Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants to open up the floor and bring the midrange game back to the NBA by pushing the three point line further back.
On Friday, Cuban said that moving the three point line would be good for the game.
“It’s getting too close,” Cuban said, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Guys are shooting a foot behind it anyways. That’s something we should look at. It’s worth looking at.
“I don’t think the number of shots would decline, but I think it would reward skill and open up the court some more. So guys would still take [3-point] shots if it’s seven inches back or whatever, but at the same time, it opens up the court for more drives, more midrange game.”
NBA players are on pace to shatter the record for three pointers made, while the midrange game is something of a lost art. Cuban believes that a deeper three point line wouldn’t stop players from taking threes, but would encourage others to drive or focus on midrange jumpers.
“I think it’d open it up more so guys with different skill sets could play,” Cuban said. “It would open up play for more drives. Guys with midrange games would be rewarded and that would stay in the game. There would be more diversity of offensive action in the game.
“You’d see a little bit of decline in the 3. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that we shoot so many 3s, but it’s worth it in the D-League to see what happens [with a deeper 3-point line].”
This is actually an interesting and decent idea. While the NBA isn’t lacking in offense, shot variety isn’t exactly high. A deeper three point line would create a challenge for offenses and defenses alike. It’s not the first rule change Cuban has spoken about this season, although the NBA seems as though they’ll be ignoring his previous input.
