Recently, some news has been made of plans to commence the American Basketball League, a competitor of sorts in the category of minor league basketball. The league, set to kick off its first 24 game season in January 2013, is trying to serve as a sort of alternate bridge between minor league ballers and overseas employers. The NBA D-League is (or was, I guess) the only league where Americans could ball and have a decent shot at getting to the NBA. Along with being another means to that goal, the ABL recently took aim at the D-League’s inept business model:
The American Basketball League will…field a 12 team league set to challenge the recent economic and rather public failings of current minor league basketball organizations.
Via ABL Press Release
There’s an argument here about whether or not the ABL is a good idea financially speaking. But we don’t care about that (at least not right now). What us hoop heads care about is this: The ABL is going to be a good chance to test out some rule changes and FIBA style basketball.
Oh how sweet it is. Music to my ears, really.
The ABL is simply perfect for trying out some new rules. In this independent (not subsidized by NBA) upstart, we have a league that’s trying to show basketball fans that the ABL is where to be. One can imagine that they’re not going to be too picky when it comes to applying some rule changes that fans have been clamoring for.
Here’s one that even the D-League is starting to pick up on: offensive goal-tending. The ABL should strike while the iron is hot and erase this rule. Why, you ask?
I think that getting rid of the offensive goal tending rule would actually help the ABL look more like a legitimate supplier of quality talent. Think of what it takes to get in position to make that kind of play. Anyone who has played any basketball can tell you that size isn’t everything. Much like most other sports, basketball is all about positioning. With that being said, think of the emphasis being put on the defensive end to actually “box the f*** out!”, as exclaimed by many a coach.
If offensive goal-tending was to be allowed, putting a body between your man and the rim would be an actual priority, marked by the scoreboard (instead of just some old guy on the sidelines, yelling about “fundamentals”). Conversely, think about what it does to the offensive players. Sooner or later, these athletes would have to adjust to the rule and begin to make boxing out a much higher priority. Basketball history is filled with adjustments and innovations, so you’d inevitably see guys learn how to use their bodies better, to get in better position, so they score without going over someone’s back.
Defensive emphasis: forces players to body up, play physical, keep own man off the boards.
Offensive emphasis: leads to offensive players figuring out how best to use their bodies to evade box-outs.
The ABL would be producing a crop of bigs that would have gone through a style of play that further tests them on both ends of the floor. This would result in a bigger stock of talent.
Everybody (except perhaps the D-League) wins.
Mohamed Abdihakim is a journalism student at Florida Atlantic University. He is a Phoenix Suns fan, who is not prepared for the possibility of Nash winning a title in a Lakers jersey. Mohamed is also a contributor at “Les Snobs”. Interests include International basketball, Mad Men , and blues music. Twitter handle: @Abdi_hakim
