Proposed NBA rule changes

[JimLes]

I hate the artificial attempts to make game endings "more exciting." I wish the league would do something about that.

For example, this is exciting. Took a year off my life, but watching it at the time, it was incredibly exciting.



You know what's not exciting? A team is up 7 with 45 seconds to go and they just grab a defensive rebound. The other team proceeds to foul the rest of the way and heave threes as soon as they get the ball. Oh, and they also call a timeout every damn time they get the ball so they can set up a play that will involve their best wing player throwing up a contested three. And even though we all know that team A is going to win because, for crying out loud, they have a lead greater than two possessions with 45 seconds to go, we are now going to wait 5 or more minute to get confirmation of that, because Team B refuses to acknowledge just how astronomical their odds of pulling out a win here are. You have to be T-Mac against the Spurs. Team A will inevitably inbound to their best freethrow shooter, you are not going to get 4-point plays like McGrady did, and all of us watching will have an unnecessarily unpleasant experience.

Couple of things that would change this. I like the idea of not being able to call a timeout unless the ball is out of play. I would also support a general reduction in timeouts. Maybe one or two per quarter per team. I would also love to see a rule that says no timeouts in the last minute of the game. Just play the game out. If you need timeouts to draw up plays down 1 with 10 seconds to go, what are you doing in team practices then? How do you not already have this worked out and planned for?

I also hate how fouls to stop the clock are treated like regular fouls. In any other situation, if you're not making a play at the ball, you get more than just two free throws. First 47 minutes of the game, it's not okay to just hack a guy(anymore, anyway) but in the last minute, it becomes okay because you're "stopping the clock." In the video above, the Jazz do eventually get the ball and run a lot of the clock out, before OKC foul Mitchell. Look at the video.



Two guys just swipe at him with sole purpose of sending him to the line. They're not trying to steal the ball. You can't reasonably make a claim that is an actual basketball play. That should be free throws and the ball on the side. That isn't exciting and it doesn't do anything for the game itself. It just means that what is at that point obviously a Jazz win gets delayed for another few minutes so Donovan can hit free throws and OKC can hurl another bad three because they hadn't missed enough already in that game.

 

[LogGrad98]

The jump into the defending player to "draw" a foul is the worst thing in basketball right now. Flopping still happens, but imo it has been curtailed somewhat in the past few years, but that whole stick-your-leg-out or jump-sideways to create "contact" and then get a whistle is the most embarrassing thing about the NBA right now. It is stupid and needs to stop. Imagine how much lower Harden's scoring would have been last season without that ********. Or even Kobe and his flailing legs. Just stop already.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

It's how the rest of the world plays basketball and it's a better rule. Teams don't need 24 seconds after an offensive rebound to get another shot. The only reason they would use it is to milk clock, and milking clock isnt fun to watch.

Agreed. It’s entertaining watching jazzfanz collective whining about this subject. This doesn’t hurt the jazz at all, if anything it helps them.

If the majority of offensive rebounds result in a quick possession already then what's the point of a rule change to mandate a faster possession? I've never watched an NBA game where I was like, this possession after an offensive rebound took too long and it's ruining my viewing experience. What's next, switching from two free throws that count for one point each to one free throw that counts for two points after a foul? Just to speed up the game a little?

I'm just saying that it seems pointless. The pace of an NBA game is fine imo. It's not like the MLB of the past where pitchers took all day between pitches and rule changes were needed to speed things up.

I think this makes the end of games more watchable to be honest. Speaking as someone that doesn’t just watch the jazz, this will only increase my excitement level in watching the nba.

We try to eliminate all sorts of foul shots... no hack a shack, no fouls on the break, less intentional fouls at the end of a game...

How about this... no more ******** foul drawing behavior from stars like Harden and Love. Like you have to go up how a reasonable person would go up for a shot and not try and pump fake a guy in the air and throw your body into him.

They’ve addressed a lot of these things, and they largely get ignored by refs, for example. The nba addressed the play where a jumpshooter intentionally jumps into a defender to create contact. This is supposed to be a no call, but refs still blow their whistle. Somehow some way the ref for once all of a sudden decided to fallow the rule when he stuck his whistle in his pocket when PG jumped into Favors in game 6.

But changing the shot clock rule after an offensive rebound only helps the quality of our experience watching the games.

The jump into the defending player to "draw" a foul is the worst thing in basketball right now. Flopping still happens, but imo it has been curtailed somewhat in the past few years, but that whole stick-your-leg-out or jump-sideways to create "contact" and then get a whistle is the most embarrassing thing about the NBA right now. It is stupid and needs to stop. Imagine how much lower Harden's scoring would have been last season without that ********. Or even Kobe and his flailing legs. Just stop already.

Again see the post above, they’ve already addressed this aspect of the game, makes no difference

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Agreed. It’s entertaining watching jazzfanz collective whining about this subject. This doesn’t hurt the jazz at all, if anything it helps them.

I think this makes the end of games more watchable to be honest. Speaking as someone that doesn’t just watch the jazz, this will only increase my excitement level in watching the nba.

They’ve addressed a lot of these things, and they largely get ignored by refs, for example. The nba addressed the play where a jumpshooter intentionally jumps into a defender to create contact. This is supposed to be a no call, but refs still blow their whistle. Somehow some way the ref for once all of a sudden decided to fallow the rule when he stuck his whistle in his pocket when PG jumped into Favors in game 6.

But changing the shot clock rule after an offensive rebound only helps the quality of our experience watching the games.


Again see the post above, they’ve already addressed this aspect of the game, makes no difference

Yes but if they change the rule and it isn't enforced correctly then they really have not addressed the problem.

There should be a list of the top guys who routinely trick refs... and if you on that list we don't give you the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Yes but if they change the rule and it isn't enforced correctly then they really have not addressed the problem.

There should be a list of the top guys who routinely trick refs... and if you on that list we don't give you the benefit of the doubt.

Its like reffing live action is actually incredibly difficult.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

The jumping thing is hard because we let players jump forward to draw fouls (and should). Refs don't always have great angles and sometimes get it wrong. Refs can't be perfect. If you want a better reffed game, then more refs should be put in.

You can't expect them to stop calling fouls for guys like Harden because 90% of what he draws are legitimate and due to ridiculous hand eye coordination skills that I don't think should he punished.

 

[Watcher]

FIBA also reset the clock to 14 on a foul only if it's under 14, but it resets to 14 every time on an offensive rebound regardless. I would expect the NBA to implement this change in line with the FIBA rule.

Oh, I didn't realize that. Thanks for the info. It would make sense to do it that way.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Its like reffing live action is actually incredibly difficult.

It is. That is why I said guys that trick the refs routinely don’t get the benefit of the doubt... because it happens so fast there is guesswork involved on many calls.

I might even have the ref union tell them... “hey we watch the replays... if you are caught flopping, foul hunting, or actively trying to trick us all the time we are likely not going to call anything for you unless we are quite sure a foul was committed... adjust your game accordingly... also if you commit an obvious foul don’t bitch to us after... that will land you on the **** list too.”

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

The jumping thing is hard because we let players jump forward to draw fouls (and should). Refs don't always have great angles and sometimes get it wrong. Refs can't be perfect. If you want a better reffed game, then more refs should be put in.

You can't expect them to stop calling fouls for guys like Harden because 90% of what he draws are legitimate and due to ridiculous hand eye coordination skills that I don't think should he punished.

90% is generous. It also isn’t the biggest problem... guys can’t use their hands anywhere near him because he swoops his arms into theirs. So now guys have to play with their hands tied behind their backs. I’m not talking about reaching... I’m talking the defender has his arms out at his side and Harden will swoop his arms up to theirs with no basketball purpose other than to try and get a foul.

How many open shots does the guy get because the defenders hands are almost tied behind their backs?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

90% is generous. It also isn’t the biggest problem... guys can’t use their hands anywhere near him because he swoops his arms into theirs. So now guys have to play with their hands tied behind their backs. I’m not talking about reaching... I’m talking the defender has his arms out at his side and Harden will swoop his arms up to theirs with no basketball purpose other than to try and get a foul.

How many open shots does the guy get because the defenders hands are almost tied behind their backs?

Exum and O'Neale were smart with their hands. You just can't reach on him when he's in his 3-point stance, he's too quick. Refs usually don't call it when the defender isnt reaching. You can see it from a mile away when Harden is about to get someone. They will play perfect D on him then reach at the last moment and Harden gets them. It's really incredible to watch when it isnt against your team just for the pure talent of it all.

 

[LifeOnaPlate]

I don't see any positives from changing the shot clock to 14 after an offensive rebound. The game doesn't need to be faster. NBA games have a good pace already. No reason to make a change just for the sake of change. Teams who get an offensive rebound earned another full possession.

Don't the majority of plays off of an offensive rebound result in a quick possession anyway? Putback layups/dunks, kick out jumpers, etc?

It's a no for me. Seems rather pointless.

If it was really pointless to you, wouldn't you say you didn't care if the rule changes either way?