Adam Silver Pushing For A Two Night NBA Draft
The NBA Draft, usually held in late June, is one of the biggest nights on the NBA calendar.
The NBA draft is always interesting as it is fun to see college athletes turn professional as well as see what team drafts them. This year there was an insane amount of hype over the No. 1 overall pick, showing how popular the draft can be.
The Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes hype was prevalent around the sports world. However, the NBA draft fanfare can die out after the lottery, especially after the first round. It seems like NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wants to change this with his new idea to improve the NBA Draft.
Adam Silver said this week on an NBA Sirius XM Radio show shared his thoughts on expanding the NBA draft to two nights saying,
“We’re working on it,” Silver said this week regarding a two-night NBA draft. “And it’s something that we have to continue to work through with our network, ESPN and ABC, which broadcast the draft. And then, of course, with the Players Association.”
This is not an unheard-of idea by any means because the NFL has already perfected their league’s draft. They have made round one a spectacle and NFL draft night is a marquee night of the off-season. The NFL then does Rounds 2-3 as day two and 4-7 as day three. They have successfully broken their draft into three days while retaining some solid viewership numbers into days two and three.
This success is what the NBA will try to replicate by expanding their draft into a two-night affair. A two-night draft would be manageable for the NBA as a normal draft only has two rounds with a total of 60 picks.
Could A Two-Night NBA Draft Be Successful?
I think it’s fair to say that the practicality of breaking up the rounds into two nights works. However, will the NBA be able to retain any viewership, and will the new twist help teams? Silver seems to think it could have multiple benefits for the league saying,
“Also, maybe even more importantly, gives our general managers the opportunity to reset after the first round and say, alright, this is where we stand,” Silver said.
This makes sense as a break from the chaos that is draft night and more time to prepare their next pick should help the NBA franchises.
Also, like Silver said the break in the draft will allow for everyone to learn more about the possible second-round selections. The media and analysts will have a day to promote and discuss these players. Meanwhile, fans can continue to learn about these prospects which will only make round two more enjoyable as a viewer.
The modern NBA is also filled with second-round talent with notable players such as Draymond Green, Khris Middleton and the back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic. Ultimately, this is an interesting idea from Adam Silver to try to make the NBA Draft an even bigger event.
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