.

I crossing my fingers EL Paso or a city close to me lands a team.

J, I think he would pony up if a player broke out and was performing well.

Arroyo and Darko were moved because they didn't fit and made a lot of money.

Some people just wanna believe that we don't wanna pay the tax.

It's a little known fact that we've paid some tax in the past. I was reading a thread on RGM on the CBA board and someone asked Coon about teams that have paid tax.

Coon listed a bunch of teams and we were one of them. I think it was a relatively small amount, but we still paid it.

I consider him a great source.

Besides, by the time Maxiell or Delfino is up for an extension Dice might not be making big money.

Evans might not be here then and we don't know about Delk. Davis and Hunter will be retired by then.

Amir? He'll be retained under the "Gilbert Arenas Rule" of the CBA which helps us a lot.