by Mike Miller

Created on: January 27, 2009

Not only is the Slam-Dunk contest not as exciting as it used to be, the whole game of Basketball is not as exciting as it used to be!

The two problems are related - and here is the solution....

Today, basketball is suffering from a lack of teamwork. It is supposed to be a five man game, but now, it is down to two: the ballhandler and the shooter. Often the shot is a stuff. For teams that don't have centers or forwards that can stuff the ball on every play, the three-point shot becomes a last refuge. Wait. Hold it right there! They may have something. Basketball just might be on the verge of a major breakthrough....

THE FOUR POINT SHOT.

When Pistol Pete Maravich scored 68 points against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden (before fouling out on some lousy calls) almost half of his baskets were from three-point land. But there was NO three point shot back then! Fortunately, the ABA adopted the three-point shot, and when it merged with the NBA, the three-point shot was here to stay.

It's logical. A basket from further out should be worth more.

Enter the Four-Point Shot.... The mid-court line is the perfect place to mark the beginning of 4 point land. The major problem with the four point shot is that mid-court is beyond the range of a player's ability to SHOOT the ball. But it is not beyond the ability of a player to THROW the ball. How many times have you seen on the news video clips of the final seconds counting down and a player THROWS the ball from beyond half court and IT GOES IN !

Throwing the basketball has not been explored sufficiently. Remember the days when Bob Cousey used to shoot the SET SHOT? Well, the set shot quickly went by the boards (no pun intended). But now it's time to move beyond the jumpshot, AND the stuff.

Throwing the basketball increases not only the range of a shot, but also the accuracy of long shots. Jump shooters shoot with their wrists, while in the air. Throwing a basketball involves the whole arm, usually with the feet on the floor, and can be done accurately at far greater distances than the jumpshot.

Think about it: baseball pitchers throw a ball 60 feet at tiny targets not more than two inches wide on the inside and outside of home plate. The mid-court stripe is just 45 feet away! The target is the box on the backboard. Hit the box and the shot automatically banks in. (How sadly the bank shot has disappeared from the days of Hall of Famer Sam Jones!)

With a little practice a basketball can be thrown with a high degree of accuracy from mid court. With a LOT of practice it can revolutionize the game. How many players practice throwing the ball from mid-court? Try it - you'll like it !

THE REVOLUTION

First of all, the game gets played on the whole court. Rebounds from missed throws bounce out farther, and cannot be grabbed by giants lumbering under the boards. This is the logical extension of what the NBA did when Wilt The Stilt entered the league - it widened the "paint" so he couldn't get all the rebounds.

Second, the stuff shot should, by logical extension, be de-VALUED to one point.

Third, the Slam-Dunk contest can then be integrated into a contest that also features the 4-point shot contest.

Fourth, the result will be to make basketball a more dynamic game that features more demanding defences, and more complicated offences. Coaching will vary markedly, with different styles showing the way toward new winning strategies.

Fifth, the pool from which players reach the NBA will become greater, with greater emphasis on overall agility. Size will get de-emphasized somewhat.

Sixth, thw whole look and feel of the game will change from the boring configuration that it is now in. I am sure the fans will absolutely go nuts over the FOUR POINT SHOT.

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