The NBA’s Competition Committee is mulling some possible rule modifications for the 2021/22 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who tweets the coach’s challenge is one rule that could be tweaked. The committee is considering giving teams an extra challenge or timeout if the first challenge is successful, Charania explains.
Sources tell Charania that the Competition Committee is also evaluating rules related to “unnatural shooting motions in connection with perimeter jump-shots and on-ball screens, and the principle of verticality.” Presumably, any changes to those rules would limit offensive players’ ability to draw fouls by jumping into defenders.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Having been traded by Philadelphia and waived by New York last month, veteran center Vincent Poirier is a free agent, and a report from Chema De Lucas (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando) suggests Real Madrid could be the frontrunner to sign the big man for the 2021/22 season. In 32 NBA games for the Sixers and Celtics, Poirier has career averages of 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest.
- The NBA buyout market has been a hot topic of discussion after the Nets were able to add seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and six-time All-Star Blake Griffin for virtually nothing. NBC Sports’ Dan Feldman proposes an idea to fix the loose buyout market, suggesting a blind-bid process that also involves the player. Under Feldman’s plan, the player would go to the highest bidder, but if the player himself places the highest “bid,” he’d give up that amount of money on his buyout and become a free agent.
- After leaving CSKA Moscow in Russia, veteran guard Mike James is returning to the U.S. in the hopes of receiving an NBA opportunity, his agency BDA Sports International confirmed (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando). James played 36 NBA games in 2017/18, averaging 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for Phoenix and New Orleans.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
“unnatural shoot motions in connection with perimeter jump-shots and on-ball screens, and the principle of verticality.”
They’ll call it the Trae Young rule. He and some other guards have made a mockery of the shooting foul concept.
Trae will start shooting free throws with the unnatural motion and claim it is as normal.
I know you were meaning Steph Curry, just got muddled with the keyboard… Sounds ’bout right the Steph Curry rule!!!
Not the James I was expecting to read about.
LeBron James won’t be in the spotlight for much longer. He has missed a significant number of games due to injury in two of the last three seasons and will turn 37 by the end of the year. He has two seasons left on his contract so it will be interesting to see if the decides to keep playing in 2023 at age 38, assuming all the injuries haven’t gotten too bad by then.
Hater robopost
That’s a crazy buy-out system. Basically, no team would be able to bid beyond its cap or exceptions. For example, the Knicks had the most available under the cap at $15M+. If any one of the players didn’t want to go to the Knicks, he would’ve had to bid $16M on himself and cut it from his buyout. Is the buy-out figure based on the amount remaining on the contract after the current point in the season? Blake Griffin had another season remaining, so he definitely would’ve had enough remaining to outbid the Knicks, but LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond were both in their final years, I believe. If you figure they were paid for half the season, they wouldn’t have had enough to outbid the Knicks. I’m figuring TPE’s wouldn’t apply otherwise the Celtics would’ve had the advantage.
I can’t believe anyone still talking about the buyout. Next!
That scenario would probably never happen. Playoff contenders rarely have that much cap space. The Knicks would also have to want to sign them. I find it hard to believe anyone would turn down 15 million for 20+ games. Just sign for a bet min deal next season to title chase
They should get rid of challenges not be adding more…wtf
If you give coaches an extra at least eliminate ref replay review.
There should be a max of 1 buyout per team. I hate the nets
I think referees unconsciously sympathize with the offense, which is who (and what) they are watching… the ball.
Bobby Knight used to holler at refs for whether they were looking in the right direction. Most coaches just want all the calls to go their way.
It’s nice when a committee looks into verticality, and shows some respect for it, but the dog & pony judges will do what they do and fall into shortcuts. Even the new pretty ones that DwightH flirts with.