NBA defensive changes through the years

            The NBA was established in 1949 after the ABA and NBL agree to join forces. Since that day the league has been through some changes. Some of the changes has affected the game and the players. With this change of rules, the players have been obligated to change the way they play the game.

            One of the changes is the rule of how to defend the other player, called “hand-checking”. According to the NBA the rule consists on: “keep your hand out of the other player, while defending him, you can’t touch him or grab him”, something that was legal before. The season after the rule was added, the league records its worst defensive season of the new era. Based on statistics this rule makes the game easier, especially for the players that plays a lot of time with the ball on his hands.

            Another rule that has affect the game greatly is the “three second” rule. As stipulated by the NBA this rule prohibits any player to stay more than three second in the area called “the paint” which is under the rim, or they will lose the position of the ball. Like the other rule, this one makes the game easier for the guys who plays a lot with the ball, that’s because the taller players can’t be near the rim defending for long time, making easier to score near the rim. Some teams now think that the center position, the biggest player on the court, is unusual. For some team the centers were in charge of protect the paint, but with all these regulations some players cannot adapt their games to the new era.

            SwichNBA agree that 30 years ago the centers were one of the most important players on the team, and every team wanted the best center available on their team, especially if the player was a good defender. Now the role of the centers is different, a lot of teams rather plays with small players than with centers. If a tall player wants to be one of the best in this new era they need to be good in both sides, offensively and defensively, and the league does not have a lot of players like that, making the league lack of good centers. The All Stars game, were the best player in the league play with each other once a year, used to have a spot only for the center position, but not anymore.

            Adding all of this new rules, the league seems to be less physical than 30 years ago. This less physicals game has avoided fights that were common in the now old era. That’s why everybody and player has different opinion, some players agree that the rules are good, other think that this new rules make the league “soft”.

Before hand checking rule
 
Three second area

“The progression of the NBA over the last 30 years”. SwitchNBA, 

           https://swishnba.com/2013/03/28/the-progression-of-the-nba-over-the-last-30-years/ Accessed            13 Oct. 2016

“NBA rules history”. NBA, http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_history.html / Accessed 20 Oct.                     2016