How new rule changes for upcoming NBA season will impact the game

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Hello, hello! We’re finally back after our offseason hiatus (during which I got married!) and training camp is thankfully less than two weeks away. But, before we start digging into the ins and outs of the Utah Jazz roster and zeroing in on the development of the team, we have to catch up on a couple of rule changes that were recently approved by the NBA.

First up, the new heave rule. The league approved a change to the way stats on end-of-quarter shots are recorded. Under the new change, any shot taken within the final three seconds of the first three quarters that is launched from at least 36 feet away on any play that starts in the backcourt will count as a team shot attempt — not an individual shot attempt.

This could make for more exciting ends to quarters. Often players would avoid taking those miracle-heaves knowing that it would likely have a negative impact on their overall shooting percentages. But, with that part of the equation changed, hopefully we’ll see players go for it and teams may even have more set plays for end-of-quarter possessions.

The second change is a slight edit to the way a coach’s challenge is reviewed. Starting this season, during a review of a coach’s challenge of an out-of-bounds violation, the NBA replay center official, instead of the on-court crew chief, will determine whether a proximate foul should have been called during the play.

This should not only make for more precise rulings regarding proximate fouls, but also expedite the review time, with the on-court crew focusing on the out-of-bounds call and the replay center official focusing on any potential proximate fouls.

Sometimes when the league approves new rule changes or makes new rules, they don’t all sit well with everyone, but this time it feels like these are good changes that have the potential to make the game more exciting and speed up the review process.

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