Five Major Changes That Would Make the NBA Great

With a potential lockout looming if players and owners can't agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, here are five major changes I want to see that will benefit owners, players, and most of all, fans.

1) Shorten max contracts to  four years

The reason for nearly all financial woes in the NBA and for all one sided trades are bloated, extended contracts. Allan Houston and Juwan Howard's contracts crippled their franchises for years.

Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand are currently doing the same to their teams. Hedo will be doing it to the Raptors in about three seasons. Everyone that Isiah signed did it to the Knicks.

The answer is to cut max contracts to four years. With shorter windows of guaranteed money, what players earn will be more in line with that they're worth. Bad contracts will haunt teams shorter, bargain players will earn faster, and trades will be easier.

I know players want guaranteed money, but players themselves are hurt by max contracts. How bad do you wish Kevin Garnett was through with his contract in Minnesota so he could have spent less time wallowing under McHale's leadership?

And finally, get rid of ridiculous bonuses like making the All-Star team (Zack Randolph this year) or averaging 10 rebounds a game (Troy Murphy in Golden State) and only hand out bonuses for winning!

2) Dump four teams to increase talent

My apologizes to the good people of Memphis, New Orleans, Charlotte, and one other small market team who is hemorrhaging money, but you have to go.

Expansion is bad. It diluted the talent in the league and only created more unprofitable teams. Dropping these franchises would infuse other middling teams with talent such as Chris Paul, OJ Mayo, Gerald Wallace, and perhaps a Tyreke Evans or Brandon Jennings.

There are several owners who have been trying to sell their team for months now because they're losing money. Those teams being cut out of the league is everyone else's gain.

3) Shorten the regular season to 60 games

I know most NBA records are based on the 82 game season. Well, we'll make two different record books, because it's time for a change. The season is too long. Players don't get excited about games in January, half the league is bad and a quarter of the league blatantly tanks out the final few months.

Less games makes for a more meaningful regular season, fewer injuries, and far less boredom.

4) Change the first round of the playoffs back to best of five

Generally the first round of the playoffs pits contenders against fringe playoff teams. A bully hitting a punching bag is boring, and you feel bad for the bag

Sure, sometimes a best of seven first round series produces a classic like the Celtics/Bulls last season, but generally it's counterproductive. It gives the underdogs less of a chance to knock off the favorite (Lakers/Suns 2006), while annoying the superior teams and prolonging the misery of the lower seeds

5) Put the NBA on HBO

Put microphones on the court, I want to hear the sounds of the game! No more mundane play-by-play with commentators who are reading off a stat sheets. I want to hear what the players are saying, and all the trash talk, calling plays, the teamwork that comes along with it, completely unfiltered. This is the way to watch the game and connect with the players!