Switch back before more of the season goes slip sliding away
It took only a couple of months of griping, weird bounces and, most recently, a round of hand lacerations for NBA commissioner David Stern to second-guess his league's decision to switch to a new ball without properly consulting players.
"I won't make a spirited defense with respect to the ball," Stern said in an interview with the New York Times. "In hindsight, we could have done a better job. I take responsibility for that."
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| Nice work introducing that new ball, NBA. When exactly did we time warp to czarist Russia? (Getty Images) |
If things went down the way Stern says they did, then he has been deceived. You'll have better luck finding fans of country music among the NBA's coaches and players than you would getting someone to tell you they prefer the new microfiber ball over the old leather one. But a better ball is precisely what Spalding promised.
The company branded its creation "the next generation" of basketballs. Blessed with this new "Cross Traxxion technology," the ball would have less channel area, leading to an enhanced grip (having felt it, it does feel sticky) and a more consistent bounce.
Haven't seen it.
A Hydrophilic Moisture Management System was developed to spread moisture evenly across the surface of the ball, resulting in faster evaporation.
In direct contrast, players feel the ball is slicker when wet than the leather ball.
Fortunately, we haven't seen a drastic drop in scoring or entertainment value, but teams are generally shooting for a lower percentage from 3-point range and the amount of turnovers are up. There is no shortage of unpredictable bounces, whether on a dribble or off the rim or backboard, adding an element to the game that wasn't there before.
The latest development has been the arrival of injuries resembling paper cuts showing up on the hands of a number of key players. Dirk Nowtizki and Steve Nash, among others, have had to wear bandages to prevent the cuts from reopening in games.
At the beginning of the season, it was amusing to see Stern sit back and smirk when asked about the new ball, assuring everyone his players would get used to it. They have, too, when their hands aren't bleeding like they're experiencing some kind of stigmata.
Anyway you slice it -- pardon the pun -- the ball is a menace. It has to go.
"If our players are unhappy with it, we have to analyze to the nth degree the cause of their unhappiness. Everything is on the table," Stern told the Times. "I'm not pleased, but I'm realistic. We've got to do the right thing here. And of course, the right thing is to listen to our players. Whether it's a day late or not, we're dealing with this."
