The NBA is hoping to bring back some end-of-quarter long-range highlights … or at least encourage players to try for them. The NBA will attribute missed heaves at the end of the first three quarters as missed “team” field goal attempts, rather than penalizing the individual player who takes the shot with a miss, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The NBA had tested this change during Summer League.
So, what qualifies as a “heave” that will no longer be counted against the player if missed? NBA Communications defines the criteria for these plays as …
- The missed field goal attempt took place within the final three seconds of the first three periods of a game.
- The missed field goal attempt was shot from beyond the outer edge of the center circle extended (approximately 36 feet from the basket).
- The play originated in the backcourt.
Last season Nikola Jokić attempted 25 shots that met at least the first two of those bullet points, making three of them. For Jokić, who has never been one who puts much stock in individual stats, the (minuscule) chance to pick up three points has always been worth sacrificing tiny slivers of his shooting percentage. Plus, he seemingly derives some enjoyment out of chucking the ball at the basket from far away.
Mikal Bridges attempted the second-most such shots last year with 13, just over half of Jokić’s total.
Last year, NBA players as a whole combined to shoot 640 shots that meet the criteria from the first two bullet points above. They made 25 such shots, a 3.9% field goal percentage, and that resulted in many players simply opting to dribble out the clock or hold the ball instead. Often they’d wait until the buzzer had sounded before firing away.
With this change, though, we’ll hopefully see more heaves — and more makes — from all over the court.
