Blokes would score a bit more if the game as longer

Exactly. It was a stupid change by a weak BA to appease a pissant broadcaster who had prior history screwing the league over. All the stats are up in flames.

Nope. Our friends in the Philipines play 12x4 too. Where's Carl?

48min stats. Can't compare anymore.

Really? Okay. To measure against past performance.

I personally much prefer 40 minute games. Firstly, it encourages more intense basketball. Secondly, I like that we are in line with FIBA. Thirdly, I really don't need an extra 8 minutes, especially with all the other basketball viewing options with easy access to view NBL, NBA and the extra internationals introduced by FIBA.

On-demand streaming has helped save a lot of viewing time. The 10 second fast-forward option adopted by NBL.tv has been great to bring the viewing experience closer to NBA streaming. If you use that feature wisely to cut out non-fastbreak transition play, you can watch the near-equivalent to full games in about 30 minutes.

NBA is ridiculous in the number of games played and the 48 minutes. While the most talent plays in the NBA, the intensity of NBA regular season games is underwhelming. Even if you want to follow one NBA team, who has the time to watch all their games?

We watch pro sport to see historic performances and records broken. I'm as NBL as they come but even I can't tell you what they are now due to the inconsistency in game lengths. A lot of history has gone by the wayside. And now we have to use the disclaimer of "in the 40min era" which is awkward. All this because BA are incompetent and Ten are a shitty network. What a waste.

Sick burn anon.

One could wonder if we changed it back to 40 minutes because people couldn't compare the history when some wannabe thought we should change it to 48 minutes from the original 40 minute games.

If you want to compare, maybe we should consider going back to 20 minute halves.

"I really don't need an extra 8 minutes"
Wow, OT games must really piss you off

Serious question, when was the last Triple Double?
Surely they would be more acheiveable in 48 minutes.

Only good thing about 40 minutes is that Fisher's record will never be broken

Why do people get all sandy-in-vagina at people who prefer the old 48 minutes? I prefer 48, and that's that. rjd prefers 40 and explained why and I have no problem with that. Yet anytime there is a pro-48er anons come at them.

"Serious question, when was the last Triple Double?"

Two weeks ago...

The rarity of triple-doubles in a 40 minute game is a two-sided coin. On one hand you can argue that it hardly ever happens, so it is almost missing from the 40 minute game. On the other hand, look at the NBA now. Remember when triple-doubles were a particularly special achievement in the NBA? Now with the NBA's increased pace, a love affair with 3-pointers and long rebounds, and the odd notoriously stat-padding superstar, it's become a regular achievement. Both arguments are meaningless if you realize that the perception of great achievements become scaled.

"Wow, OT games must really piss you off"
Haha, and you must feel dissatisfied by 3 minutes when the NBL has a single-OT game? ;-)

I said BA changing it at the request of One/Ten was stupid.

And even though I'm apparently a dick I will concede we can't change back as it would be ridiculous as #668 has pointed out. What's done is done but I guess I'm like Cram when it comes to this as he is with Tigers becoming United - can't quite get over it.

I watch a lot of sport as a side gig but basketball mostly limited to NBL and a little NBA and never thought about time management until what rjd wrote above about following multiple leagues and cutting to the chase and I can appreciate his viewpoint even more now. Much more useful than being called a name. Imagine having to watch NBA daily with 48mins+timeouts etc. Ouch.

It changed before the Ten deal...

And yeah, the argument that record-breaking, 40- or 50-point games will be rare is silly. They're only special if they're rare.

Didn't Ten ask for 40mins before signing the broadcast deal with BA? It was one of their stipulations and BA were super desperate.

Games moved to 40 minutes when BA took over in 2009. The Ten deal wasn't until 2010.

What about if just playoff games were 48 mins?

6 fouls in 48 minutes is exactly the same as 5 fouls in 40 minutes.

The lack of time to watch a lot of games now is why I only watch about 1 NBL game a month. If I'm limited in the number of games I can watch, NBL just doesn't justify taking that precious time when I don't have a team interest.

With Foxtel Now adding ESPN's NBA games to their on demand platform it has made it easier for me to watch NBA games during the week when I can squeeze it in. A couple of youtube accounts do those 10 minute recaps with all of the baskets which is how I watch most Raptors games and any other games of note for the day. These aren't perfect - I'd prefer them to cut out a lot of the mundane baskets and add in some more full defensive sequences.

@Perthworld

The change to 40 minutes pre-dated any TV deal. The league wanted to fall in line with the FIBA standard. Look what happens when international tournaments are played - they are 40 minute games.

The NBA are an authority unto themselves, they don't answer to FIBA. So they kept the 48 minute game.

And just remember the NBL was originally 40 minutes until 1984.

Me thinks you didn't do much research!

Wasn't happy when the 40min change first came in but have had 9 years to get used to it.
40mins is commonplace everywhere except NBA.

People shouldn't over think stats like 40pt games etc just enjoy the game.

Two hour games is sweet for fans, TV and everyone else. Cheaper rental too, less time needed to hire venues, traffic controls, security etc etc etc.

I wasn't a fan of the move to 40 minutes, and probably would prefer to go back to 48, but I can see the arguments to stay at 40, but I don't see it as being a huge deal.

"Me thinks you didn't do much research!"

Me thinks it was nine years ago. That's like thirty in Perth years.

actually for perth people 9 years ago is 4 championships ago but yes for everyone else 4 championships ago must feel like infinity lol

Gotta love how people dismiss and trivialise all the comments in favour of 48 minutes, without putting forth a single one in favour of 40.

My understanding is that pretty much the only reason for 40 minutes is to align with FIBA. But why?
What's the point?
In any serious FIBA game, our players are coming from the NBA an Europe. The only time our NBL players dominate is in the ridiculous qualifiers against pissants like the Philippines.

So, most FIBA games then?

Almost half the league's seasons have been 40 minutes now, the statistical argument doesn't carry much weight.

If you're going to say that "it's the FIBA rule" is an insufficient reason, then why aren't we discussing changing the number of players on the court, or the court dimensions, or the number of points each basket is worth?

Each team can nominate a power play quarter and get double points in that qtr.

Thanks, as always, for proving my point Kobe Wallah.
"Almost Half" So in fact less than half and most have been 48 minutes. Great logic there.

I feel the only real argument in favour of most regs following FIBA rules is that most guys who move around, will be going to & from FIBA leagues. (Assuming EuroCup etc follow FIBA regs)
Obviously that excluded guys from the NBA and G League.

That's why you want the court and the playing rules to be the same.

But what does player minutes matter? A guy who averaged 15 minutes of the bench in Europe, may become a starter in the NBL so they have to adapt to however the coach wants to use them anyway.

Must say, I also preferred the longer breaks. Not even time for a piss at quarter time.

Who recalls the ole "TV time-outs"?

It was in the 1960s and the americans thought that the game would inevitably go to 12 foot rings , as it looked easy at 10 foot.....

Thanks, as always, for proving my point Kobe Wallah.
"Almost Half" So in fact less than half and most have been 48 minutes. Great logic there.

I feel the only real argument in favour of most regs following FIBA rules is that most guys who move around, will be going to & from FIBA leagues.

Must say, I also preferred the longer breaks. Not even time for a piss at quarter time.