RedsArmy.com's New Rules To Open Up The NBA Game

The NFL does just about everything right. Even when it makes mistakes, it makes up for them. It’s part of what makes the NFL the number one sports league in America. Now, the NFL has inherent advantages over the NBA. Most notably, it plays one game a week... which leaves everyone wanting more. But the NFL does something few other leagues have the sack to do: constantly tweak the rules to give fans what they want.

Other leagues (I’m looking at you baseball) are afraid to change the game because they’re afraid they’ll offend the “purists.” It’s almost like the league is telling people “if you don’t like us, then it’s your own fault you don’t appreciate the nuances of our sport.” Not the NFL. The NFL sees that fans like big time offense, and they’ve made enough little changes here and there to make sure those high-flying acts have a chance to do something (see: Colts, Indianapolis).
Sure... we'll all grouse when the quarterback gets grazed on the helmet and a 15 yard penalty is called. But we're mostly happy to see that same QB throw a 60 yard bomb for a TD. Fans want explosive offense. Fans want to see a methodical dismantling of the other team’s defense. They want big plays… and those long bombs can lead to big plays on BOTH sides of the ball.

Now lets look at the NBA, where San Antonio, Utah, Cleveland and Detroit make up the final 4. Those are all good teams, but lets just say the overwhelming sentiment from fans now is “wake me up when it’s over.” It’s not like it’s a surprise. We knew back around the All Star break that Phoenix wouldn’t win a championship. It’s not their fault. They’re not built to win it all because the rules conspire against them.

So the NBA has some thinking to do. How can a running team like Phoenix really flourish in the NBA? How can we eliminate those 85-78 snooze fests? All it takes are a few simple tweaks.

Widen The Court

At 50 feet wide right now, players barely have room to maneuver in the corners. A guy Baron Davis can’t shake and bake and then step back for a 3. So let’s give him a couple of extra feet. Let’s make the NBA court 54 feet wide so we can give teams more of an ability to spread things out.

One thing that would come back in this is the mid-range jumper. With a couple of more feet for Shawn Marion to operate out in the corners, there is a couple more feet of room for him to get a nice look at a 17 footer. Closer shots are higher percentage shots, and those mid-range shots are almost non-existent now because everyone is so athletic. Guys can challenge those in-between shots much more easily. Two feet on either side can be the difference between feeling comfortable with that shot and feeling pressured.

Plus, with Centers becoming so much more athletic, it allows them a little bit more room to operate on the blocks. Even the Spurs would score more points in this scenario. That extra 2 feet means a defender has a hard choice to make when it comes time to double. It either gives Manu Ginobili a couple more feet to spot up after his defender moves off him to double team… or it gives Duncan a lot more ability to work 1-on-1. Cleaner looks, more made baskets, higher scoring.

And perhaps most importantly, it’s feasible. We’re not eliminating seating (although some arenas will have to make some minor adjustments). A couple of feet on either side allows teams to still make their money on the premium seats while opening up the game… which might actually let those owners charge more for the premium seats.

Make The Shot Clock :22

The NBA thought it was making things faster when they gave teams 8 seconds to get over half court rather than 10. But all they did was give teams another 2 seconds to stand around in the half court offense. The NBA’s goal was to add an up-tempo element to every basketball game. What they did was allow teams like the Spurs to really grind things to a halt. All you need is a speedy point guard like Tony Parker, and you’re fine.

But take those two seconds off the shot clock as well and now you’re getting closer to the intended effect. Even if it takes 6 seconds to get the ball over half court, you have more of a sense of urgency when you look up and you see 16 seconds left on the clock than you would if you saw 18 seconds on the clock. That’s because we all mentally round off the numbers. 18 seconds is close to 20 seconds… so you’re more comfortable with it. 16 seconds might as well be 15 seconds… and now you’re thinking you’d better do something quick.

So shaving a couple of seconds off the clock will really feel like you’re taking 5 seconds away. Guys will come over half court with a sense of urgency. And that sense of urgency will limit perhaps the most annoying aspect of today’s NBA: Over-coaching the offense.

I can’t tell you how sick I am of watching Doc Rivers (and almost every other NBA coach) stand there on the sidelines and call some kind of play. The problem is, guys have time to go through the whole play, wait to see if it works, and then kick it to Pierce to create something on his own if the play breaks down.

Take some time off the shot clock, and the play calling starts to fall back into the hands of the point guard. And better yet, there would be fewer plays altogether. We’d get back to the day where guys set picks for one another and rolled or popped to open spots. How much more of a play do you need? You want to occasionally run Pierce off a staggered double screen? Fine. You want start Al Jefferson on the high post every once in a while? Fine. Let the guys on the court recognize the tendencies of the defense, and call for things on their own. Taking a little time off the shot clock will let that happen.

Eliminate The Zone

I’m not just saying that because the Celtics were decimated by zone defenses all year. The zone is lazy. And what the zone has created in the NBA is personified by the Chicago Bulls and the Golden State Warriors: Bombs away teams that live and die by the 3.

Man to man defense will expose weaknesses, which will mean easy baskets. And if you have a couple of good 1-on-1 defenders and a shot blocker on your team, then you’re probably going to be a contender… which means you don’t necessarily have to be a high flying act to be good.

Eliminating the zone gives the fans what they want. Drives to the hoop. Spectacular finishes. Drive and dishes for open jumpers. Blocked shots that start fast breaks the other way. It’s got it all.

The zone experiment has failed. Let’s forget about covering up the defensive liabilities in the league. Expose them. Let’s create a new era where the wide open style of play will create a need for a good 1-on-1 defender again.

Think about what these few little rule changes could create. A kid who comes out of college that knows if he plays defense and consistently knocks down the mid-range jumper, he’ll have a pretty long career. Isn’t that what’s missing in the NBA now? A few simple little tweaks to the rule book… all of them completely feasible at virtually no cost to NBA owners… can create the type of player we’ve all been begging for… the kid who runs, finishes breaks, can hit from 15-18 feet, and who can play some D.

If the NFL were in charge of the NBA, they’d see that the current rules are hurting their product. It’s time for David Stern to realize what’s best for the game and open things up. Otherwise, he’ll be working with Versus to figure out how to squeeze the first round of the NBA playoffs in between a “Pros vs. Joes” marathon.

john@redsarmy.com

www.redsarmy.com