ACTOR ONE 

How can we make basketball better for fans, players, coaches, and advertisers? 

ACTOR TWO 

There's one rule change that will fundamentally change the game. We start playing four-on-four full court instead of five on five full court. 

ACTOR ONE

Explain it simply. 

ACTOR TWO

This creates more space for the offense. Today's game has become too much about walking from three point line to three-point line and passing around the three-point line. We want basketball games that are non-stop running and the have the maximum number of all our favorite highlights per game. 

 ACTOR ONE 

How do we fix basketball using mathematics and analytics?

 

 ACTOR TWO We want to fundamentally change the style of basketball too fast break basketball. That style and expression of basketball has more highlights. It's running all the time. That's much more fun for players and fans. It produces more highlights for advertisers. ACTOR ONE Being a better more exciting game correct? 

ACTOR TWO 

Yes! Change the game to always be producing more highlights. I have a list of rules, and the goal of these rules is to make the two-point shot as valuable, or more valuable than the three-point shot. 

ACTOR ONE 

What is the simplest easiest way to explain this outside the box change of the game of basketball? 

ACTOR TWO 

The big picture is that we keep adjusting the rules to maximize the number of highlights per basketball game. The very first thing is to reduce the number of players to four-on-four full court. Even three-on-three full court two-on-two full court or one-on-one full court. 

ACTOR ONE 

Yes I can see what you mean now. One rule change, playing four-on-four full court, will make the court wide open again for basketball players. 

ACTOR TWO 

Yes it is a fundamental change in basketball. It changes the game, the offensive sets, the defensive sets, the recruitment of players, and the number of highlights. 

ACTOR ONE 

The fundamental mathematical principle is to make the two-point shot as valuable as the three-point shot. 

ACTOR TWO 

I don't think people understand this. What's the simplest way to explain it? ACTOR ONE Imagine there is a basketball game. The three-point shot is the dominant shot today because it is a more valuable shot. Watching the NCAA tournament, March madness, it's easier to see that the emphasis is on shooting and making the most three-point shots possible. 

ACTOR TWO 

Why is the three-point shot more valuable? ACTOR ONE Imagine this. Players today are making about 50% of the two-point shots, had about 40% of the three-point shots. 

ACTOR TWO 

Yes, exactly. Let's say there's a basketball game and team A shoots 100 2-point shots. Since they make 50% of them, they will score 100 points total. Mathematically, each shot is worth one point because they make 50% of each shot taken. 

ACTOR ONE 

Yes! And then team B shoots 100 three-point shots in the same game. They make 40% of them so they will score 120 points. Mathematically each shot is worth 1.2 points because they make 40% of their three-point shots. 

ACTOR TWO The overall concept is to make the two-point shot as valuable as the three-point shot.

ACTOR ONE 

And the first fundamental way to change the game is to create more space on the court so the 2-point shooters can do more fast break basketball. Players make nearly 100% of their dunks. So you want more dunks. You want more close to the basket bank shots and jump shots. 

ACTOR TWO 

That one rule, decreasing the number of players per team, will change the style of game from slow walking and spacing around the three-point line to non-stop fast break basketball. 

ACTOR ONE 

The overall concept is to keep playing with the rules until the two-point shot is just as valuable as the three-point shot, or slightly more valuable. 

ACTOR TWO 

The greatest highlight for me is a fast break with an alley-oop slam dunk. 

ACTOR ONE 

That's why those kind of games, that style of basketball, has had the trendy names like "Showtime" basketball and Phi Slama Jama (R). 

ACTOR TWO 

The overall concept is to keep changing the rules until the two-point shot and the three-point shot are equal in value again. Or, until the two-point shot is slightly more valuable. 

ACTOR ONE 

I predicted in 4-on-4 full court basketball players will start making 60% of their two-point shots. That means if a team takes 100 shots and makes 60% of them, they will score 120 points. Thus each basket will be worth 1.2 points, just like the three-point shot has become worth 1.2 shots. 

ACTOR TWO 

Yes those figures are approximately what I would expect and based upon what is happening today. 

ACTOR ONE 

In fact, at the end of this essay we're going to put all kinds of rules invented by the writer to change the game of basketball into a format and style that emphasizes maximizing basketball highlights for the fans and the players. It will also change recruitment of players. You will see that the player of the future should be a player that runs non-stop, that is the biggest, tallest, quickest, highest jumping athlete possible. 

ACTOR TWO 

In the sense that basketball is gladiators in a stadium, we will change the players back to being the most awesome style of players. 

ACTOR ONE 

The numbers of players per team alone fundamentally changes the game of basketball. All the other rule changes are like icing on the cake. 

ACTOR TWO What are some of the other rules? 

ACTOR ONE 

We should have the four-point shot, five-point shot, and the 6-point shot. 

ACTOR TWO 

What are the lines? 

ACTOR ONE 

Behind the half court line should be considered a four-point shot. Behind the top of the key at the other end of the court should be a five-point shot. And behind the free throw line at the other end of the court should be a six-point shot. That way you don't have to add a bunch of new lines to the basketball court. It's the simplest easiest way to make that rule change. 

ACTOR TWO 

Yes, and you would never be safe at the end of the game unless you had at least a 6-point lead. 

ACTOR ONE 

I'm going to go on and just make a list of rule changes that are possible for making the four-on-four full court game maximize the number of highlights. The overall ideas that you want non-stop running basketball. You want to maximize every kind of highlight that fans love, dunks, alley-oops, spectacular passes, and the three-point shot as well. You definitely want to keep the three-point shot.

ACTOR TWO

You could have a rule that every player must be able to dunk, and that every player must be able to shoot and make a certain percentage of three-point shots. 

ACTOR ONE

There could be a reality TV show about getting all this off the ground, or a scripted TV where actors play people who come up with these ideas and get something going.

RULE CHANGE LIST: 

Here’s a list of changes, but just one rule change, reducing the number of players from 5 per team, that is from 5-on-5, to 4-on-4 full court, 3-on-3 full court, 2-on-2 full court, or 1-on-1 full court, fundamentally changes basketball. Such games shift the style of play to fast break, run and gun, basketball. Basketball will be expressed far differently from today where players walk from three-point line to three-point line and pass around the three-point line. 

We basically keep changing the rules until the value of the 2-point shot equals the value of the 3-point shot, or is greater than the 3-point shot. But ideally, they will be approximately equal in value. Think of this way. If two teams shoot 100 shots, and Team A shoots only 2-pointers and makes 50% of them, they score 100 points. If Team B shoots only 3-pointers and makes 40% of them, they score 120 points. This is approximately what is happening today. The 2-point shot is worth 1 point and the 3-point shot is worth 1.2 points. We will keep using 4-on-4 as an example for all reductions in players per team.

Playing 4-on-4 will make players get easier two-point shots. Once they make 60% of 2-point shots, that shot will be worth 1.2 points. Once 2-point shots and three points are equal in value again, players can fast break all the time again. This makes more highlights. The more highlights the more fun for fans and players, and the better for advertisers. 

New Offensive Rules to consider or to implement right away until the math works out: 

The four-point shot. 

The five-point shot. 

The six-point shot. 

Consider giving three points for a fast break alley-oop instead of only 2 points. 

Consider point changes for other offensive shots and defensive plays. 

The tip-in offensive rebound could be changed to a three point shot.

Give three points for a backwards dunk or rotating more than 180 degrees to dunk. 

Speed up free throws because they really slow down the game.

Consider having no offensive rebounders at all.

Players can always grab the ball, and pass it into play immediately. Make it so the referee almost never holds the ball. 

Almost all players can dunk. It could even be a rule.

Almost all players can make a high-percentage of three pointers. This could be a rule as well.

New defensive rules: 

A block against the backboard, because it is such a difficult and unusual play, could be worth -3 points (negative three points). 

TIME CHANGES

Time changes. Other things to speed up the games. 

Game duration. 

Consider playing to 200 points, or another number, for example. 

RECRUITMENT 

Playing with reduced players changes the type of player to one who runs all the time, can handle the ball great, can dunk, and is great at shooting 3-point shots. Playing 4-on-4 changes the recruitment to faster, quicker, taller, great dunkers and shooters. 

Almost all players can dunk. It could even be a rule.

Almost all players can make certain high-percentage of three pointers. This could be a rule as well.

COPYRIGHT 

Copyright (C) 2024 Bradley R. Hennenfent, M.D. All rights reserved. This blog is an ongoing script and treatment for basketball related videos, TV shows, games, exhibitions, and tournaments.