I don't think this game is televised at all. Don’t think there will even be a highlights package. It’ll be like tracking live stats in 2006.

Shown on league pass?

It feels like the NBA x NbL concept is losing its appeal. A few things I think are wrong with this:

1. Sending NBL teams over there to play while the NBL season has already started. Big disruption, all for a novelty that doesn't do much here.

2. This is very subjective, but playing small market or teams with low interest isn't that appealing (Portland and Washington this year) We really need to be playing bigger well known teams (from non bball fans especially) to get any attention here.

3. It's a low level preseason game over there. Will probably get a small crowd and will barely have any atmosphere worthy of a highlights package.

Just seems like this concept has run its course. Been going for years now and hasn't improved. NBA teams aren't coming here in return, which is what this needs to make it work, so not sure why the NBL keep pursuing this. Also, as nice as it is for Cairns and NZ to get a shot at playing, they're not going to cause much of a media frenzy here or there.

WC95, I think it probably is. They say "NBL x NBA" as if they were some kind of rival league, but majority of Americans won't know or care too much. There is a few leagues called The NBL I believe. I just find the hype a little bit embarrassing.

So much so that the Taipans/Wizards doesn't even get a thread by tip-off...

It's live as we speak on kayo

As great as the NBL is becoming now, it does tend to hype itself up way too much. It needs to, because no one else is. Just would like to see less puff pieces and constant bragging and more actual reporting with real stats, figures etc.

Sorry my mistake, I was thinking taipans wizards.

Breakers are down 9 at 1/2 time, WMW and PJC both with 9.

NBL x NBA is worth doing, but you have to give the team a decent chance of overcoming the travel, which is a huge disadvantage, and it needs to be on TV in Aus. If the league can't achieve those two things I don't see there's a great point in doing it.

Real Madrid pipped Dallas by 3 today, albeit Doncic only played 5 mins and Irving didn't play.

Portland not playing much of their bench as I thought they would. If Breakers can shoot better from 3, this could be a good second half.

It was played in Madrid though, I believe, another nba team is there as well. To lazy to check but home court and no travel would be beneficial.

And thus ends the NBA-NBL game experience, you would think.

Yep. Agree with Angus. It's had its time. This was an embarrassment for the league today. We all know both teams weren’t set up to give as good an account of themselves as they should have been, but the average fan will look at 2 monster blowouts and won’t be thinking that the NBL is the second best league in the world. More that it’s a second or third rate league, which does nothing to advance the NBL cause. God bless the 36ers for doing what they did last year, but the hype machine needs to be toned down significantly. Enough with the nonsense.

To lazy to check but home court and no travel would be beneficial.

Agree with above sentimemts both here and on the breakers thread.
The NBL has worked extremely hard the past few years to generate international interest and respect.
Today's results have only served to reverse that perception. To what extent, we dont know for sure, but in avoid further embarassment and maintain existing interest, put an end to this concept of playing NBA teams.

Reminder that the Wildcats suffered a 50-point loss, leading to these exact same discussions, four years ago then turned around and almost beat Denver a couple of days later.

If NBL teams beating NBA teams is the only reason to have these games, they've always been wasting their time. This has occurred with so little fanfare - one of the games not even being televised - that most people will never know it happened, so it's not going to harm public perception of the league much at all.

What we don't know is what behind-the-scenes connections are being established and maintained via these games, and I think that's where the league's main interest lies.

Who would have thought hey?
An NBL team struggles to score when a foul is not being called every 30 seconds and getting sent to the FT line.
The NBL has no one to blame but themselves through there referees.

Agree Koberulz the game results mean squat. The amount of money backing the NBL league has grown. We are actually being seen as a source to spend some coin from wealthy x players.
How many newly retired players will this attract.

with FIBA rules as well.

NBLxNBA has run its course unless NBA teams travel to play over here which would be huge.

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It wasn't played with FUBA rules. It was NBA rules and NBA refs. The game wasn't organized by the NBA. It was organized by the Mavs. When the NBA organizes the games, they take an NBA floor with them to Europe. Obviously, since the game was organized by the Mavs, they are not taking their home floor to Spain.

So because of that, they had to play with the FIBA court. All the rules were NBA rules though. NBA zone rules, defensive 3 seconds, NBA refs, NBA foul criteria, 48 minutes, etc.

The only reason they used the FIBA floor was because the game wasn't organized by the NBA, and so they didn't bring an NBA floor with them.

But all of the rules other than the court were NBA rules and NBA refs.

Anonymightymouse
Yesterday

Breakers are down 9 at 1/2 time, WMW and PJC both with 9.

NBL x NBA is worth doing, but you have to give the team a decent chance of overcoming the travel, which is a huge disadvantage, and it needs to be on TV in Aus. If the league can't achieve those two things I don't see there's a great point in doing it.

Real Madrid pipped Dallas by 3 today, albeit Doncic only played 5 mins and Irving didn't play.

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Irving didn't play and Luka only played 5 minutes. But for Real Madrid, one of their key players, Deck, didn't play, and all of their key players, except for one, played less than 30 minutes. The only reason Yabusele played 33 minutes, was because the other player at his spot (Deck) didn't play.

Other than that, all of Real's key players played less than 30 minutes, and most of them actually played less than 20 minutes. And they also even used some of their youth squad players. They even let some of their high school youth squad guys play in the game.

So it's not exactly like it was the Mavis minus Luka and Kyrie versus Real. It was the Mavs minus Luka and Kyrie versus a Real team that was playing at max 50%.

The nblxnba concept has been a mixed bag performance wise, with everything from a win, a few close ish games, and a whole lot of blow outs. We are something like 6 years down the track now and there seems to be a pretty established formula for competing with an NBA team - experience, three point shooting, size inside. If you're lacking any of these you're going to have a long night.

I remember seeing Alex Pledger look like an NBA big man for United, and them also getting a whole lot out of Josh Boone in the relatively competitive games they've played. Daniel Johnson was also huge for Adelaide, even at a point in his career when no one else would sign him.

I also think it's too early to say if this particular trip is a failure. The first game of these trips are usually pretty rough and by the second they find their feet and play with some level of competitiveness and I imagine we see probably at least one respectable game out of this trip.

As for whether the games should continue I think only LK could tell you that. They've been going on for six years now and they continue to do it. They'd have the metrics as to whether Theres a net benefit to it or not. There probably is a bit to gain from the international exposure. Games against NBA teams is largely why we know the Shangai Sharks exist. While the NBA games wouldn't be a huge factor in the lwagues trajectory I have no doubt it contributes to the culmative factors that are increasing viewership and revenue. I also find that our management persists with things. There have been years where the next stars program looked dead in the water but we've got a potential number 1 pick over here in Sarr and a few other guys looking like getting drafted high. I dont think LK will be throwing the baby out with the bath water over a big loss, despite the humiliation of it all.

It sounds like ME and koberulz are in broad agreement. On that basis, it's probably reasonable to persevere with the concept.

I think LK will make the decision that makes most business sense and when we do play close to an NBA team it can be interesting to watch occasionally so w3 will see but I bet it continues unless nbl teams refuse to go.

They'll keep the link going in the hope NBA teams eventually visit Australia one day.