Throughout NBA history, truly great players have made their mark on the sport by altering some facet of the game forever. Darryl Dawkins and Shaquille O’Neal changed the way backboards and basket stanchions were designed. Lew Alcindor got dunking banned in college basketball. The list goes on. Today, we’re in the midst of a revolution in three-point shooting. Thanks to analytics, teams and players are chucking the long-ball at a breakneck clip.
Nobody is shooting more or from greater distances than Steph Curry, and his seemingly-unlimited range has sparked a lot of talk about either moving the three-point line further out or, as some have suggested, instituting a four-point line. But don’t count Warriors coach Steve Kerr among those clamoring for a rule change. Kerr himself was no stranger to long-range shooting during his playing days, but the novelty of the idea is just a little too much for him to swallow. Via Ben Golliver of SI.com:
“Please, no. A four-point line? No, I would not be a proponent of that,” Kerr said. “It sounds like a circus—you win a stuffed animal if you make a four-pointer. Let’s not put that in.”
Proponents like to remind us that there was a time not long ago when the three-point line was seen as equally-preposterous. Larry Bird, who might be the most forward-thinking of all the former players sounding off about the state of the league these days (he’s one of the few old-timers who actually thinks the NBA is better now than it ever has been) can definitely envision of a future that includes a four-point line.
But game-altering rule changes don’t come around very often, and all the chatter surrounding this topic suggests that it’s truly divisive. Still, the NBA with Adam Silver at the helm isn’t afraid of innovation, so anything is possible.
(SI.com)
