If we want the NBA>NFL, should the league get rid of defensive 3 seconds?

[Dr.J4ever]

The NBA will be a more popular league if we get rid of defensive 3 seconds, and let any team play all-out Fiba style zones. Let's count the reasons why:

1. PROMOTING TEAM PLAY-- Getting rid of defensive 3 seconds will encourage more team basketball. NBA defenses will be allowed to play any type of zone scheme. By doing this, defenses will be more capable of neutralizing a top offensive player on another team, and thus creating more parity.

When offenses realize that no single player can tip the scales, more teams will need to rely on chemistry and fusion to create great teams. More SA Spurs type teams will necessarily emerge. Fans will ultimately root more for their teams, not just for players, and maybe we start eliminating the "stans".

Our basketball culture will change, even a sea change, perhaps. Oh, there will still be great players who can lead teams, but teams with lesser talent, but with great schemes on offense or defense will have a chance to counteract a superstar player on the opposing team. Just like in the NFL, where good teams with lesser talent often defeat far more talented teams. Once the ordinary fan sees this, the NBA stan culture will change.

2. UNPREDICTABILITY--The secret to the NFL's success is not just parity, but the legitimate hope that almost any team can emerge to become a good team in any given season. Two years ago, my Eagles finished with a 4-12 season and in last place in the NFC East. The coach was fired, and hotshot college coach Chip Kelly took over with his offensive genius reputation. The Eagles finished 2nd in total offense and among the top scorers in the NFL. Philly finished at 10-6 and in 1st place in the NFC East last season with basically the same personnel.

3. SUPERSTAR AND HIGH FREE AGENT SALARIES --The Eagles didn't need a superstar free agent, just new leadership with a new scheme. This would be impossible in the NBA. We all know every year there are only 3-4 teams capable of winning the title. Every other team is competing for I don't what. This is why if you're not, and can't be a title contender in the NBA, you really should be rebuilding and doing what the 76ers are doing in some form. Not many teams have the guts and discipline to do this, but this is the NBA reality.

I believe in an NBA with no defensive 3 seconds, superstars will be less dominant. They will still be the best players on their teams, but because they won't always have the ability to "will" their teams to a series win, the economics of the matter will naturally reduce salary demands to more reasonable levels.

Other owners will opt to go with less talented players with lower salaries in smaller markets content with the reasonable expectation that a good coach might be able to offset some of the top tier teams with their "big 3s" and such.

Fans have never identified with those huge salaries, but merely accept these as a necessary part of doing business in sports. An NBA that places more importance to team- first basketball will appeal to a more broad swath of fans that are currently not NBA fans.

The current NBA fan will still be NBA fans, because there is no other league in the world quite like the NBA, but we will draw more fans in the US who are turned off by the NBA for many of the usual reasons I mention above. There are many fans you meet everyday who are "college basketball only fans" to borrow a term from a "famous" poster here in ISH, and by changing changing some of the NBA rules, the NBA will have a chance of increasing it's market share.

4. QUALITY OF THE GAME-- I propose to keep the no hand checking rule so as to further encourage teams to find perimeter quickness for guards and forwards. This has proven to make the NBA's style of play far more fluid and exciting than the 1990s when physical defenses led by the Knicks slowed down the NBA.

The abolition of the defensive 3 seconds will probably spark fears that athletic plays will suddenly be reduced.That forays into the paint that we have grown accustomed to over the years will suddenly disappear as the Biyombo's of the world dominate the paint.

I disagree. I believe it will be lessened, but when it happens, it will be more exciting. Besides, this will push many teams to accelerate the fast break attack to prevent defenses from setting up.

This is for sure a radical idea, and most here will oppose this. But if we want the NBA to surpass the NFL in popularity, the NBA will need to find ways to make it more unpredictable, and a way to give more teams a real chance to win.

More team loyalty for fans, and less on individual players.

[SouBeachTalents]

Lol, the NBA is NEVER going to surpass the NFL in popularity, and this idea probably wouldn't change much about that

[Clyde]

Lol, the NBA is NEVER going to surpass the NFL in popularity, and this idea probably wouldn't change much about that

winner

shut this thread down

[tomtucker]

get rid of half of the timeouts

[rlsmooth775]

Lol, the NBA is NEVER going to surpass the NFL in popularity, and this idea probably wouldn't change much about that

It will if the new generation likes bball more than football

[SouBeachTalents]

It will if the new generation likes bball more than football

You can say that about baseball, hockey, soccer, literally any sport, doesn't mean it's going to happen

[StephHamann]

2. UNPREDICTABILITY

The NFL is more unpredictable because there is only 1 game. A 7 game series and for example Brady would not lose against the Giants.

[riseagainst]

2. UNPREDICTABILITY

The NFL is more unpredictable because there is only 1 game. A 7 game series and for example Brady would not lose against the Giants.

this. Would make choking look that much more entertaining.

[fpliii]

The NBA will never be more popular than the NFL here in the USA, though it might be worldwide.

A few factors that will be difficult to overcome (among others):

1) Violence factor.
2) Fewer games with higher stakes.
3) Single elimination playoff games.

[christian1923]

If the nba had more white superstars it could rival the nfl.

Let's face it, older white people don't want to watch black tatted up hoopers dominate.

[SouBeachTalents]

If the nba had more white superstars it could rival the nfl.

Let's face it, older white people don't want to watch black tatted up hoopers dominate.

Considering the NFL is 2/3 black, and even the glamour position of QB is being taken over by the likes of Russell Wilson, RG3, Colin Kaepernick & Cam Newton, I'd say that theory is incorrect

[ralph_i_el]

If the nba had more white superstars it could rival the nfl.

Let's face it, older white people don't want to watch black tatted up hoopers dominate.

old white people are dying off fast. Catering to them isn't going to help one bit (see: Baseball)



I don't think removing the D-3seconds rule would actually do that much. Team are getting pretty good at "2.9"-ing where they make sure to be constantly stepping out of the paint. Once you establish that the refs start to ignore the 3 second rule altogether, from what I've seen,


What they need to do is move the 3 point line back and get rid of the 3 corner. Just have the arc intersect directly with the corner. # of corner 3's has probably the highest correlation with winning of any stat

[joeysms55]

Lol, the NBA is NEVER going to surpass the NFL in popularity, and this idea probably wouldn't change much about that

Maybe in North America but I can guarantee you that NBA is more popular globally than NFL

[JUDGE WITNESS]

thats not a bad idea. slow as fck centers would actually be more useful

[Sportal]

Basketball is definitely a lot more popular in countries like New Zealand, the UK and Australia. Also, probably most South American countries. Soccer/Football is king everywhere bar NZ, Aus, North America and middle-east.

It is extremely hard to see a full 7 games of a series in Oceania. I think I saw games 1, 4 and 6 of series' here in the 1st and 2nd round... Even WCF/ECF.

Do you guys see a lot of NFL Jerseys in the US? I'd be lucky to see one a year in NZ.