Exciting format changes for next season......

To be honest I am loving all of these changes. It will be a shame for teams who don't make the play-offs to have a shorter season. But think the changes to the Cup and Play-offs are very welcome.

The head to head results will now be interesting. Presumably it'll work on an aggregate scoring system?

I see what you're saying about revenue but I'm not sure it will damage clubs financially. Will each club lose a significant number of home games? I'm not sure they will and, actually, could we do with losing 1 or 2 instead of having the random and poorly attended midweek games that we do at the moment?

Interesting. I think the move to playing teams twice over the regular Championship season is positive and creates more of a level playing field. 22 games does feel short though - a good or a bad run will be hard to ‘even out’ but maybe that will make things more exciting, probably favouring teams without as much bench depth. Could see the likes of Manchester and Bristol challenging higher up the table.

The truly work I think the league needs another four, or at least two, teams so let’s hope that is on the horizon. A lot of talk about Worthing returning to the BBL. Solent have stated it’s their aim and Reading knock on the door every few years but I understand the arena isn’t suitable - maybe they can be convinced to play out of the old Bracknell venue but doubt it? Be great to see a competitive Birmingham or Cardiff franchise too. Either way, whether it’s now or a few years time, there will have to be an increase.

The protracted cup competition is broadly good, but would have preferred smaller groups with only the winners progressing. Maybe groups of four and the best placed runner up qualifies for semis too.. Am I reading it right that the season will begin with 10 Cup games? Seems quite a curtain raiser but something needed to change.

With regard to the Trophy, I liked the idea mooted in the Makem Takem podcast of qualifying rounds with all NBL divisional and Welsh/Scottish teams with the best of the best reaching the main stage with BBL teams, like the FA Cup in football, rather than invites.

The top two in each group will host the one-legged ties in the last eight before the Semi-Finals are played over two legs to decide the two teams heading to Arena Birmingham for the Cup Finals on Sunday 26 January, 2020.

Does this mean that who ever finishes top of the two groups will host teams for games??? I’m confused on this bit.

I love the best of 3 play-offs, a much needed addition. However with only 22 games, I think the value of the league title is heavily diminished, the play-offs will be the main trophy. 22 games is not enough for a league to mean anything except positioning for the play-offs! The only way it would work is if another 3 teams minimum join the BBL.

The cup is now a mini league (like champions league football)- change the name.

The trophy is a cup competition - I wonder if that will be removed completely once the deal with Emirates arena has ended.

I agree with all of this. A shorter Championship regular season certainly will diminish it’s winning title, and put higher acclaim on the Play-Offs winning title. It feels more like the NBA, which isn’t a bad thing.

In fact these changes will equal out the acclaim of each title, with the Cup, Championship, and Play-Offs titles all being somewhat equal (at least a lot more than they are now). Which I like, and think is a good thing. The Trophy will obviously still be seen as a slightly lesser title.

It also makes me wonder about European competition for BBL teams.

Riders hardly played a BBL game until November, if another BBL team (or 2) goes into Europe, do they just give up the cup games? Will that not devalue the cup if not all teams play?

How do you think the league will be split into 2 groups of 6 teams for the BBL Cup? Random drawings, or a return to the North/South conferecnes?

That would make sense.

If my maths is correct there will be a total of 60 games in the first round of the cup - after which 4 teams will be eliminated.   That's a whole lot of pointless basketball.

Qualifiers will be 2 legs games
Quarters will be 1 leg game (highest seed getting home advantage)
Semi’s 2 leg game

Where’s the sense in that???

After deep thought, I have come to the conclusion that i absolutely hate it.