NBA-ABA Triple Header! 🏀 Crunch Time Basketball

[@redfanrod]

Note: Following a review of my video, Crunch Time creators Bradley Logan and Gustaw found a "defense glitch" in the templates for the 69-70 ABA player cards. The glitch significantly impacted the defense ratings for most of the Washington Capitols' individual player cards. You remember, the team full of "F" defender ratings and one "D" rating (Ira Harge)?! The revised Barry is now a "C" defender and guys like Larry Brown (B), Harge (B), Jabali (C), Barrett (C) and even rookie Fatty Taylor (C) have improved ratings. Gary Bradds and Frank Card, however, are still rated "F" at the defensive end. Needless to say, Rick Barry needs redemption against those Spencer Haywood-led Rockets! FYI: Rockets defensive grade changes include Julius Keye (was B, now C), Walt Piatkowski (was C, now F), Larry Jones (was A, now B), Lonnie Wright (was B, now C) and Jeff Congdon (was B, now C). Both Byron Beck (B) and Haywood (AAA) remained the same rating on defense. 🏀

[@iamsportacuss6139]

Very fun to watch Rod! I like the looks of the cards too. Might have to give this game a whirl!

[@redfanrod]

Glad you enjoyed it, sportacuss. This is a very simple game with a lot of cool checks for "ballhanding" and "defense" and I appreciate the way it just flows. This game came to me by surprise and I consider it the coolest "new" game for me in 2024! 🏀 Look for my full game replay with some WNBA action soon. 🏀

[@wmontanez27]

Thanks for sharing the three games. The cards are very nice.

[@redfanrod]

Glad you enjoyed it, DC. This video took a bit longer to compile but I felt it was a worthy experiment to get the team FGAs more in line with real-life averages. I feel "Method No. 3" was the winner, using a simple pace adjustment added recently by Gustaw. Cheers! 🏀

[@doxierottenbreath5773]

Good video, thanks again. What I did with PTG on my excel helper was I would copy the actual box score into a field of cells, and it added each score so that the two teams total scoring for each quarter. A simple count down timer I made caused the scoreboard clock to reach zero after the total points for each quarter was reached. Of course, that may not at all reach shot attempt accuracy, but it made it so that I didn't have to time the game. 😗

[@redfanrod]

I'm always searching for a way to have accurate FGAs per game per team with so many games, new and old (Computer Basketball, Bank Shot Basketball in addition to the games mentioned). I think that Gustaw's modified pace rating works best for Crunch Time Basketball. Have a good one. 🏀

[@J-DOUBLE-A]

Great video as always! I liked the progression and it showed how smoothly they ran.

[@redfanrod]

It got more fun as I changed the timing methods and shot strategy. Another thing: That blowout 69-70 ABA game revealed that Gustaw had made a league-wide in the spreadsheet of its game cards. It turns out that at least one-third of the defensive ratings came out wrong! I knew Rick Barry couldn't have been an "F" on defense. Turns out that he's a "C." I can live with that. Of course, I've just had to reprint and cut the entire season but it's work it to me. Have a good one, Jason! 🏀

[@gustawr]

Thanks Rod. I based the Pace ratings on possessions/game. The 1968 Celtics averaged 113.8 and the Lakers 109.9. The historical NBA+ABA average is 98.4

[@redfanrod]

Great stuff, Gustaw. So you're telling me that the historical average of 98.4 possessions is the all-time rating (like from 1947 thru 2024)? I say "wow" if this is true. I am just now seeing that the pace (possessions per 48 minutes) in 67-68 NBA was 119.8 in Basketball Reference. That's fairly high, right? How did you come up with your "new and revised" pace ratings off of that figure? 🏀

[@gustawr]

@@redfanrod I computed a weighted average of pace stats, starting with 1951-52 until 2023. The final average is 98.4. I subtract 98.4 from the actual pace for a team, divide by 4 and round to the nearest integer.

[@redfanrod]

@@gustawr This is great information. Thank you, Gustaw. I've never been a user of "advanced stats." Glad you use them. Do you intend to change some of your original pace ratings based on this experiment? The new pace ratings appear to better represent the amount of shots teams take per game, although this is a very small sample of games (1). Have a good day. 🏀

[@davidcieslinski2642]

Great triple-header! Thanks, Rod.

[@redfanrod]

Glad you enjoyed it, David. That video took a bit longer than most to produce with three games packed into one video. I felt it was a worthy experiment for a really good (yet simple) game, Crunch Time Basketball. Have a good one! 🏀

[@BradleyLogan-kp4su]

Rod, anything not to have to keep track of ticks off the time clock! Pace ratings work well. Otherwise, it depends who's playing of course. Couple things. Counts got the ball and Celtics weren't pressing, so by all means, if there's a choice, let someone else shoot. Also, I just thought keeping stamina *'s (6 for Pros & 5 for college) were easier than keeping shots or minutes. You'll get some F Foul rates late in the game that will effect things accordingly. But like most basketball board games, it might just be easier to use foul trouble, GP, Blow-Outs and just player's abilities to dictate playing time. Don't know why Archie Clark got so many RB's. Guards get the least, then F's & C', then Highs. Oh and on FG's with a Def Foul, IF the shot was originally missed, the defense may let him make it but elect to have his defender not commit the foul. But I love your videos and your objectivity and enthusiasm!

[@redfanrod]

Hi Bradley Logan. I do like those upgraded pace ratings presented by Gustaw and I enjoyed all three games of the triple header as well. As for Counts, I'm sort of a game player who likes to let the game itself dictate who gets the ball (as in Hoops, Fast Break, etc.), so I thought it was appropriate to stick to my guns and use the "default/press" player in "The Goose," who went to my university (Oregon State Beavers). Mel had the shot made but the "luck of the draw" pitted him directly in Russ's face! Maybe in future games I'll make a house rule to allow for more "choice" players in the final minute of a close game. Your point is well taken but that was an exciting game as is. Love having Russell as the hero as he did for 13 years in Boston. As for fouls and the "*" for fatigue, you'll notice that I had 59 fouls between the two teams in the Lakers-Celtics game (with 24+ minutes of press to up that number) and 61 total fouls in the Bullets-Pistons (also a high figure), so I either have a choice of pressing less or using the fatigue points. I still find that tracking those fatigue points slows down my game play a bit. I may try them again in the future. As for Archie Clark, I do find that guards get plenty of rebounds in Crunch Time but that's okay. In Detroit, Bing nearly had a triple double with his board work (23 pts, 10 reb, 8 asts). Glad you're enjoying the videos. I wouldn't be doing so many if I didn't truly enjoy the game. Great work on game design, great colorful cards by Gustaw as well. 🏀

[@BradleyLogan-kp4su]

@@redfanrod The game is set up so that everyone will get the same amount of opportunities. Some players shoot more and some players hardly shoot. The choice option, however, will help allow players like Maravich get their opportunities

[@redfanrod]

@@BradleyLogan-kp4su Things to remember for my next game. Thanks, Bradley Logan! 🏀

[@justinludwig726]

Which seasons are availablw for this game?

[@redfanrod]

Hi Justin. Good question. I've listed all available seasons in two of my four Crunch Time videos within the description. Here's the "copy and paste" version of those instructions: FREE! You can download Crunch Time Basketball's TACs (Time Action Cards), Rebound Cards and instructions in addition to a complete sampling of 2021 NCAA teams and a file of all-time great NBA and ABA teams at this link (from 2021) on Delphi Forums: forums.delphiforums.com/table... Bradley Logan sells a host of Crunch Time Basketball NCAA team seasons and sets on Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/CrunchTimeB... Gustavo's email address is [e-mail] and his most recent price list and ordering instructions are listed below: Here's the list of available seasons and how to order. Pro season (starting in 1952) NBA (1951/52 to 1969/70): u$s 7.45 ABA (any season): u$s 7.45 NBA (1970/71 to 1975/76): u$s 8.25 NBA (1976/77 to 1988/89): u$s 9.85 NBA (1989/90 to present): u$s 11.40 WNBA (1997): u$s 7.45 WNBA (2022 to present): u$s 8.25 ----------------------------------------------------- 2023-24 NCAA Season (Men & Women) Final Four: u$s 6.40 Elite Eight: u$s 7.45 Sweet Sixteen: u$s 8.25 Round of 32: u$s 11.40 All NCAA tournament (68 teams): u$s 18.80 AP Top 25: u$s 11.40 Any conference (12 or more teams): u$s 8.25 Any conference (less than 12 teams): u$s 7.45 All Division I (362 or 360 teams): u$s 26.75 Selected colleges: Depends on the number of teams. ------------------------------------------------------- FUTURE SALE: After the end of the NBA season I'll make the 2023-24 cards and will slash the NBA and ABA prices in half for 10 days. ------------------------------------------------------- Cards size: 2.8"x3.6", 9 players/page, 2 or more pages/team. All players are carded. There is an informative Team Card for each team. If you want the cards in B&W, please put it on the order. ____________________________________________________________ PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING - COMMUNICATION, ORDERING FOR .PDF AND PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS - especially regarding non-default for Step 3 is critical. If you need help, contact me directly via e-mail at [e-mail], preferably with your Delphi_ID. Please check out correctly through PayPal by following the steps listed below. This allows me to keep costs down which I was directly passing on to your order. I can be contacted thru Watsapp. My number is [phone] - select SEND AND REQUEST, SEND MONEY to [e-mail], click NEXT 2 - put in the correct amount of your order in U.S. Dollars only, ADD NOTE with the exact season(s) you are ordering and your e-mail address (pdf), click CONTINUE. Ex ABA 1971-72, NBA 1988-89, etc. 3 - ACCEPT THE DEFAULTS. You can't send it as "personal" or "friend". Gustaw

[@RayManzarekRocks]

Once again, arguably the best team in ABA history fails miserably in a board game . . . #Go(Re)Figure

[@redfanrod]

I have an updated on the Washington Caps saga for you! Brad Logan and Gustaw discovered an error in the templates for their ABA teams in Crunch Time Basketball! Almost all of the key players on the Caps were rated way too low on defense. Barry was upped to a "C" - not great but better than "F" - while Brown (B), Harge (B) and even Barrett (C) and Jabali (C) were upgraded as well. Gustaw quickly repaired the error and I, in turn, reprinted the entire season of cards. I think a rematch is in the making! Have a good one. 🏀

[@RayManzarekRocks]

@@redfanrod I've given up. There are no great basketball board games out there.

[@redfanrod]

@@RayManzarekRocks Two things for in tabletop basketball game development are certain: 1. No tabletop (or PC) basketball game is perfect. 2. Game creators make plenty of errors, myself included! I appreciate their efforts, though. Gustaw fixed that error within 24 hours, so that reveals pride in his works.

[@justinludwig726]

What do you use to track stats?

[@redfanrod]

It's simply an Excel template that was made in October of 2020 by "Tabletop Basketball Board Games" member Darren Smith. It is available within the files section of the group page. The file name is "B-Ball Auto Scoresheet_v.201015 0828.xlsm" (no quotes). 🏀

[@doxierottenbreath5773]

Celtics stopped them alright - just ask Mel Counts...

[@redfanrod]

The Celtics-Lakers game was clearly the best of the triple header of games. Love that Russell was a factor for Boston in the clutch. 🏀