The NBA's apparent sagging ratings have led to increased criticism this season for the number of 3-pointers taken by both teams and players. Many feel that the increase in threes has made the game harder to watch.
While the NBA's ratings are down, that probably has little to do with the amount of 3-pointers being taken. Instead, the league has focused more on streaming, giving millions of fans more access to games than they otherwise would have with the increase in cord cutting. Nevertheless, Commissioner Adam Silver has vowed to fix the 3-point problem.
“We’re on it… As stewards of the game, we’ll tweak it. We will correct those issues,” Silver said.
The NBA can limit the number of 3-pointers taken in several ways. Among the more creative ones is to eliminate corner threes, preventing mediocre shooters from being able to hide there and shoot high-percentage, wide-open threes. They could also pull the 3-point line back 2 ft and have the line taper off 4 ft from the baseline on each side.
That would make it easier for defenses to guard the 3-point line with all threes coming from near the top of the key. It would also increase the number of mid-range jumpers, with players who aren't nearly as good at shooting from outside being forced to take a couple of dribbles inside for a higher percentage shot.
That in-between game is missing from the current NBA. So is the number of shots at the rim, with players such as Anthony Edwards settling for more threes rather than putting pressure on defenses by attacking the paint. That could soon change, however.
The NBA altering the three-point line would have a dramatic effect on the game.
Players such as Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry would become even more difficult to guard with him still being able to effectively bomb away from outside. Even if the league was to push back the 3-point line from nearly 25 feet to 27 feet. On the other hand, more mediocre shooters would be forced to find other ways to score or risk being replaced by better shooters.
Then there are players who already have skill scoring inside the arc, with stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic becoming all the more valuable with their efficiency. The NBA attempting to solve this problem now rather than later shows that they are responsive to criticism rather than being defensive.
There are other potential rule changes that the league should also look to make, specifically changing the playoff format from the top eight teams in each conference to the 16 best teams in the league.
Overall, Silver's comments seem to imply the league will make changes to the 3-point line after listening to criticism. That could ultimately be a great thing, helping make the NBA more entertaining to watch and ensuring that the game continues to grow.