With the NBA playoffs coming soon, fans can be sure of a few things: there will be illegal defenses called, ticky tack fouls will determine the outcome of games, and shot blockers like Dikembe Mutumbo and Alonzo Mourning will be lurking in the paint, ready to scare away opposing players. But on April 12, several rule changes were approved that would eliminate these staples of today's league.
The rule changes, as approved by the board of governors, are: Illegal defenses will no longer be called, a defensive three second violation will be enacted, teams will have eight instead of ten seconds to get the ball up to the half-court line, and incidental or touch fouls will not be called unless they impede the progress of the offensive players.
The changes were designed chiefly to quicken the game's pace and to increase overall offensive production. Illegal defense - intended to prohibit zone defenses - is called when a player or players are not guarding a single man and are instead camping out somewhere on defense. With the removal of the rule, teams will now be able to play off the man and stop prolific scorers like Allen Iverson or Shaquille O'Neal from taking their men one on one. It is a change that should favor more balanced scoring attacks like those of the New York Knicks, Portland Trailblazers, and Charlotte Hornets.
Allowing zone defense will increase passing and create a more team-oriented, five-player attack than the constant one-on-one action that - in the views of the NBA board of governors - has resulted in stagnant offenses. But teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers may struggle in this new system, because they can no longer simply dish the ball to Iverson and hope for him to break down inferior opponents. The new rule may also hurt teams with dominant big men, like the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers, by hampering their ability to dump the ball down to the likes of David Robinson or O'Neal in the hopes they will dunk the ball over smaller defenders. Still, the prevailing wisdom from NBA coaches, owners, and players is that the better teams will still play man-to-man most of the time.
An interesting addition to the NBA rulebook next year is the new limit on defending in the paint - starting next season, a defender cannot remain in the paint for more than three seconds without closely guarding an opponent. The rule will mainly affect shot-blockers like Mutumbo and Mourning. Mutumbo may not be pointing that finger at his opponents too much if he continues to stay camped in the paint.
The three-second rule also makes it less likely that teams will utilize the zone very often. A normal zone defense would consist of a 3-2 or 2-3 formation - in either setup, there would be at least two players near the paint area guarding the inside. With the three-second rule, these defenders will have to play their zone primarily outside the paint. Again, the best teams will still rely on man-to-man defense.
The other two changes more directly encourage a faster-paced and higher-scoring style of play. First, officials will be encouraged to swallow the whistle on touch fouls next year. One can't help but remember then-Knick Hubert Davis's missed jump-shot against the Chicago Bulls in the 1994 conference semifinals. If not for a touch foul called on Scottie Pippen, the Bulls would have won a pivotal Game Five, turning the series in their favor. Next season, in order to increase the speed and, more importantly, the fan interest in the game, officials will be encouraged to not call similar fouls.
The final rule change implemented for the 2001-2002 season cuts from ten to eight seconds the time a team has to get the ball across the half-court line on offense. The rule may create a few interesting changes. For one, it will likely increase pressing and trapping on defense. With a decrease in time allotted to get the ball past the half-court line, teams on defense will likely apply increased pressure on opponents. In turn, this may result in an increase in turnovers.
The bottom-line, however, is that the rule changes likely will not lead to dramatic increases in scoring or decreases in shot-blocking. Good teams with good coaches will, in due time, adjust to the rules. Zone will be used, but only sparingly. It remains to be seen whether these changes will help to achieve the hoped-for results of increased scoring, a faster pace, and, most importantly, greater fan support.
