Even Adam Silver recognizes that it is time for change.
With fan frustration peaking and some insisting that the NBA has become “unwatchable,” the league’s commissioner teased a massive rule tweak on Tuesday.
“At times, we’ve moved the 3-point line,” Silver told reporters.
“Whether there’s some tweaks we should make, and my sense is I do think we should take seriously this notion of more diversity in offense.”
The NBA commissioner stressed that options are still being discussed and no move is imminent.
But with team after team shooting 3-pointer after 3-pointer, fans have become turned off by the lack of offensive sets and defensive intensity.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal joined the mounting chorus of criticism, with the four-time NBA champion and current Inside the NBA analyst saying that he had to turn off the TV because a game was so bad.
“I don’t know what the f*** we’re watching now,” O’Neal said on the Big Pod With Shaq.
“This s*** is f****** terrible.”
“It’s soft — and I’ve said this a million times — it’s soft because everybody is doing the same thing.”
“The same thing” is shooting 3 after 3.
Players have become so adept at hitting 3s that more than 50 NBA athletes are shooting at least 40 percent beyond the arc.
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The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics attempt more than 50 3s a game, and 56 percent of their shots are 3-pointers.
The Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors set an NBA record on Sunday by combining for 48 made 3-pointers.
But what should have been a story about Klay Thompson scoring 29 points, including seven made 3s, against his old team instead became a referendum on the declining state of pro basketball.
The Mavs and Warriors shot 95 total 3s during Dallas’ 143-133 victory.
That was half of the overall field goals (190) attempted during the game.
With interest in the NBA Cup already plummeting and viewership for the entire NBA down almost 50 percent since 2012, fans believe that the constant 3s have become a turn off.
Defense isn’t prioritized, while offensive sets routinely give way to 3 after 3 fired from long distance.
O’Neal referenced a recent Lakers game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite young star Victor Wembanyama playing, O’Neal quickly lost interest in the hardwood action.
“You had Austin Reaves on f****** Wembanyama,” O’Neal said.
“I turn the f****** off.
“How do you switch a 5 (foot) 11 guy on a 7-5? I’m like, ‘Come on, man.’ I turned the s*** off.”
Silver took a big-picture view and was adamant that the NBA is “in a great place.”
But the NBA commissioner echoed several of O’Neal main criticisms about a league that has become obsessed with shooting (and often missing) 3s.
“I watch as many games as all of you do,” Silver said. “To the extent that it’s not so much a 3-point issue, but that some of the audience, some of the offenses start to look sort of cookie cutter and teams are copying each other.
“I think that’s something we should pay attention to.”
Fans took O’Neal’s side in the rising 3-point debate.
“Shaq is spot on here,” one fan tweeted.
“Everybody is soft and everybody walking and it’s not getting called,” a second fan posted. “I get so aggravated watching it.”