The modern basketball game has been an ever-evolving sport, which has very marked changes in comparison to the way it was played by previous generations. Many believe it has do with the NBA’s changes to the rulebook, others are convinced it has more to do with the increase in three-point shooting.
The truth is, the league’s popularity has been falling in the ratings, and the NBA must face the challenge of transforming the game without losing its’ essence, but give the sport an edge that will be exciting for fans. In a recent interview with Miami‘s Duncan Robinson, he claimed that the focus on statistics has made players too cautious.
“I think that last-second shots at the end of quarters should fall into a different field goal percentage category, statistical category,” the Heat star explained on a recent episode of the The Young Man and the Three podcast.
He’s convinced that players are reluctant to take low-percentage shots, and a common example is players dribbling out the final second of a quarter or game. “There’s nothing I hate more than when guys will dribble out the quarter and launch a three-quarter shot knowing it doesn’t count, but they just shoot it,” he said.
Duncan then added: “We need to be encouraging guys launching those shots. They should not count towards your 3-point percentage, they should just be an entirely different category.”
According to the 33-year-old, for some players missing those shots can have real consequences for their careers. Not only are financial bonuses involved in their contract deals that have to do with shooting efficiency, but also selections for All-Star Games are usually used on these kinds of metrics.
Robinson attended the podcast episode alongside Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson, who seemed to agree with the small forward. The Nets star also wishes to see more of these long-distance attempts, which is an idea that could help bring more excitement to the NBA game.
