Many will say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", but I say this game can be even better.
There is no such thing as a dangerous fullcourt press in the nba. The guards are just too good as ballhandlers. The only presses are mere efforts to delay the start of the offensive plays in the halfcourt--THAT'S IT.
Dangerous fullcourt presses would bring more excitement to the game: More open court steals, more breakaway dunks. A little more quick back-and-forth possesion of the ball. Also, more tension in the early stages of the shot clock.
Anybody remember how nerve-racking it was to watch your favorite college team try bringing the ball up the court against '85-86 Georgetown or '89-90 UNLV? Wasn't that fun, though?
Imagine, for a second that you only had 3 seconds to get the ball past halfcourt, instead of 8. I'm not proposing THIS, but hear me out. The inbounds pass would become more like a Quarterback pass in football, with the guards "running routes" like Wide Receivers to receive the ball closer to halfcourt. But there would be more element of risk, more possibilities of interception, and more open court plays generated on those inbounds passes.
NOW, like I said, I am not proposing lowering the 8 second count to 3, but what about 5-7 seconds? Somewhere in there is a happy medium between the tranquility of getting the ball upcourt that we have now and the exciting, over-the-top mayhem we would have with a 3 second halfcourt count.
My proposal is simple: Lower the 8-second count to 7 next year. If we see no discernable change, drop it to 6 seconds the year after that. At some point coaches will start to employ fullcourt pressure as a TRUE WEAPON instead of the minimal weapon it is now.
Take the boredom out of guards walking the ball up the court!
(Oh, and having two miniature, press-breaking point guards like DJ and Kemba would give us a great advantage under these new rules....)
Thank you for reading.
Last edited by Veteran_Picksetter; 01-21-2012 at 11:42 PM.
Many will say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", but I say this game can be even better.
I think this is a great idea, and I think it's greatest effect would be in the playoffs where the games slow and half court sets are always used. Might finally see a run an gun team win it all if this rule was implemented
OMG, that is such a great idea. Make it even better, we should change from a round ball to a more oblong shape ball while we are at it. That would make the game so much more skilled cuz its SO EASY to dribble a round ball. Maybe we can put pads so we can hit each other. That would get all the softy out of the league, aka Doris. Now that would be so much better.
Yess!! The playoffs would be a little more fun. Let's face it. 5-7 straight halfcourt-dominated games between the same 2 teams can get tired.
Don't get me wrong. I love the nba. I just think it needs a few more strategic "looks". The havoc and tension of fullcourt pressure would be especially fun live at the arena. Each coach could have a his "pressing 5" lineup for quick-strike comeback attempts.
honestly the rule changes i would prefer to see would be any ones that make the nba more of a team game (less superstar driven) and increase parity, much like the nfl. things like, making the playoffs best of 5, 3, maybe even 1, having harder schedules for teams that did better last year, things like that. however, i'm pretty sure the nba is going in the opposite direction. oh well.
Players need those few seconds of bringing the ball up the court to catch a quick breather. Imagine being a PG and having to frantically move the ball up the court a 100+ times a game. Fatigue would become an issue.
I don't hate the idea, but I'm not sure it would make the game more enjoyable.
"Sam Vincent? To be honest with you, I don't know what his concept was." - Gerald Wallace
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Thank you. I've definitely considered that a possibility.
If my rules change went into effect, and coaches kept the same exact substitution strategies, then yes, the players could wear down and it might not be any more fun. But I like to think the coaches would go a little deeper in their bench to offset the fatique a pressing team would cause. Force your 10th or 11th man to have to contribute a little more in order to get wins.
The way I see it, basketball is too geared towards the super elite players. For starters, the NBA is all about marketing stars. And beyond that, you can only have 5 guys on the court, whereas there are 9 in baseball and 22(33 including special teams) in football. I think it would be good to get more NBA players involved. There is some talent rotting away on those benches.
Teams that have 2-3 good point guards might have an advantage over the ones that don't. Or teams with better depth. Or teams with better overall ballhandling. Or teams with better overall fullcourt speed/quickness. I see nothing wrong with that.
What do you think? I welcome all thoughts.
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