Mark Cuban has always been one to share his opinions, particularly on innovation.
With the increased focus on shooting three-pointers in the NBA, Cuban wants to bring the mid-range jumper back into the sport. His suggestion: move the three-point line further out.
“It’s getting too close,” the Dallas Mavericks owner said Friday night. Currently, the arc is 23 feet, 9 inches at the crest and 22 feet in the corners, where there is no room to move it back. “Guys are shooting a foot behind it anyways… That’s something we should look at. It’s worth looking at.”
According to ESPN Stats & Information, NBA teams are on pace to take 58,477 three-pointers this season. The single-season record for three-point attempts is 55,137.
Here’s Cuban:
“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.”
Cuban believes moving the arc back wouldn’t discourage three-point shooting, but would instead improve floor spacing.
“I think it’d open it up more so guys with different skill sets could play. 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].”
One thing Cuban is not a fan of is a four-point line 30 feet away from the basket.
“No, because then guys would really use it,” Cuban joked. He believes players in all levels of basketball have become too reliant on long-range shooting, possibly because they’re all watching Steph Curry light it up every night.
“Part of the consideration is not just how our game works, but how kids learn how to play,” Cuban said. “It’s turned into nobody has a midrange game coming out anymore. Unless you shoot a 3, you can’t shoot anymore pretty much.”
[ESPN]
