Will more paint on the floor lead to more points on the board?
Ask Sherwin-Williams. Better yet, find a long-range bomber like Freeman Williams.In an effort to increase spacing on the floor and boost offensive output, the National Basketball Association has adopted four rule changes for the 1997-98 season. A fifth alteration, involving illegal defense, could be implemented as well.
The approved changes:
- The three-point line, currently 22 feet from the basket, will be lengthened to its original distance of 23 feet, nine inches, except in the corner, where the distance will remain 22 feet.
- A defender will not be permitted to use his forearm to impede the progress of an offensive player who is facing the basket in the frontcourt.
- A player may not call timeout if both of his feet are in the air and any part of his body has broken the vertical plane of the sideline or baseline.
- The "no-charge area" near the basket will be expanded. The "no-charge area," where an offensive foul is not called if contact is made with a secondary defensive player who has established a defensive position, will be the area consisting of a half circle with a four-foot radius (to be represented by five painted hash marks in the key) measured from the middle of the goal.
The proposed illegal-defense change (subject to approval by the league's Board of Governors):
- Teams will no longer have to place weak-side defenders above the foul line when an offensive team sends two players out beyond the 3-point line.
"In time, these rule changes will have more effect on the game," said Jazz director of basketball operations Scott Layden. "It is going to open up the spacing."
Scoring, which has dropped significantly in recent years, continued to drop when the NBA opted to move the 3-point line closer three years ago. Point production had dropped to 101.5 points per team, its lowest average since 1956-57.
The plan backfired. Scoring continued to decline - reaching an average of 96.9 last season.
"All along I've been a proponent for moving the line back. I think the thought process is that it would open up the game," said Utah guard Jeff Hornacek. "But once you saw what happened, and as a player you saw it immediately, that close line brought everyone closer to the basket. You didn't have to go as far to help out on a big guy as you did before."
Though the arc will move back just 21 inches, Hornacek, who prefers the longer shot, said the difference will be felt.
"It's a pretty good distance," he said.
NBA players attempted 39,934 3-pointers last season, and league officials expect a drop of around9 percent with the change.
At the recent NBA meetings in Orlando, league operations vice president Rod Thorn said the line was moved because the competition committee felt "the shorter 3-point line was causing a game that was not fluid."
Aside from earthbound timeouts, the other rule changes are designed to open up additional avenues closer to the basket.
"We feel it will encourage more perimeter players to drive to the basket," Thorn told reporters, speaking of the new defensive restrictions. "Hopefully this will create more driving to the basket because you've got a better chance to get there now."
No longer can defenders use their forearms to guard an offensive player facing the basket in the frontcourt; and players who drive past defenders are no longer subject to a charging call should a secondary defender be in the arc.
Two exceptions: When an offensive player gets the ball in the low post and on fast breaks when a defender sets himself in position to draw a charge.
"The rules will hopefully aid scoring and prevent injuries," said Houston Rockets executive Carroll Dawson. "These rules help clarify situations for the athletes and officials."
Aside from the 3-point line moving, however, Hornacek doesn't see a lot of impact to the game.
"The other rule changes, like when they're going to call a charge or not," he said. ". . . you never knew when they'd call them anyway."