Among the things apparently discussed were a 20-second shot clock, getting rid of illegal defense rules, moving the 3 pt line further away, and wow... rewarding teams with an extra point for scoring faster. The following AP article was obtained from ESPN.com : http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2001/0209/1073779.html ------------------------- Players not in favor of allowing zones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press WASHINGTON – A 20-second shot clock, the elimination of illegal defense rules and other radical adjustments were among the proposed rules changes discussed Friday by the NBA's competition committee. "We don't have a plan right now, but we're going to continue to attack the issue," NBA vice president of operations Stu Jackson said. "What we don't want to do is something knee-jerk and be in a situation where we make changes that would be detrimental to the game." Admitting that many offenses have become too dependent on isolation plays, Jackson said the league is determined to fix the problem. No recommendations were issued, although the committee plans to meet again in June. Any rules changes would have to be approved by the league's Board of Governors. "We'll continue to look at it and keep in contact with our teams in an effort to gain some consensus as to where we need to go," Jackson said. Scoring is down almost 3½ points per game from last season, with teams averaging only 94.1 points per game. The falloff has come despite a minuscule drop in leaguewide field goal and free throw percentages. Part of the problem is the trend of gearing offenses toward 2-on-2 or 1-on-1 isolation plays in which a majority of a team's players stand idle on the weak side to draw their defenders away from the ball. One solution would be to simply eliminate illegal defense rules, thereby eliminating the incentive for teams to run dulled-down offenses. Other proposals are designed to encourage teams to run more fast breaks. "Get rid of the illegal defense rules because they're not working anyway," said Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, who was not part of the competition committee meeting. "I'm not really sure what it would do, but if nothing else, it'll make you get out and run the floor a lot harder. "It would hurt a little bit, but I don't think it would totally kill the game. People want to get the old game back." In general, scoring has been on the decline for more than a decade and bottomed out in the lockout-shortened 1999 season when teams averaged only 91.6 points per game. Rules changes were instituted after that season to cut down on hand-checking and contact away from the ball, but the unintended effect has been to encourage non-entertaining isolation plays because they have become so easy to run. Those plays tend to eat much of the shot clock, and field goal attempts have dropped from 82.1 per game last season to 80.1 this season. Malone said the league should form a panel of former players who played in the league 10 or 20 years ago to suggest ways to make the game more free-flowing and pleasing to the eye. "They talk about what all those guys did for the game, but they changed all the rules to cater to the younger generation," Malone said. "Basketball is basketball, and there was nothing wrong with it back then, was there? Ratings were up, arenas were full and that's what people wanted to see. Now, ratings are down, arenas aren't full and basketball doesn't seem to be the same." Shortening the shot clock from 24 seconds to 20 seconds would give teams more possessions per game, but might also have the effect of forcing too many low percentage shots. Moving the 3-point line closer to the basket has already been tried, although moving it farther away hasn't. Those suggestions -- and even some radical changes like awarding an additional point as a reward for scoring early in the shot clock -- were all up for discussion as the committee met for nearly five hours. "We looked at many different aspects of the game, how our games are called, the 3-point line, illegal defenses and a number of different areas to see how our teams feel," Jackson said. "Isolation basketball is a large concern." While acknowledging that teams currently play quasi-zone defenses, All-Stars Gary Payton and Jason Kidd disagreed with Malone and said outright zones don't belong in the NBA, where man-to-man coverage has always been the norm. "These guys are so talented, guys would kill a zone. You could get in the seams, and teams would be daring your best shooter to find a gap and knock it down," Kidd said. "We all should be able to guard somebody, and I don't think a zone would be good for us," Payton said. "I think we're putting too many rules in the game. The game should just be played. They should have kept it the way it was when I came into the league in 1990." ------------------ "what if my aunt had balls?" -- in one fell swoop, bbs member verse expresses his dislike of "what if" scenarios and shows he has far too much idle time on his hands.
I think that the only one that should be enforced is the 20 second shot clocks. That would give teams more possessions. Of course you could also argue that it would mean more forced last-second shots. ------------------ President of the Charles Barkley fan club...Oh he retired? When?
I think the shorter shot clock would definitely help the game. Isolations wouldn't be as common (or at least as long) if the clock were cut shorter. ------------------ The whole world we travel with our thoughts, Finding nowhere anyone as precious as one's own self. Since each and every person is so precious to themselves Let the self-respecting harm no other being. -from the Samyutta Nikaya
Extra points for scoring faster?!?! Ball hogs would come down and jack up shots left and right to get lots of points. ------------------ SUCK POLICE!!!!!! To point out individuals or teams that have managed to reach the pinnacle of SUCKINESS!!!!! ----- GIANTS SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've said it before but it bears repeating: the zone defense would be terrible in the NBA. It would create a system where nearly every shot is some sort of mid-range jumper in the soft spot of a zone, or a three point shot past the range of the defense. Driving to the basket would be eliminated, especially against a team with a good shot-blocker who can simply camp in the lane. But I love the lower shot clock. I can't see where 4 fewer seconds would force up hasty shots. That's still 10 to 15 seconds left, after the ball is brought past half-court. Plenty of time to set up any play. ------------------ I am Jack's utter lack of surprise. www.clutchtown.com
A shorter shot clock might also cut down on isolations because they sometimes take too long to develop. ------------------ The whole world we travel with our thoughts, Finding nowhere anyone as precious as one's own self. Since each and every person is so precious to themselves Let the self-respecting harm no other being. -from the Samyutta Nikaya
I would like to see a shorter shot clock, it would eliminate some of the slow-down offenses like the Knicks. Zones are a stupid idea, and there is already a rule on the books against Isolations. ------------------ The Rockets will be the NBA champions. Believe.
The rule against isolations doesn't really do much because you can have four players on the weak side, you just can't have three or more of them above the circle. ------------------ The whole world we travel with our thoughts, Finding nowhere anyone as precious as one's own self. Since each and every person is so precious to themselves Let the self-respecting harm no other being. -from the Samyutta Nikaya
