NBA will thrive under new rules

Last Thursday, the team owners in the National Basketball Association approved a package of rule changes that would, among other things, eliminate the long-standing ban on zone defense. The changes also reduce the amount of time a team will have to advance the ball past midcourt from 10 seconds to eight seconds. \nThe rule changes, which take effect next season, will give professional basketball the boost it needs to make the game more exciting and boost attendance records. \nThe NBA made the changes after lower scores, flat attendance figures and declining television ratings have made the organization less lucrative than in the past. \nBy imposing new guidelines that, for example, establish a defensive three-second rule that will limit the amount of time a defensive player may stand in the lane when he is not guarding someone, the game will go at a much faster pace, with players eager to score and get out of the lane. This will make the games more fun to watch, as viewers will have to follow the games more closely to catch all of the action. \nWith the addition of zone defense, teams will be allowed to use whatever system of defense they want, eliminating dependence on isolation plays. This will improve the flow and pace of the game. \nNot all of the teams and players agree that the rule changes are for the better. But if the NBA does not step up its efforts to attract crowds and television audiences, players will not receive the salaries they want. The NBA is a business, after all. \n"This is a bold move on the part of the NBA to change the rules and allow something that we've spent many years hiding from -- zone defenses," Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo told CNN/SI. "This may be one of the most significant changes since the imposition of the 24-second shot clock." \nBy recognizing the problems with the game and trying to fix them, the team owners will make the game more fun for the audiences and, hopefully, more fun for the players.