# Is basketball turning into Calvinball?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-basketball-turning-into-calvinball/269314>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 15, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-basketball-turning-into-calvinball/269314 "2004-10-15T03:35:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-basketball-turning-into-calvinball/269314/21 "2004-10-16T02:27:13Z")

</div>

Miss a shot? That’s a paddlin’.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-basketball-turning-into-calvinball/269314/22 "2004-10-16T10:53:50Z")

</div>

> [@Exgineer](#):
>
> Actually, they’re trying to force them to shoot. The problem with way things currently are is that every shot seems to be either a 3-pointer or a dunk. The rule change is supposed to encourage more 12 to 16 foot jumpers, but I’m not exactly sure how.

I think it’s likely you’re right, but I also agree that I don’t see this helping. If all the shots are worth the same, there’s no incentive to shoot from the perimeter; the smart move is to drive in and dunk if you can. I’ve seen many commentators and critics lament the death of the mid-range jumper and I suppose this might encourage that somewhat. But that won’t really make people learn how to shoot. Some players will shoot from further in. Our problem in the Olympics, at least, was that nobody could shoot from anyplace, mid-range or long range.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-basketball-turning-into-calvinball/269314/23 "2004-10-16T12:00:55Z")

</div>

Easy. Raise the hoop 4 feet, so the game isn’t overrun by circus freaks from The Former Soviet Union. Course, that’d mean that you wouldn’t get a point every 30 seconds, so people with short attention spans would probably lose interest fast. Oh, and abolish ad-breaks…I mean quarters.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-basketball-turning-into-calvinball/269314.md?page=1)