July 18, 201412 yr ...Let's eliminate free throws from basketball. OK, hear me out. Got to talking about this last night with a friend of mine and we ended up talking on it for over an hour. I think I've figured out how to maximize the excitement of the NBA (and basketball as a whole) while not fundamentally altering it. What's the most boring part of a basketball game? You got it: free throws. They stop the actual action that makes basketball great. They're not a real in-game skill but a separate skill (as evidenced by the fact that so many people are good at them that are terrible at everything else). They're a construct within the game that's not fundamental to the game at all and alters the pace. So let's get rid of 'em. So instead of a team taking free throws, anytime you foul a guy, the offended team gets an automatic one point and fouls are still tracked with six (again in the NBA) leading to a disqualification. The flow of the game continues with fewer stops and the action is relentless. We already take too many TV timeouts now so let's eliminate more pointless game stoppages.
July 18, 201412 yr If a foul is automatically a point, the integrity of the game and more importantly the officials will ALWAYS be in question.
July 18, 201412 yr I didn't know FTs were a problem for the game. It also removes the strategy of fouling to get a chance to get back in the game. A team would not have a chance once they were behind by X number of points with only a few minutes left. Put me down for keeping it as it is.
July 18, 201412 yr One of the old timers might need to clarify for me, but I feel like my dad has talked to me about how in basketball you used to have the option to shoot free throws. If you preferred on a foul, you could take the ball out of bounds instead, or something like that.
July 18, 201412 yr As I began to read the first post I was expecting the fouling team to have to play a "Man Down" as your suggestion.
July 18, 201412 yr Author Shaq's scoring average per game just went up considerably. I thought about that too at first, but with fewer stoppages in play, I feel like a guy like Shaq has to take a seat much more often.
July 18, 201412 yr Author Sorry Getslow, but this is a terrible idea. Who said Free Throws are boring? I did. Anytime play stops, it's boring. Worst thing about the NBA is when they get whistle happy and we start watching a free throw contest. Far and away the most annoying thing about watching the Heat play the past few years.
July 18, 201412 yr Author As I began to read the first post I was expecting the fouling team to have to play a "Man Down" as your suggestion. Ice hockey-style penalty box. * That one's not serious... and for the record, neither is the initial premise. Just a thought we were kicking around when talking about how boring free throws can be sometimes when they become too much a part of a game.
July 18, 201412 yr Author But are you are a fan of penalty kicks in soccer? Bad idea. Absolutely not. Nothing worse than a penalty deciding a game. And don't get me started on the awfulness of shootouts.
July 18, 201412 yr I'll go in the opposite direction. Make a 2pt and a 3pt FT line. To get 3 points, you would have to make it from half court.
July 18, 201412 yr Absolutely not. Nothing worse than a penalty deciding a game. And don't get me started on the awfulness of shootouts. Whew! I thought you were one of those people. LOL
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