The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier professional basketball league in the United States. The NBA is currently composed of 30 teams divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.
The regular season begins in October and ends in early April. During the season, teams play 82 games and 41 on the road. They compete for the best record within their conference and a chance to qualify for the playoffs. The top eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs. The remaining eight teams are wildcards.
Team rankings are determined by each team’s winning percentage during the regular season. The top six teams advance to the playoffs directly, while the seventh and eighth seeds are awarded through a Play-In Tournament. The playoffs feature the best teams from each conference and are played in a round-robin format. The first-place team from each conference advances to the finals.
In order to increase competitiveness and enhance the flow of the game, the league has made rule changes throughout the years. These include the hand-checking rule and the 3-second defensive rule.
These rules have been effective in enhancing the flow of the game, reducing foul calls, and increasing the number of 2 and 3 point field goals. These changes have also helped the NBA achieve its goal of becoming a more popular sport in America and have had a positive impact on the team’s revenue, attendance, and television viewership.
Players in the NBA are governed by a collective bargaining agreement. This agreement enables players to receive a minimum annual salary. It also allows teams to purchase other players. This allows for the growth of the team’s roster and the potential expansion of the league as a whole.
The NBA is a very physical sport. This has resulted in an increased rate of injury for players.
There have been many factors that have contributed to the increase in injury rate for the NBA. Some of these factors include an increase in the number of plays, an increase in speed and strength, and an increase in contact and collisions.
Some of the players have also developed injuries due to the increased intensity of playing professional basketball. The NBA has also adapted to these changing conditions by implementing a few new regulations.
A team is allowed to carry 12 active players on their roster and a maximum of three players on injured reserve. In addition, a team can have up to five players on a bench during the game.
The first few weeks of the NBA season are spent in training camp, during which teams evaluate their roster and prepare for the regular season. This is also a time for the coaching staff to scout their team’s strengths and weaknesses.
After the training camps, the NBA starts its regular season in late October. The season is made up of 82 games, with each team playing a total of 40 games at home and another 40 on the road. The season is followed by the All-Star break, which takes place in February.