The 3 Point line was invented in 1961 by the Harlem Globetrotters founder who wanted a way for shorter players to be valuable. It made its way to the NBA 18 years later, after the classic hazing of a novel idea: ignored, mocked, called impossible, then treated like a silly idea, then experimented with … all the way to one day being painted on an NBA court.

3 point shots were only 2% of all shots in the first year, 1979. 45 years later, they're over 1/3 of all shots. There's a talent pool of well-trained deep shooters. There are dozens of NBA, WNBA and International players with a range far deeper than the 3 point line. Change is afoot in the game of basketball.

The Philippines basketball federation just added a 4 point line this year, it is the 3rd anniversary of the 5 Point Line launch, and Luka Doncic did a promotional ad with a 6-point line concept.

Already some NBA players are talking about the 4 point line, Kyle Kuzma said Sept 8th it will make the game "more dramatic."

I think the 5 point line is a better place to start as a framework, so we can think of where to space the 4, and whether there should be a 6.

5 comments

  1. I think there’s basically 0 chance it gets added to the NBA. It has some fun novelty value which is why it gets picked up by other leagues, so maybe it could feature in an all star game one day, but it will never be part of the actual rule set.

    The reason is simple: it wouldn’t be fun to watch. For a 4pt shot to be “worth it” to take, shooters only need to make it 27% of the time to match league average offenses, and its logical to assume players will take more and more shots from that range until they are shooting at that rate.

    It just wouldn’t be fun watching people miss nearly 3/4 of the shots they take, and I can’t see how the NBA could make an entertaining product out of it. People want to see players MAKE long bombs, it’s daring and exciting. People don’t want to see role players shooting 20% from “4”

  2. Fuck no. The game is good how it is atm I don’t want to watch people chucking full court shots all game.

  3. But it would only be at Caitlin Clark’s average distance, so it’s not like players aren’t shooting from there. I think it needs to happen. Caitlin is telling us it needs to happen. And she’s shooting deeper than anyone in the game.

  4. Time to reverse it. Make it 3 points for any successful basket inside the paint. Force teams to execute plays and passes that create baskets in close. Get rid of the 3 second rule and have it that players in the paint have to be in motion at all times.

  5. If they plan to do it, they better do it while guys like Steph and Dame are still playing and can make them at a respectable %. Otherwise we will see less superior shooters jacking these shots up.

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