SimNBA Rules and Info

[Wahoo]

Google Doc version HERE

 

Introduction

You’ve played SimBBA; now get ready for SimNBA! This simulation was created for fun; please do not expect it to have every aspect of real life basketball. Some things are changed or left out because of their complexity to add or for balancing the simulation. That being said, we are always open to hearing suggestions of how to improve the experience!

 

The Simulation Engine

The simulation engine is based on the same as is used in SimBBA, but it is tweaked for professional basketball. The main functions of the simulation are based on random number generators to create events and outcomes. Events could be a steal, an “other” turnover (lost ball/out of bounds, shot clock violation, or offensive foul), a 3 point attempt, a 2 point jumper attempt, or a 2 point paint attempt (dunks, layups, and tips). Outcomes include if the shot is made, missed, or blocked, if the shooter was fouled, if the basket was assisted, and the results of any rebound opportunities. The events and outcomes are based off of real-life percentages from NCAA and NBA basketball games. These average probabilities are adjusted based on individual player skills and coaching decisions, which will be discussed below.

 

Here is an example of final game results (from SimBBA):

 

 

The Players and Their Attributes

Let’s look at a player from this previous game. We can see Fritz Chan’s player line in the box score, but we do not see all of his attribute values. There are 5 attribute values for each player; all coaches will be able to see these values on any team's roster. Attribute values range from 1-20. A player’s overall rating is the sum of their 5 attributes. This means a player’s max overall rating could be 100. A 10 in any category is an average score and corresponds to the average statistic from real life (ie, a player with a 10 in shooting will be average at 3 point shots/2 point jumpers/free throws). A player on a roster will be viewable in the following format:

 

Player Line	Shooting	Finishing	Ballwork	Rebounding	Defense	Overall	Potential	Stamina
G Fritz Chan 6-4 24/2 [Virginia]	14	12	17	11	10	64	B-	35

 

Player Line: This gives general information about a player. First is the player’s position (PG, SG, SF, PF, or C). Next, you see the player’s name and height. The player’s age and years in the NBA are separated by a slash. Finally, you see the college the player attended or the international country the player is from.

Shooting: Shooting shows a player’s skill at 3 point shots, 2 point jumpers, and free throws.

Finishing: Finishing shows a player’s skill at 2 point paint shots (dunks, layups, and tip shots).

Ballwork: Ballwork relates to a player’s dribbling and passing skills. A high ballwork value will make a team give up less steals and have less “other” turnovers. Ballwork is calculated as a team statistic (calculated as the product of ballwork skill times the minutes a player is in the game, then summed for all players) and is compared to the opponent’s defense rating to influence steal and turnover percentages.

Rebounding: Rebounding shows a player’s rebounding skills. Rebounding will be calculated as a team value; if your team has a higher rebounding value (calculated as the product of rebounding skill times the minutes a player is in the game, then summed for all players), you will have a higher offensive rebounding chance and lower your opponent’s offensive rebounding chances.

Defense: Defense impacts your team’s chances to get a steal, force an “other turnover,” or block a shot. For Steals and Other Turnovers, your team defense value is compared to the opponent’s ballwork value. The chance of securing a block is determined directly by your team defense rating. An above average defense will increase chances of blocking shots, while a below average defense will decrease chances.

Overall: The overall rating is the sum of a player’s 5 attributes. A player’s overall rating continues from their college career and grows as a factor of their age and potential. Players can generally be seen as falling into a category based on their overall rating:

 

Star Player	90-100
Regular Starter	80-89
Role Player	70-79
Bench Player	69 or below

 

Potential: Each player has a numerical potential value that influences how quickly they progress and grow their skills from season to season. Potential values range from 65-100. The coach will only be able to see a letter grade of the potential. Potential grades are determined as follows:

 

Potential Value	Grade
98-100	A+
93-97	A
90-92	A-
88-89	B+
83-87	B
80-82	B-
78-79	C+
73-77	C
70-72	C-
68-69	D+
65-67	D

 

Stamina: Stamina signifies the maximum amount of minutes a player can play in a game. Stamina continues from a player’s college career. Stamina is maxed at 48 minutes per game.

 

Coaching and Gameplans

Coaches have a few decisions to make prior to each game. They submit their decisions on the gameplan sheet, seen below. Gameplans are currently submitted through Google docs. A coach can make changes to all of the yellow boxes. Make sure to check if there are any warnings before finishing your gameplan; gameplans with errors will not be accepted and that game will be postponed or forfeited.

 

 

Pace: How fast or slow you want your team to play. It is submitted in terms of possessions per game. The pace must be between 95 and 110. The average pace of an NBA team is around 103 possessions per game. 95 is extremely slow, while 110 is extremely fast.

Shot Proportions: This affects how often your team will attempt the different types of shots. Each proportion must be between 20 and 60, and all proportions must add to 100.

Minutes: This determines the playing time for each player. No player can play more minutes than his stamina allows. You have 240 minutes to distribute (5 players on the court * 48 minutes each).

 

Teams must choose a formation to use each game. Formation options are:

Traditional: PG/SG/SF/PF/C

Small Ball: PG/SG/SG/SF/PF

Microball: PG/PG/SG/SG/SF

Jumbo: SG/SF/PF/PF/C

 

Players may play up or down one position (ie, a PF can play as a SF or C. PG can only play as SG and C can only play as PF). You must have 48 minutes of coverage for each position in the formation you choose.

 

Divisions and Schedules

Teams are split into the following conferences and divisions:

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest Division: Vancouver Sea Lions, Seattle Supersonics, Portland Trailblazers, Minnesota Timberwolves

Pacific Division: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings

Southwest Division: Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans

Mountain Division: Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division: Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers

Central Division: Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers

Southeast Division: Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets

Northeast Division: Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks

 

During the season, every team will play the other teams in their division 4 times (2 Home and 2 Away), the teams in their conference but not division 2 times (Home and Away), and each team in the opposing conference once for a total of 52 games. An All-Star Game will occur at the half-way point of the season (after Game 26) pitting Western Conference players against Eastern Conference players. All members will vote for 10 players from their conference to be All-Stars. The 5 players with the most votes will be starters and the other 5 will be reserves. The top 8 teams by record in each conference will make the playoffs at the end of the season. In the NBA Finals, the team with the higher record will host 4 games.

 

Player Development

Progression and Regression

Players will gain or lose skill after each season. Unlike in college, there is a chance that professional players may regress during any individual season. However, on average, players will progress up until their prime. Each player will have a “Prime Age” randomly generated between 25 and 30. This number will be hidden. Once a player has passed their prime age, they will regress on average, although they still might have individual years where they progress after their prime. Regression will get more severe as players get further from their prime. There are different formulas for regression for Years 1-2 after prime, Years 3-6 after prime, and Years 7+ after prime. A player’s stamina will on average increase before they reach their prime. However, it will begin to decrease increasingly fast as the player ages past their prime.

 

Retirement

Players will have a higher chance of retiring as they get older. Any player older than 25 who drops below a 60 overall rating will retire. Players will also begin to consider retirement once they are older than 30 and have an overall rating of 80 or below.

 

Age	Chances of Retiring
30	5%
31	15%
32	25%
33	35%
34	45%
35	55%
36	65%
37 or older	75%

 

Rosters

NBA Roster Size

A team may have a maximum of 15 players on its roster and must have a minimum of 13. A roster may consist of 2 additional 2-way players that play primarily on the team’s affiliate G-League Roster. 2-way players may play in a maximum of 10 NBA games for your team during the regular season and may not play during the postseason. These players do not count against the team’s salary cap. During the offseason, a team may hold up to 20 players on its roster. This number must be down to 15 by the opening game of the season.

 

G-League

A team may have up to 10 players on its affiliate G-League Roster, not including the 2 2-way players your team may have. These players do not count against the team’s salary cap unless they have existing NBA contracts.

 

Contracts and Salary Cap

Salary Cap

The salary cap is a hard cap and a team may not go over the salary cap.

 

Year	Salary Cap
2021	$132.6 million
2022	$136.6 million
2023	$140 million
2024	$145 million
2025	$150 million

 

Contract Amounts and Length

All contracts are 100% guaranteed. Contracts may be signed for up to 5 years (or 4 years plus a fifth year option -- see below). Minimum contract amounts vary based on the overall rating of a player at the time they sign the contract:

 

Overall Rating	Minimum Yearly Salary
90+	Max / Supermax Contract
85+	$10 million
80+	$5 million
70+	$2.5 million
69 or below	Veteran Minimum Contract

 

Max and Supermax Contracts

Players with an overall rating of 90 or higher must be offered a max contract. A max contract takes up a certain percentage of the salary cap, depending on the amount of years the player has played:

 

Years in NBA	Percent of Salary Cap
0-6	20% ($26.5m in 2021)
7-9	25% ($33.2m in 2021)
10+	30% ($39.8m in 2021)

 

This percentage is applied to each year of the contract, so for a 2-year contract starting in 2022, the salary cap hit would be 15% of the 2022 cap amount and 15% of the 2023 cap amount if the player had played between 0-6 years at the signing of the contract.

 

If a player wins MVP, DPOY, or is a 1st team All-NBA, they qualify for a supermax contract:

 

Years in NBA	Percent of Salary Cap
0-6	25%
7-9	30%
10+	35%

 

Qualifying players may still be offered max contracts.

 

Veteran Minimum Contracts

Players below a rating of 70 must be paid a certain amount per year based on how many years they have played:

 

Years in NBA	Minimum Yearly Salary
0	$0.9 million
1	$1.5 million
2	$1.6 million
3	$1.7 million
4	$1.8 million
5	$1.9 million
6	$2.0 million
7	$2.2 million
8	$2.3 million
9	$2.4 million
10+	$2.5 million

 

Rookie Contracts

See the section “The Draft” for rookie contract amounts.

 

Free Agency

Any current free agents or players with expiring contracts may be bid on during free agency. Bids should be formatted as:

Player Name 6-3 25/3 [College]: 4yrs/$40m

$10m/$10m/$10m/$10m

 

Yearly amounts do not need to be equal as long as each year is above the applicable veteran minimum and the total amount of the contract is equal to what the player should be earning. For example, this is an equivalent bid to the above offer:

Player Name 6-3 25/3 [College]: 4yrs/$40m

$1.8m/$1.9m/$18.2m/$18.1m

 

The final year of the contract may be an option. The team has the option to pick up the last year or terminate the contract at the beginning of the option year. However, the player may also refuse to accept the option year if their player mood is low [pending]. The player has the final say. Options should be denoted on the bid with +1O:

Player Name 6-3 25/3 [College]: 3+1O/$40m

$10m/$10m/$10m/$10m

 

Bids last for 24 hours. If no other team offers an improved contract, the player will sign with your team. Teams may improve upon offers by offering a longer contract at the same amount, offering more guaranteed years instead of an option, or offering a higher salary. Bids must be increased by $0.1m in each year of the contract. New bids last another 24 hours.

 

Resigning Players

Teams will have the chance to re-sign a player at the end of their contract if the player mood is high enough [pending]. Otherwise, the player will enter the free agent pool.

 

Waiving Players

If a team believes a player on the contract is not worth a roster spot, they can choose to “waive” them before their contract ends. The team drops them from their roster but has to keep paying the player what they are guaranteed from the contract. While they are no longer taking up a roster spot, they are still part of that team’s salary cap and will continue to be part of that team’s salary, until another team picks up that player or the contract expires.

 

When a player is waived, they will enter a 48-hour waiver wire, where the other NBA teams can try to claim on the player and take on the contract from the team who put that player on the waiver wire. If no teams take the player within the 48 hours, that player enters the free agent pool. In the event that multiple teams try to claim the same player, the player will go to the team with the worst win percentage. A team must have enough cap space to take on the player’s contract to be considered.

 

Trades

Team owners may trade players or draft picks during the offseason and regular season prior to the trade deadline. The trade deadline will occur halfway through the season (after game 26). Once the playoffs begin, teams that did not make the playoffs may begin trading with any other teams who are also not in the playoffs. As teams are eliminated from the playoffs, they may begin to make trades. When a player is an impending free agent, a team may sign and trade him if the contract is at least 3 years and the player has been given a pay raise. Trades must stay within the salary cap limits. Teams may not trade away 2 first-round draft picks such that they would be without a first-round draft pick for any 2 consecutive future drafts (Stepien Rule). All trades are subject to be rejected by the Commissioner if they are deemed to be a significantly unfair trade (player trades should remain around the same salary amounts).

 

Two-Way Players

Two-way players are signed to one-year contracts. They do not affect a team’s salary cap so they do not have a money value in their contracts. Two-way players are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Two-way players are protected and may not be signed by other teams. They may still be included in trades.

 

G-League

G-League players are signed to one-year contracts. They do not affect a team’s salary cap so they do not have a money value in their contracts. G-League players are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. G-League players are unprotected and therefore act as free agents. Any other team may sign a G-League player to their NBA roster by placing a bid on the player. G-League players can not be poached to a different G-League roster unless they are being assigned as a two-way player.

 

The Draft

Draft Picks

The NBA draft will consist of two rounds, for a total of 64 overall picks. The 16 teams that miss the playoffs are entered into the Lottery. Teams with worse records have a higher chance of winning the #1 pick. A random draw will occur to determine the positions of teams whose records are tied, but the odds between the tied positions will be averaged out. The 16 teams who qualified for the playoffs will be sorted by their final regular season records.

 

SEED	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
1	14.0	13.4	12.7	12.0	47.9
2	14.0	13.4	12.7	12.0	27.8	20.1
3	14.0	13.4	12.7	12.0	14.8	26.0	7.1
4	12.5	12.2	11.9	11.5	7.2	25.7	16.7	2.3
5	10.5	10.5	10.5	10.5	2.3	19.6	26.7	8.7	0.7
6	9.0	9.2	9.4	9.6		8.6	29.8	20.5	3.7	0.2
7	7.5	7.8	8.1	8.4			19.7	34.1	12.9	1.4	0.1
8	6.0	6.3	6.7	7.1				34.4	32.1	6.8	0.5	0.1
9	4.5	4.8	5.2	5.6					50.6	25.9	2.9	0.4	0.1
10	3.0	3.3	3.6	3.9						65.7	19.0	1.1	0.35	0.05
11	2.0	2.2	2.4	2.6							77.5	12.4	0.55	0.3	0.05
12	1.5	1.6	1.8	2.0								86.0	6.4	0.45	0.2	0.05
13	0.9	1.0	1.1	1.2									92.6	2.7	0.4	0.1
14	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.7										96.5	1.05	0.25
15	0.15	0.25	0.35	0.55											98.3	0.4
16	0.05	0.15	0.25	0.35												99.2

 

The second round is ordered by regular season record, with the worse records getting better picks. Second round ties in records are in reverse order of the teams’ first round picks.

 

Rookie contracts

Rookies must be signed to a minimum of 2 year contracts, but can have 3rd year and 4th year options included.

 

Pick	1st Year Salary	2nd Year Salary	3rd Year Option Salary	4th Year Option Salary (Percentage Increase over 3rd Year Salary)
1	$8.1 million	$8.5 million	$8.9 million	26.1%
2	$7.3 million	$7.6 million	$8.0 million	26.2%
3	$6.5 million	$6.9 million	$7.2 million	26.4%
4	$5.9 million	$6.2 million	$6.5 million	26.5%
5	$5.3 million	$5.6 million	$5.9 million	26.7%
6	$4.8 million	$5.1 million	$5.3 million	26.8%
7	$4.4 million	$4.6 million	$4.9 million	27.0%
8	$4.1 million	$4.3 million	$4.5 million	27.2%
9	$3.7 million	$3.9 million	$4.1 million	27.4%
10	$3.5 million	$3.7 million	$3.9 million	27.5%
11	$3.4 million	$3.5 million	$3.7 million	32.7%
12	$3.2 million	$3.4 million	$3.5 million	37.8%
13	$3.0 million	$3.2 million	$3.3 million	42.9%
14	$2.9 million	$3.0 million	$3.2 million	48.1%
15	$2.7 million	$2.9 million	$3.0 million	53.3%
16	$2.6 million	$2.7 million	$2.9 million	53.4%
17	$2.5 million	$2.6 million	$2.7 million	53.6%
18	$2.3 million	$2.5 million	$2.6 million	53.8%
19	$2.2 million	$2.4 million	$2.5 million	54.0%
20	$2.2 million	$2.3 million	$2.4 million	54.2%
21	$2.1 million	$2.2 million	$2.3 million	59.3%
22	$2.0 million	$2.1 million	$2.2 million	64.5%
23	$1.9 million	$2.0 million	$2.1 million	69.7%
24	$1.8 million	$1.9 million	$2.0 million	74.9%
25	$1.8 million	$1.8 million	$1.9 million	80.1%
26	$1.7 million	$1.8 million	$1.9 million	80.3%
27	$1.6 million	$1.7 million	$1.8 million	80.4%
28	$1.6 million	$1.7 million	$1.8 million	80.5%
29	$1.6 million	$1.7 million	$1.8 million	80.5%
30	$1.6 million	$1.7 million	$1.8 million	80.5%
31	$1.6 million	$1.7 million	$1.8 million	80.5%
32	$1.6 million	$1.7 million	$1.8 million	80.5%

 

Second-round draft picks are signed to 2-year minimum contracts ($0.9 million).

Edited July 7, 2021 by Wahoo