Today, the NBA Development League announced two rule changes for the upcoming 2010-2011 NBDL season. The rule changes being made involved the leagues goaltending rule, as well as the length of overtime periods in the league.
During previous season's, the NBDL used a goaltending rule similar to that of the NBA's. If the ball was on the rim and a defensive player knocked the ball off or affected the path of the ball in any way, the offensive team would be awarded the number of points (two or three) the field goal attempt was worth.
That rule no longer remains.
The NBA Development League will now look towards the rules of international basketball for their new goaltending rule. Unlike in the NBA, players playing internationally can touch the ball when it is on the rim. The NBDL will adapt that concept and now allow players in the league to knock the ball of the rim.
"There are myriad benefits to having the NBA D-League serve as the NBA's farm system", said NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations, Stu Jackson. "One of those advantages is that it allows us to look at the rules of play and expirement with ways we can make the game more competitive".
Unless the NBA plans on adapting this same rule in the future, this type of rule change is questionable on many aspects. First off, one of the goals of the D-League is to get players ready for the NBA. Adapting a completely diffrent goaltending rule in the league's "farm system" isn't exactly the way to prepare players for the most dominant professional basketball in the league in the world.
For example, let's look at Celtics rookie Semih Erden. More than likely, Semih is going to see time with the Maine Red Claws, D-League affiliates of the Boston Celtics, this offseason. Let's say he goes to Maine and gets in the habit of swatting balls off the rim to help his team win. Who's to say when he comes back to Boston he's not going to do the same thing and give points to the opposition?
Yes, it's good to have a farm system like the D-League to expirement with, but is it worth stunting player's development just to "expirement" with a rule that isn't adopted in the big brother league (NBA)?
The second rule change to the NBDL is the reduction of overtime periods from five to three minutes. Not as big of a change, but it should help provide more overtime excitement for the fans that follow the league.
What do you think about the new D-League rules? Let us know in the comments section below, or on Twitter at @GinosJungle.
All info via Maine Red Claws press release.
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