Silver says NBA to reassess Spark in wake of NIL

• Tim Bontemps, ESPNFeb 17, 2024, 09:50 PM ET

INDIANAPOLIS– NBA commissioner Adam Silver brought into question the future of the G League Ignite, saying that the intro of name, image and similarity into the college basketball landscape has decreased the need for the league to potentially continue the program.

“I think considered that that’s occurred, I think we remain in the process of reassessing Group Ignite,” Silver stated Saturday night as part of his yearly All-Star Weekend news conference here at Lucas Oil Stadium. “Due to the fact that now a few of those very same players who didn’t wish to be one-and-done players due to the fact that they felt it was unreasonable and they desired the ability not simply to earn money playing basketball however to do commercial deals that weren’t offered to them at college, to hire professional agents, a chance that wasn’t readily available to them at college, they now– all of those same chances have become available to them.

“I’m not sure what the future of Group Ignite will be, because before there was a hole in the marketplace that we thought we were filling in the past doing that, and now my focus is turning to earlier advancement of those players.”

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This is the 4th season that the Ignite have actually remained in presence. It’s a program that was originally produced, as Silver stated, to offer a path for pre-draft qualified players to be paid to play basketball before being qualified to get in the NBA due to the league’s age limitation for prospects.The league touted it

as a chance to provide players considerable cash before they might be qualified to make millions by being prepared into the league, and the program landed several high-level prospects over the past few years as a result.But the introduction

of NIL has allowed for college players to make considerable money while going to school and lowered the need for the NBA to produce such a feeder program into the league.And while the program has produced numerous high draft picks– consisting of Scoot Henderson(No. 3 in 2023), Dyson Daniels(No. 8 in 2022)and Jalen Green (No. 3 in 2021)– this season has been a tough one on the court.The Ignite have actually gone 6-31 and have the league’s worst offensive ranking(102.6 points per 100 ownerships)and net rating (-12.7 points per 100 ownerships)with a roster including a number of players who are draft-eligible prospects.One of those top draft prospects, Ron Holland, just recently told Andscape’s Marc Spears he will not be coming back this season after undergoing thumb surgical treatment, enabling him to completely concentrate on preparing for the NBA draft.Silver likewise discussed the state of the entire American youth basketball system, something he has actually previously cited as an issue, and stated that could be an area the league transfers to focus on in the future.”If you’re seeing now what we’re seeing in regards to that close to 30 percent of the league, players born outside the United States, it’s clear that the development

is extremely different in a lot of those programs outside the United States,”Silver said.”[ There’s] more of a focus on practice, less of a focus on games, which appears to be the opposite of many of the youth programs in the United States. “I believe that now we have actually begun discussions with the NCAA, the huge majority of the top players will play in college and never ever play in the NBA, naturally, so we have a common interest in just enhancing the game, developing players.”” [Gamers are] entering into the league extremely skilled,” Silver continued. “However that doesn’t always translate to being group basketball players. And then what I’m hearing

from some of those very same coaches that might be grumbling about inability to play defense is that these players are not as prepared as I ‘d like them to be, particularly as very high draft picks.” Silver likewise touched on several other subjects, including: – Amid a season in which there has been much discussion about the referees– consisting of Jacyn Goble improperly calling a nasty on New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson

to hand a win to the Houston Firecrackers on Monday night– Silver stated the league will make enhancing communication between referees and players a”genuine location of focus “moving on.” I’m so understanding to both players who feel that an official missed out on a call, and in some cases they do, and I’m incredibly understanding to officials who have some of the hardest tasks in sports and are under a microscopic lense and occasionally, of course

, do miss calls, and we acknowledge when they do,” Silver stated.”I think what makes me most annoyed are exactly issues you’re describing– the interaction problems sort of in between players and authorities. I feel that’s a location we need to be able to do a much better job, both methods.”There just has to be a two-way sense of regard. I’m understanding to the aggravation and feel it’s a location where we can make progress.”- Silver said he was” unsure”if supermax eligibility needs to be decoupled from the media voting procedure for awards, adding that

while there has been much discussion about the merits of the 65-game eligibility rule for ballot, only time will tell if it’s working.”

The concept was we required to further incentivize players, especially star players, to play more games,”Silver stated.”So I’m not all set to say that it isn’t working so far. I can tell you that the number of games that players have actually participated in is up this season, and remarkably enough, injuries are actually down. Whether that’s significant data yet, I don’t understand.”I believe the correct time to take a more take a look at this rule is at the end of the season when we sort of a minimum of have a year under our belt.”- Silver shot down the concept of increasing All-Star Video game roster sizes, saying there wasn’t a need to go from 24 overall(12 in each conference) to 30( 15 in each conference)to imitate the change in roster sizes throughout the league.”There’s no plan now to add roster areas,”

Silver said.”I think part of the issue is, although you’re right, we have actually expanded the number of teams, we haven’t broadened the number of minutes, and there’s still just one ball. And then the question is how do you disperse those minutes

amongst the All-Stars?” Likewise, I think when we sat down with the players and discussed this during bargaining, there is that sense of specialness in being an All-Star or being among 24 instead of being among a bigger number.”