Basketball - the Three Point problem

[McNutt]

I was a huge NBA guy in the 80s and 90s, both NBA and college. Soon after I began to lose my liking for the game. Players were allowed to travel at will, especially if it ended in a dunk. Any good defense drew a foul. And then there was the 3-pointer. Games now seem to be nothing but 3-point shots and, I have to admit, the players today can hit those shots like it's nothing. They are so good at 3-pointers that a team that focuses on scoring in the paint is going to be outgunned.

The problem is that I don't find in-game 3-point contests to be fun to watch. I've tried to come up with ways to make it more fun. You could move out the three-point line and increase the lane to open up the game. Maybe that would work.

What if we only allow 3-pointers in the last two minutes of each quarter/half? This would allow those specialists to shine without it dominating the rest of the game.

If baseball can screw around with their sacred rules, so can the NBA.

[Jaymann]

The other thing the three point shot did was warp the stats. For instance Wilt was out of the league before it started and Kareem played 10 years without it. Not that those two would have used it, but it skews later scoring records. A problem with adjusting it now is it would create an era similar to the steroid era in baseball where it was only in effect for a limited span of time.

[Scuzz]

I have pretty much quit watching basketball, of any level, in the last 20+ years. Everything is three pointers and players traveling while driving to the basket.

[ImLawBoy]

I used to follow a guy on Twitter (former college basketball player) who would meticulously break down many claims of traveling when driving to the basket and prove that they weren't actually traveling. They often looked like it to the naked eye in real time, but those who really knew what they were looking for (like refs) could tell the difference.

Anyway, I've never watched much NBA, but I do watch a fair amount of college basketball. I have no problem with the 3 point shot and wouldn't want to see it materially altered without convincing me that it would improve the game.

[El Guapo]

One suggestion I've heard is to eliminate the 'corner 3' by having the three point line hit the sideline on each side of the basket. As evidently the corner 3 in particular is too easy relative to the point value.

[Freespirit96]

The 3-point reliance is about math, not fun. A “hot zone” system or expanding the lane could force teams to balance strategies and bring back action in the paint.

[Jeff V]

Any change is going to result in a change of tactics (and possibly personnel) to take advantage. Talented big men are, and always have been, hard to come by. You're not going to get play back into the key unless this changes. It's far easier to recruit outside guys that shoot. Perhaps making a dunk a 3-point play would balance things some?

Just a thought. We've not had an actual NBA team in town for years now, and I can't remember how long it's been since I watched an entire Bulls game.

[The Meal]

How very Kim Jun Il of you.

...in order to encourage mistake-free play, the rules called for deducting a point for missed free throws and dunks. Teams also lose a point for mistakes after making more than 11 basic rule violations, including for a missed pass, missed catch, lost dribble, traveling and three-second violation.

Other rules were inspired by the NBA, such as the implementation of a 24-second shot clock and an outright ban on zone defenses.

The scoring rules will likely be the most intriguing for modern basketball fans. A shot taken in the last two seconds counted for eight points, and swished three-pointers were worth four points. The rules also called for adding a four-point line to the court.

https://www.nknews.org/2024/04/the-litt ... ll-rules/1

[Jaymann]

I watched a video regarding the decline in NBA viewership (down 48% this year). Besides the 3 point problem he speculates these reasons:

Refs calling ticky tacky technical fouls, even for glaring/star players getting ejected.
Political polarization.
Difficulty in finding broadcasts/hometown blackouts.
Star players rotating teams with no team loyalty.
Players playing for a paycheck and not really caring about winning.

[gilraen]

Tell me that wasn't an absolute beauty of a shot though (Jokic from 3/4 court last night)

[Lassr]

Tell me that wasn't an absolute beauty of a shot though (Jokic from 3/4 court last night)

Maybe that should be worth two-3pointers. How fun would be it be to see teams chunking it from just in-bounding trying to hit them to catch up if they are way behind.

[El Guapo]

Also classic Jokic where it looks like he's barely trying and yet its incredible and perfect.