NBA Mulling Major Rule Change?



from yesterday's Arizona Republic :

The National Basketball Association is considering a plan to abolish the 3-point shot until the end of games to increase shooting percentages and make the sport more aesthetically pleasing.

The NBA may ban 3-pointers until there's five minutes left in the game in its development league this season, Stu Jackson, NBA senior vice president of basketball operations, said in a telephone interview. The National Basketball Development League season is scheduled to begin Nov. 19.

"We've talked about it," Jackson said. "We're wrestling with the idea." He said it was too early to tell if the NBA would change the rule.

"I don't want to jump that far ahead," he said. "It's a very radical change, certainly one that would take a great deal of time to get support if there were positive aspects."

Banning the 3-point shot until late in the game might lead to a more up-tempo style and higher shooting percentages because players would be encouraged to take shots closer to the basket. It also would stop players on fast breaks from pulling up for a shot from the three-point line instead of going for layups.

The NBA instituted the 3-point shot in 1979. Last season, teams shot a combined 34.7 percent from beyond the 3-point line, which ranges from 22 feet to 23-feet, 9-inches from the basket.

Hmmm. If the league really wants to make a big change, they'll ban 2-point shots, as well. A 48 minute free-throw shooting contest would revitalize the game (as well as neutralizing Shaq) and give solace to all those malcontents who claim there's no longer any emphasis on fundamentals. What could be more fundamental than teams practicing nothing other than shooting from the line, all the time?

Posted: Thu - October 14, 2004 at 01:59 PM      

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