NBDL to change rule on 3 point shots?

[wncsport.com]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1902007

What are your thoughts on this rule change?

[Fran]

I don't like the rule, also here is an article about the Sixers coach not liking it either.



O'Brien: NBDL barking up the wrong three

By PHIL JASNER

jasnerp@phillynews.com


TORONTO - This is an idea whose time, at least in the opinion of 76ers coach Jim O'Brien, has not - and should not - come.

The idea: As an experiment, the National Basketball Development League, is expected to adopt a rule for its season, beginning Nov. 19, eliminating the three-point shot other than in the final 5 minutes of a game and overtime.

Let the record show that the 76ers tried a modest 14 triples in last night's 99-97 preseason victory over Toronto, while the Raptors were hoisting up an unwieldy 28.

Let the record also show that the Sixers' Allen Iverson appeared more comfortable than ever at the point, putting up 32 points, six rebounds, four assists and only three turnovers in 27 minutes that also included 10-for-16 shooting and 4-for-4 three-point shooting.

If you were wondering about resiliency, the Sixers came from 19 points down in the first half and 15 down in the third quarter.

"This was the first night it really felt easy playing the point," Iverson said. "I think I'm more dangerous at the point with the ball in my hands so much, especially in transition, when guys are backpedaling and [we're] just running off random pick and rolls, making their big men make decisions."

But what about the curious NBDL decision? This would be the first time in the 4-year history of the NBA's minor league that a rule change would be tried. The three has been used in the NBA since 1979-80, and attempts have steadily gone up in ensuing seasons. There is no movement, however, to change the three-point rule in the NBA.

Theoretically, such a change could encourage more midrange jump shooting and eliminate a pattern of hard drives to the basket for the express purpose of pitching the ball back out to spot up three-point shooters.

In O'Brien's mind, though, the change would be a mistake. When O'Brien was an assistant to Rick Pitino in New York, the Knicks became the first team to launch more than 1,000 triples. O'Brien's Celtics teams, with Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce, featured the shot.

O'Brien has said repeatedly that the Sixers would make greater use of it, although they were less effective than their opponents in their preseason opener, a 114-107 victory over Washington Tuesday night in Durham, N.C. The Wizards knocked down 8 of 16 attempts, while the Sixers were only 4-for-15.

"If the three-point shot was out, I feel the game would be less exciting for the fans," O'Brien said. "Bodies in our league are bigger than they were prior to the three being put in. It would make for a rougher game, because there wouldn't be the spacing you would normally have."

O'Brien said, however, the absence of the three would not hurt the Sixers' defensive approach.

"The defense we teach has always been one of the top ones in the league in keeping the ball out of the paint," O'Brien said. "If there were not a three-point line, that wouldn't faze our defense. The way we play, the only way a team can burn you is from the three. If they didn't have that option, we'd be even tougher."

The Sixers were tough enough last night, climbing to 2-0 in the preseason, with another meeting scheduled with the Raptors tomorrow afternoon in London, Ontario. O'Brien's stat sheet showed that the Sixers challenged 53 percent of the Raptors' shots, including 14-for-21 in the fourth quarter.

"You always do well if you're doing that," he said.

The Raptors dropped in just one more triple than the Sixers (6-5), despite twice as many attempts.

"A lot of coaches play the percentages - take X amount of threes and X amount of twos, and if you're making the same number you're going to get more out of taking the threes," the Sixers' Aaron McKie said. "This is something I just wouldn't tamper with. If they feel there's room for improvement, I guess they want to look at it, but that's the exciting part, the challenge of being able to step back and shoot the three. That's something that gives some guys an opportunity to play."

Kyle Korver, the Sixers' best three-point shooter despite last night's 1-for-4 effort, was even more direct: "Why would anyone even practice shooting? What coach is going to say, 'Take a far two-pointer?' "

O'Brien simply said he would be "dead set" against such a change.

"The three has been a boost for the game, period," he said. "We've just gotten done with an Olympic year, when there has been talk about making the rules the same worldwide. International basketball, to a large extent, is built on the three, and now we're going to eliminate [or limit] it? That would take us further away from uniting the world.

"To me, the three, executed properly, is a thing of beauty. When you see it come via penetration, drawing the defense in, using post-up people as passer, that's actually very good basketball."

[wncsport.com]

I am going to go out on a limb and say I support this.

I've been arguing for three years that the NBDL be used to experiment with rule changes. Notice there's never been as much national publicity for the NBDL until now. Let's see if it works and see if this can work in the NBA in the proposed form, or some modified form.

The only thing I would do different is make the 3 point legal in the 4th quarter and overtime, not just last 5 minutes and overtime.

But this will surely gets talks going on how to improve the game to make it more exciting to fans. I can surely think of a few ideas myself.

I smell another column of mine coming on...

[lightning fan]

Mr O'Brien should be in favor of the change in 3 point shooting scores.

Anything to discourage Allen Iverson's shooting of 3's would be a good thing considering he shot 28 percent form beyond the 3 line last year. 31 percent for his career.

Then Allen could concentrate on improving his field goal percentage of 38 percent last year and 41 percent for his career.

I know, I know, Allen is a great player, he can do alot, get open and score off good defenders, score buckets of points, be a leader, run the break, amazing speed etc etc.....but one thing he can not do is "SHOOT".

I love to watch him play, but, his poor shooting is painfull at times.

For the record, I do not like the rule change, now if they want to back up the 3 line a few feet, that I would be in favor of. Too many fringe outside shooters take the shoot preventing the good 3 point shooters from getting the chance to score it.