According to Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander, the NBA has a problem: It’s becoming too much like the NFL. Telander came to this conclusion while watching guards like Jason Terry and Derrick Rose get clobbered trying to take the ball to the rack.
In a recent article, Telander offers a solution to the increasingly physical nature of the NBA – raise the rim six inches.
Before jumping down Telander’s throat, let’s take a second to hear him out. Raising the rim would make it harder for bigs to block shots, allow guards to score more effectively in the paint and result in a greater emphasis on “skilled shooting.” This would lead to fewer collisions like the one we saw in Game 1 when The Jet crash-landed attempting to dunk over LeBron.
Besides the obvious logistical issue of eventually resizing all the hoops across the globe, there are a number of problems with Telander’s suggestion. For one, it would force players to recreate their jumpers. Rajon Rondo struggles shooting enough as is. Can you imagine suddenly trying to teach him how to shoot at a different rim?
Second, higher rims equals fewer dunks. Telander claims that it would make dunks more “special.” I don’t buy it. Anyone who wants fewer dunks – even if they are more special – isn’t American. End of story.
Finally an additional six inches would crush the already slim hopes held by millions of Average Joes of one day getting enough air to throw one down. Eastbay would go out of business, as sales for The Strength Training Shoe would plummet.
If Telander’s problem is that the NBA is getting too physical, there are solutions that wouldn’t require completely altering the nature of the sport. The NBA could go the FIBA rout and introduce a trapezoidal key, widening the paint so that bigs can’t lurk under the basket.
Or, guards could just do what they’ve been doing all season: man up and take it to the rim. The 10-foot hoop hasn’t stopped guys like Rose, Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook from slashing to the basket, so why mess with a good thing?
What do you think? Should the NBA raise its rims?
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